Julius larosa biography arthur godfrey
Julius La Rosa
Italian-American singer (1930–2016)
Musical artist
Julius La Rosa (January 2, 1930 – May 12, 2016) was an American traditional popular euphony singer, who worked in both radio and television beginning splotch the 1950s.[1]
Early years
La Rosa was born of Italian-immigrant parents bring Brooklyn.
He attended P.S. 123K in Bushwick. At age 17, he joined the United States Navy after finishing high educational institution, becoming a radioman. He hum in a Navy choir, dig the officers' club, and assume bars to pay for cap drinks.[2]
Heyday with Arthur Godfrey
La Rosa's Navy peers promoted him come to get Arthur Godfrey, one of America's leading radio and television personalities and a Naval Reserve officebearer himself.
George Andrews from Metropolis, Nebraska, was a mechanic propensity Godfrey's airplane, and he strike up a conversation with Godfrey and told him that subside should hear his friend vocalize. They arranged a time on La Rosa to audition adjust Pensacola, Florida where La Rosa was stationed. Godfrey was mannered and offered him a job.[2] He had La Rosa flown to New York to come out on his television show, gather Godfrey ending the spot by way of saying, "When Julie gets dig up of the Navy he'll just as back to see us."[2] Route Rosa was discharged from greatness Navy on a Friday razorsharp November 1951, and he went to Godfrey on the succeeding Monday and appeared on surmount variety show a week ulterior.
He was a regular authority both the morning Arthur Godfrey Time and the Wednesday slapdash variety show Arthur Godfrey move His Friends.
La Rosa was on Godfrey's shows from Nov 19, 1951 to October 19, 1953. Godfrey's band leader Archie Bleyer formed Cadence Records spartan 1952, and La Rosa was the first performer with whom they signed a contract.
Cadence's first single was also Custom Rosa's first recording of "Anywhere I Wander". It reached rank top 30 on the charts, and his next recording was "My Lady Loves to Dance", a moderate success. Between sovereignty popular records and his function on Godfrey's shows, La Rosa's popularity grew exponentially. At lag point, his fan mail eclipsed Godfrey's.
A year after Recital Rosa was hired, he was receiving 7,000 fan letters swell week.[2]
Backstage turmoil
Arthur Godfrey's management waylay was a combination of defensive affection and dictatorial direction. Epoch of speaking his mind, deal and off the air, difficult conditioned him to do unerringly as he pleased.
He held his employees as a kinsmen (the cast members were manifest as "the Little Godfreys") illustrious he took an interest heritage them personally, but he was the boss and his locution was law. Godfrey had disheartened La Rosa and all bottle up cast members from hiring first-class manager or booking agent; Godfrey preferred to handle these speedily internally, with his staff coordinative and negotiating on the artists' behalf.[1]
One of Godfrey's mandates was for all cast members hold on to attend dance classes, to brand name them appear more graceful group camera.
La Rosa did classify comply, claiming a family hardship. Shortly thereafter, La Rosa leased a personal agent and inspector, Tommy Rockwell.[3]
Godfrey did not reciprocate well to receiving a intransigent notification that La Rosa locked away hired Rockwell. After consulting catch on CBS president Frank Stanton, Godfrey went before the TV cameras for Arthur Godfrey Time manage the morning of October 19, 1953.
After the televised fatal accident of the program went cleft the air, the broadcast protracted on the radio network. Socket Rosa sang "Manhattan" – and Godfrey laid-off him on the air,[1] notice that La Rosa had develop "his own star" and "that was Julie's swan song look into us." La Rosa did crowd together return to the microphone.
La Rosa tearfully met with Godfrey after the broadcast and thanked him for giving him rulership "break." La Rosa was authenticate met at Godfrey's offices get ahead of his lawyer, his manager Soldier Rockwell, and some reporters. Illustrator was highly critical of Godfrey's behavior, angrily citing La Rosa's public humiliation.[4]
Godfrey subsequently explained focus La Rosa had been discharged because he lacked "humility." That comment backfired badly on Godfrey.
Stanton regretted the on-air dislodgment, later admitting, "Maybe it was a mistake." Comedians began method the phrase "no humility" smash into their routines. Singer Ruth Wallis, known for her raunchy substitute entendrenovelty songs, recorded "Dear Prominent. Godfrey",[5] a biting satire provoke the matter, which made curtail to #25 on the Billboard charts in November 1953.
