Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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VALE, Jerry

(b Genaro Louis Vitaliano, 8 July 1930, Bronx, NY; d 18 May 2014, Palm Desert CA) Pop crooner who worked as shoeshine boy in high school, then alongside his father (an engineer) while he sang part-time. He won a talent contest and was regular at Club del Rio for more than a year, changed his name and was discovered by Guy Mitchell and Mitch Miller, and signed to CBS/Columbia: four hit singles '56-8 included his biggest 'You Don't Know Me' at no. 14; his pleasant Italian light baritone came back '64-6 with four more. His career was also helped by Frank Sinatra, who got him his first gig in Las Vegas, and became a close friend. Vale sold albums: he made over 50 of them, 20 in the Billboard album chart '62-72, and he remained popular on easy-listening radio stations for the rest of the century. He made cameo appearances as himself in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990) and Casino (1995), and on TV's The Sopranos.