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Singing Was the Easy Part [Paperback]

Vic Damone (Author), Larry King (Foreword), David Chanoff (Contributor)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Book Description

July 6, 2010

Vic Damone is one of the enduring legends of American pop music.  His early days were spent as an usher who longed to take the stage at New York City's legendary Paramount Theater.  On August 30, 1947, he got his wish when his first hit "I Have But One Heart" reached #7 on the Billboard Chart.  Befriended by Frank Sinatra and encouraged by legends like Perry Como and Tommy Dorsey, Damone had one of the greatest voices ever recorded covering such Lerner and Loewe classics as "On the Street Where You Live" and "Gigi" while making other numbers, like "You Do", his own. 

In "Singing Was the Easy Part", Damone tells the whole story of his life – and what a life it’s been!  A mob boss tried to throw him out the window of the Edison Hotel in New York City when he broke off an engagement to the boss’s daughter.  He was married to a string of glamorous women including the beautiful Anna Pierangeli and the tempestuous Diahann Carroll.  When he got to Hollywood, Judy Garland gave him his first screen test, he got drunk for the first time with Ava Gardner at Chasens and he went golfing regularly with George Burns and Jack Benny.  Oh yeah, there’s also the story about how he took a nude chorus girl into the steam room of the Sands Hotel where Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin were relaxing between shows.  All that - and much more - makes "Singing Was the Easy Part" a rollicking star-studded memoir from the great Vic Damone.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

One of the most enduring American pop music crooners, Damone, writing with Chanoff, tells his story in this straightforward, honest memoir by an ambitious boy from a middle-class Brooklyn Italian family, rising to fame on hit charts over a 60-year career. In his foreword, CNN talk host Larry King writes, With a little better luck Vic would have classed right with Frank Sinatra. At that he is probably regarded one rung below, but it is a very short rung. As Damone tells it, he experienced it all—he was a babe magnet with the creamy voice; a one-time Paramount usher, he had his life saved by Frank Sinatra; he dated Ava Gardner and Liz Taylor and married the beautiful actress Pier Angeli; he starred in several films, all this between gigs at Ciro's, Mogambo, the Copa and Vegas. Highlights of this celeb-laden book include dealing with a bigot in defense of boxing champ Sugar Ray Robinson, having mob chieftain Frank Costello save his life against a hateful capo and marrying singer Diahann Carroll. With many dramatic moments, this memoir—complete with bold-faced names and mob stories—makes for a delightful summer read. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A crooner's breezy memoir...offers tales of vengeful mobsters, celebrity heartbreak, and carousing in Las Vegas at the height of its glamour...A forthright, compelling look at a vanished, glittering era of show business."--Kirkus Reviews

"Enjoyable and highly readable memoir...sure to entertain anyone interested in the last 50 years of American entertainment."--Library Journal


Product Details

  • Paperback: 271 pages
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (July 6, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312570260
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312570262
  • Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating insight!, July 25, 2009
By 
M. A. Dunnington (Stourbridge, West Midlands United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have been collecting the music of Vic Damone since the 1960's. I had the pleasure of meeting him at a BBC recording he made for Charles and Diana's wedding celebrations. At that recording he invited the audience to his Royal Albert Hall concert later that year - true to his word every member of the audience was sent tickets for that concert - a man of integrity. This books reveals the personility of the man - warts and all, he reveals his innnermost thoughts to us. A great read. It is like being at a dinner party and the host tells one anecdote after the other opening himself up more and more. After each chapter you want to hear the singing voice to remind yourself have superb an artist Vic Damone is!!!!!!!!! Live at the Royal Festival Hall 1985
A truly great singer - up there with his idol sinatra - many of Mr. Damone's recording surpass his idol
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Singing Was the Easy Part, August 8, 2009
An interesting read for this Vic Damone fan. It made me want to hear his music again and wish he hadn't retired. It is unfortunate there has been no promotion on this book--at least, none I have seen. If a friend hadn't told me about it, I would not have known about it.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Singing WAS the easy part!!, July 9, 2009
This book was a very entertaining read. The anecdotes and incidents that Vic Damone writes about kept me turning the pages. His story about being set up with Ava Gardner, and getting drunk for the first time had me laughing. My biggest surprise in his storytelling was when he recalled his singing "On the Street Where You Live" for the songwriters. The songwriters were about to pull the song from "My Fair Lady", and not use it in the show. His singing the song for them, had them keep the song in "My Fair Lady."
As stated in another review, this book is a fun read. I enjoyed it so much, that I have been buying some of Vic Damone's audio cds from Amazon. Since I am not of Vic Damone's generation, I just had to hear his voice. He has a beautiful voice, and wrote a terrific book.
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