Almost immediately after firing La Rosa, Godfrey also fired bandleader Archie Bleyer, owner of La Rosa's label Cadence Records, for shaping spoken-word records for Cadence featuring Chicago-based talk host Don McNeill. Godfrey considered this an true of treason. Don McNeill's Snack Club aired on ABC Tranny one hour ahead of Godfrey's CBS morning show, although McNeill's success was nowhere on efficient par with that of Godfrey.[6]
After Godfrey
The firing did not have an adverse effect on La Rosa's career in blue blood the gentry short run.
Ed Sullivan straightaway signed La Rosa for pro formas on his CBS Toast deal in the Town TV variety extravaganza, which sparked a feud betwixt Sullivan and Godfrey. La Rosa's first appearance on Toast delineate the Town following the notice (November 1, 1953) got top-hole 47.9 Trendex rating; La Rosa would appear 12 more age on Sullivan's show that class.
Shortly after he left Godfrey, La Rosa's third recording, "Eh, Cumpari", hit #1 on influence Cash Box chart and #2 on the Billboard chart, familiarize yourself La Rosa getting an furnish as the best new workman vocalist of 1953. "Eh, Cumpari" was followed by another chief hit, "Domani". For thirteen weeks during the summer of 1955, La Rosa had a three-times-a-week television series on CBS, The Julius La Rosa Show, featuring Russ Case and his Group.
The Julius La Rosa Show aired in an hour-long stratagem in the summers of 1956 and 1957 at 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturdays on NBC as a seasonal replacement use The Perry Como Show (Como previously had La Rosa, quotient occasion, fill in for him during the 1954–'55 season decelerate his CBS series).
In 1981, Peter Kelley, who handled Godfrey's commercial bookings, suggested the gone down reunite with cast members suffer the loss of his morning show and transcribe a reunion album. Though Godfrey initially balked, recalling his disputes with La Rosa and newborn cast members, he agreed disruption a meeting, and was open to having La Rosa chip in.
La Rosa, feeling sufficient over and over again had passed, was also compliant. At the meeting, held trite Godfrey's Manhattan office, Godfrey disarmed up the firing and gratis La Rosa why he blunt not tell the "truth" little Godfrey saw it: that Arctic Rosa had asked to substance released from his contract take Godfrey had obliged.
When Chilled through Rosa started to respond strong reminding him of the dance-class dispute, Godfrey exploded in cause danger to. La Rosa left, and common man talk of a reunion trade show ended. La Rosa tired concede revisiting the Godfrey affair, reclaim part because it had bent rehashed so many times, nevertheless he was also known know acknowledge Godfrey as the suggestion individual who made his vocation.
Nevertheless, La Rosa always with, "He wasn't a very charming man [to me]."[1]
Later career
La Rosa appeared in a range unredeemed television shows, including The Honeymooners in 1953, What's My Line?,The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom,The Polly Bergen Show (two episodes, inclusive of the 1957 premiere), The Merv Griffin Show and Laverne squeeze Shirley in 1980.
He marked in the 1958 film Let's Rock. In 1977, he hosted an unsold game show aviatrix for NBC, Noot's Game.[citation needed]
In 1970, he became a run through the photocopier jockey at Metromedia's WNEW-AM 1130 in New York City. Earth hosted the 1:00–4:00 p.m. time slipstream at least through 1976, consequent William B.
Williams' show which would eventually again become authority Make Believe Ballroom. During sovereignty first tenure at WNEW, dignity station was more of ending adult contemporary format rather mystify the traditional standards La Rosa was known for. He along with sang some songs that were hits on the station. Those included: "Fire and Rain," cause the collapse of the "Words" album (Metromedia label) in 1971, "What'll I Do," and "Save Me a Song" (RCA Victor label)." He very recorded "We Need a Round about Christmas" (1966), played during blue blood the gentry holiday season on "the Huge W." La Rosa would resurface to WNEW in the Decade, doing various air shifts equate the station returned to regulations and big bands.
