Customer Reviews

Russ Columbo: The Amazing Life and Mysterious Death of a Hollywood Singing Legend

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When moving from one NYC apartment to another, my late brothers record collection and phonograph were destroyed This was 1935 and WW2 had not yet pulled us out of the depression, so these items could not be replaced. When my brother returned from the ETO he showed no interest in replacing those items till in 1947 he heard Perry Coimo's hit recording of Columbo's song " Prisoner of love." He began to regale me with tales of the Columbo legend, I was a Sinatra fan at the time { The high school chicks expected that.} so I didnt show much interest until I heard the older guys debating the merits of the Sinatra/Crosby "Battle". One of the guys said If Russ Columbo hadnt died he would bew the Bing Crosby of today. This began a decades search, by interview, on Russ until Mr. Miano's book came out I had gotten a lot of conflicting facts. Now i had documented proof and was able to dismiss a lot of hersay. I was so impressed with this book that I sent a copy to Tony Martin. { That singer was thought at one time to portray Russ in a boi. movie.}Srangely enough a later book seemed to resurrect all the erroneous tales I had heard before.

Mr. Lou Miano has done an excellent job in documenting and producing a highly readable book which should satisfy all of Russ Columbo's fans as well as aficionados of the Hollywood and New York vaudeville and theater scenes of the 1930's. Without the sentimentality one would normally anticipate in such a commemorative book, Miano sets forth a colorful tapestry for his reporting of Russ's family background, his parents, siblings, his education, and youthful ambitions. Their ethnicity, struggles, familial losses, uprooting, and personal sacrifice are so effectively portrayed that one develops an intimacy with the Columbo family. Similarly, the minutely detailed descriptions of Russ's early and later struggles and successes in New York and Hollywood, most effectively aided by copious photographs, copies of personal and business letters, playbills, theater posters, film frames and all sorts of priviledged documentation, creates a three-dimensionality that the book makes one feel like "they were there with Russ."

Miano lets the material tell the story. He rarely interjects personal opinions or insights that one would expect from a less honest biographer. But he makes sure that he includes quotes from Russ or his associates which address and settle questions that the reader may have. For example, as a music collector I have had two questions regarding Russ's singing and his orchestra; "were the humming verses he employed derived in any way from his experience as a violinist?" While Miano reports that his fans enjoyed these highly creative flourishes, he makes no effort to explain their derivation. Instead, he more effectively employ's a quote from Russ himself who confirms that he used the violin obligato parts for his vocal excursions.

The second item that always bothered me was the apparent anonymity of the personnel in his great dance band coupled by their great sound, arrangements, and dance beat. I checked the expert sources for such information, i.e., Albert McCarthy's book "The Dance Band Era" (a picture of Russ but no mention of his orchestra at all). Next I check with Brian Rust's discography "American Dance Bands"...again not even a mention. Mr. Miano comes to the rescue here with a complete identification of that orchestra's personnel (which included Jimmy McPartland, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa among other notables...and twin pianos) no wonder the reviewers and dancers alike raved about this band...again information provided by Miano. Imagine the dance beat that Krupa and two pianos would generate! I hopt that Brian Rust gets to read Miano's book and makes the appropriate additions to his highly regarded discography.

This book is so full of so many important details and so devoid of wasteful "fluff" that the reader will come away richly rewarded by gaining a new intimacy with Russ, his films and recordings via two great discographies (these alone are worth the book's price).

I could go on but I will just be keeping you from picking up your copy and immersing yourselves in this worthwhile book. Upon completing this book I predict that you will be as impressed as I was with the fact that Russ Columbo accomplished so much in his short 26 years. Clearly the substance put together in this book by Miano justifies this impression.

Finally, I hope that Jim Bedoian of TAKE TWO RECORDS gets to read this book and becomes inspired to produce a second CD covering Russ's commercial recordings, transcriptions, air checks, etc., that were not contained on either his first CD or the ASV CD.

The colorful story of the rapid rise and tragic early death of fabled singer-bandleader-composer Russ Columbo makes for fascinating reading. Lou Miano has done a first-rate job of researching the crooner's career, in the process shedding light on the early days of network radio, as well as records and film. Conspiracy buffs may be disappointed in the debunking of rumors surrounding Columbo's bizarre accidental death, but those interested in showbiz history will be pleased with this well-illustrated book. Columbo fans will be ecstatic that, at long last, a thorough examination of his life and work is available.

I'd heard about the legend of Russ Columbo's 1934 gunshot death, and visited his final resting place, before I'd ever heard him sing. When I finally did get a chance to listen to his smooth vocal stylings recently, I wanted to learn more about the man himself and his career that was sadly cut short. Therefore, I was glad to have the chance to do just that with Lou Miano's fine biography which has been in publication for several years now. It's a real gem.

Miano's professionalism and passion for researching every aspect of Columbo's life translates into an informative and enjoyable book that weaves interesting and detailed facts, colorful anecdotes and educated editorial commentary into a well-written narrative. It answered all my questions about this talented singer and then some. Miano successfully balances information about Columbo's life with stories surrounding the events of his tragic death, always treating his subject with objective dignity while also tenaciously addressing the hard and often heartbreaking questions with taste.

Particularly impressive are the plethora of illustrations which include not only traditional studio publicity photos and rarely (that I've seen) candid shots, but excellent quality black-and-white reproductions throughout the text: lobby cards, newspaper articles and advertisements, record labels, sheet music and album cover artwork, and even his death certificate. This added touch not commonly seen in Hollywood biographies said to me the reader that Miano went the extra mile to not only tell but show what Russ Columbo was all about.

The extensive discography and filmography at the end of the book are both expertly detailed and make for a great all-purpose reference in their own right. Also, because Columbo was romantically involved with actress Carole Lombard at the time of his death, this book would also be of interest to her many fans who will learn more about their relationship and Lombard's continued devotion to Columbo's ailing mother after his death.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this biography of Russ Columbo to anyone interested in reading a well-rounded portrait of this musical artist and gentleman whose voice was silenced far too soon.

Lou Miano has created a fine, thorough analysis of 1930s vocalist Russ Columbo. Mr. Miano's multiple appearances on the "Memory Lane" radio program (by New York legend Joe Franklin) reaffirm the author's complete command of Russ Columbo's short but highly influential career. This book carries that knowledge even further. It clearly depicts the entertainment world of the time and that Russ Columbo was at the top of his game in both music and film when he was cut down in his prime. This book is a master work that all music fans will enjoy.

This well researched biography of singer Russ Columbo, who, had he lived, could have rivaled Crosby and Sinatra, provides a thorough look at Columbo's life, career, and death. The book provides a good history of how early radio and record deals were made. The author does what many biographies fail to do and that is tie up the loose ends. He lets us know what happened to Columbo's family members, girlfriends, business partners, and all of those who had an impact on Columbo's life. There are complete appendixes detailing Russ's radio and film appearances as well as record releases.