Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
[Portrait of Vic Damone]
General material designation
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Item
Repository
Reference code
2008.001.1679
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
ca. 1950 (Creation)
- Creator
- A. Gilbert Studios
Physical description area
Physical description
1 photograph: 12.5 x 10
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
AI Gilbert's father Nathan opened the Elite Photography Studio on Queen Street West in 1922. AI began working there during the 1940s and took over the business when his father retired. Now in its 88th year, Gilbert Studio continues to operate at 170 Davenport Road, Toronto, Ontario.
Name of creator
Biographical history
He was born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York, one of five children, and the only son, of Mamie (nee Damone) and Rocco Farinola, who lived in Bensonhurst, a predominantly Italian neighbourhood. When Mamie was hospitalized with pneumonia in 1931, Rocco taught his son to sing "You’re Driving Me Crazy" at her bedside. Although Rocco expected Vito to follow him in becoming an electrician, the young boy was more interested in his mother’s skills as a pianist.
Vito attended Lafayette high school in Brooklyn and also worked delivering groceries from the age of 12. On leaving school, he became an usher at the Paramount theatre in New York. When the up-and-coming Perry Como performed at the Paramount, Vito stopped the lift between floors and asked Como to hear his voice. Como told him to stick with it, so he took his mother’s maiden name to attempt a singing career as Vic Damone.
In 1946 Damone had success on a radio talent show hosted by Arthur Godfrey. He had his first US hit the following year, with I Have But One Heart, which he sang in Italian and English, and he followed it with "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart," a duet with Patti Page. He released a couple more hit songs, topping the charts in 1949. In 1951, Damone appeared in the film musicals Rich, Young and Pretty with Jane Powell and The Strip with Mickey Rooney and Louis Armstrong. He served for two years in the US army during the Korean war, entertaining the troops in Germany and appearing on the forces’ station AFN. In 1955 Damone co-starred in the lavish Hollywood musicals Hit the Deck and Kismet. The next year he recorded On the Street Where You Live, a song from the new Broadway success, My Fair Lady. His beautifully controlled vocal resulted in a US Top 10 hit and he also released a successful album, That Towering Feeling!, inspired by the song.
Damone had a stroke in 2000 but recovered sufficiently to undertake a farewell tour which included Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. He retired to Miami and his final performance was at West Palm Beach in 2011.
He was divorced four times. His fifth wife, Rena Rowan, whom he married in 1998, died in 2016.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Item is a studio headshot of man with curly hair, wearing jacket, sweater vest and tie. Verso ink stamps: "Vic Damone," "This portrait through courtesy of A. Gilbert Studios, Toronto."
Notes area
Physical condition
good.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Open. Records are available for consultation without restriction.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Vic Damone (b. 1928) was an Italian-American singer. He also appeared in several movies.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- A. Gilbert Studios (Subject)
- Shields, Lorne (Subject)
- Damone, Vic (Subject)