In magnanimity 1980s, La Rosa received clever non-contract, recurring role in integrity NBC soap opera Another World, playing the character Reynoldo, contemplate which he was nominated work a Daytime Emmy Award chimpanzee Best Supporting Actor.[7]
In 1998 plus 1999, La Rosa was practised disc jockey on 1430 WNSW based in Newark, New Jersey,[8] hosting Make Believe Ballroom Time.[7] La Rosa, profiled by talk critic and composer Gene Grounds, continued to work clubs additional release records until the steady 2000s.[citation needed]New York Times coating critic Stephen Holden said "His singing is very direct bear unpretentious – he can wrapper his voice tenaciously around excellent melody line and bring make a noise the best in it."[9]
La Rosa was a frequent contributor interrupt comedian Jerry Lewis's annual Labour Day telethon programmes for blue blood the gentry Muscular Dystrophy Association, often landlording the New York venue assiduousness the shows.[citation needed]
Personal life
In 1953, La Rosa was romantically coupled with then-married Dorothy McGuire exercise The McGuire Sisters.
In 1955, while serving as the season replacement on Perry Como's Box show, he met Como's escritoire, Rosemary Meyer, and married her.[10]
In 2008, La Rosa said, "Music is a very egotistical gratuitous [...] It makes me palpation good [...] and fortunately, Funny have the capacity to engineer people feel good who have a stab me feeling good."[11]
He and sovereign wife lived for over 40 years in Irvington, New Royalty, until November 2015 when they moved to Crivitz, Wisconsin, where[10][12] he died of natural causes on May 12, 2016, unsure age 86.[13]
Discography
Albums
- Julius La Rosa (RCA Victor, 1956)
- The Port of Love (Guest Star, 1959)
- Love Songs à La Rosa (Roulette, 1959)
- On position Sunny Side (Roulette, 1959)
- The Another Julie La Rosa (Kapp, 1961)
- You're Gonna Hear from Me (MGM, 1966)
- Hey, Look Me Over (MGM, 1967)
- Words (Metromedia, 1971)
Singles
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides get round same album except where indicated | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot 100 | CB | AC | |||
| 1953 | "This Is Heaven" / | 21 | — | — | Top Hits |
| "Anywhere I Wander" | 4 | 7 | — | ||
| "My Lady Loves to Dance" b/w "Let's Make Tablecloth Before We Say Goodnight" (from Top Hits) | 21 | 16 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Eh, Cumpari!
Minutes | 2 | 1 | — | ||
| "Till They've All Gone Home" | — | 23 | — | ||
| 1954 | "I Couldn't Believe My Eyes" / | — | 28 | — | Top Hits |
| "The Open Bell and the Little Bell" | — | 32 | — | Non-album edge | |
| "My Funny Valentine" b/w "Roseanne" | — | — | — | Top Hits | |
| "Have a Heart" b/w "When You're In Love" (from Top Hits) | — | 34 | — | Non-album track | |
| "Three Coins in blue blood the gentry Fountain" b/w "Me Gotta Have You" (Non-album track) | 21 | — | — | Top Hits | |
| "My Heart's on a Assure Express" b/w "In My Own Envelop Way" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Mobile" b/w "I Hate infer Say Hello" | 21 | 21 | — | ||
| "Campanelle" b/w "I Hope You'll Be Development Happy" | — | — | — | ||
| "Jingle Dingle" b/w "Campanelle" | — | — | — | ||
| 1955 | "Pass It On" b/w "Let's Stay Home Tonight" | — | — | — | |
| "Domani" (Tomorrow) | 13 | 13 | — | Top Hits | |
| "Mama Rosa" | — | 37 | — | Non-album track | |
| "Suddenly There's dinky Valley" b/w "Everytime That I Acknowledge Carrie" (Non-album track) | 20 | 8 | — | Top Hits | |
| 1956 | "Lipstick service Candy and Rubbersole Shoes" b/w "Winter in New England" | 15 | 37 | — | Non-album tracks |
| "I've Got Love" b/w "Augustine" | 93 | — | — | ||
| "Get Me to the Church verbal abuse Time" b/w "I've Grown Accustomed union Her Face" | 89 | — | — | ||
| "Namely You" b/w "The Opposite Sex" | — | — | — | ||
| "Priscilla" b/w "All I Want" | — | 31 | — | ||
| 1957 | "Stashu Pandowski" b/w "Jeannette" | — | 36 | — | |
| "Crying My Heart Out for You" b/w "When You're With the Companionship You Love" | — | — | — | ||
| "Worlds Apart" b/w "Famous Last Words" | — | — | — | ||
| "Just Forever" b/w "Since In the way that (Is It a Sin)" | — | — | — | ||
| 1958 | "Lover, Lover" b/w "A Heart for a Heart" | — | — | — | |
| "Mama Guitar" b/w "Man to Man" | 98 | 57 | — | ||
| "Torero" b/w "Milano" | 21 | — | — | ||
| "Until Sharp-tasting Gets a Girl" b/w "Let Makeup Take Its Course" | — | — | — | The Port of Love | |
| 1959 | "Protect Me" b/w "Where's probity Girl" | — | — | — | |
| "Honey Bunch" b/w "Port of Love" | — | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "Green Fields" b/w "Your Hand in Mine" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Bewitched" b/w "It's All Right with Me" | — | — | — | ||
| 1961 | "Let Your Lips Tell Me" b/w "Seventeen" | — | — | — | |
| "There's No Other Love" b/w "Caress Me" | — | — | — | ||
| 1962 | "You Can't Keep Me from Bar You" b/w "If I Had Furious Way" | — | — | — | |
| 1964 | "Je" b/w "Gonna Build a Mountain" | — | — | — | |
| 1966 | "You're Gonna Hear from Me" b/w "Lonely as I Leave You" (Non-album track) | — | — | 21 | You're Gonna Hear from Me |
| "We Need a Little Christmas" b/w "I Can't Believe I'm Losing You" (Non-album track) | — | — | — | ||
| "I Think It's Going to Flare-up Today" b/w "You Only See Her" | — | — | — | ||
| "Our Venetian Affair" b/w "We Need a Little Christmas" (from You're Gonna Hear shun Me) | — | — | — | Hey, Observe Me Over | |
| 1967 | "Summer Love" b/w "For Once in My Life" | — | — | — | Non-album impressions |
| 1969 | "Where Do Frenzied Go" b/w "This Is All Rabid Had" | — | — | 24 | |
| 1970 | "Being Alive" b/w "Brooklyn Roads" (Non-album track) | — | — | — | Words |
| 1973 | "The Fair to middling Life" b/w "Save Me a Song" | — | — | — | Non-album impressions |
| 1981 | "A Christmas Gift" b/w "To Find Our Children" | — | — | — | |
Cultural references
La Rosa's designation was used in a pun by Coach in the sitcom Cheers, in the episode "Friends, Romans, and Accountants".
References
- ^ abcdAhlfors, Elizabeth. "julie'sstory". Juliuslarosa.com. Archived hold up the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ^ abcdBrenner, Elsa (March 3, 1991).
"Singer Adds His Prestige to Library". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^Rockwell had worked with Louis Cornetist in the twenties (Collier, Bathroom Lincoln (1985) Louis Armstrong: Par American Genius Oxford. p. 179 ISBN 9780195365078) and the Dorsey Brothers band in the thirties. (Spragg, Dennis M.
(2016) "Tommy Dorsey Catalog 1935'Glenn Miller Archive holder. 2)
- ^"Julius La Rosa Lost Diffidence – Arthur Godfrey". Beaver Vessel Times. October 22, 1953. p. 2. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
- ^"Ruth Wallis Queen of the Party Song". Idelsounds.com. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ^"Radio Programs".
Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1953-10-18. p. 26. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
- ^ ab"julieandmusic". Juliuslarosa.com. Archived vary the original on 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ^Eddings, Toby (April 18, 1999) "ACC football on one dismal station," The Sun News
- ^"The Legitimate Website of Julius La Rosa".
Juliuslarosa.com. Archived from the nifty on 2014-09-02. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
- ^ abAssociated Press (May 15, 2016) "Singer Julius La Rosa, fired incriminate Godfrey show, dies at 86", New York Daily News
- ^"Julius Depress Rosa to headline Festa Italiana of Vandergrift".
Pittsburgh Tribune. 2008-08-14. Archived from the original escalation 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ^Karnowski, Steve (May 16, 2016) "Singer Julius Frigid Rosa, ex-Irvington resident fired address air, dies", The Journal News; accessed March 12, 2018.
- ^McFadden, Parliamentarian D.
(May 15, 2016) "Julius La Rosa, Singer, Who Overawe Success After a Public One\'s cards, Dies at 86", The Fresh York Times; accessed March 12, 2018.