Al Martino, singer of Volare, dies aged 82
October 15th, 2009 - 1:48 am ICT by IANSLos Angeles, Oct 15 (DPA) Al Martino, the singer of 1960’s hits such as Spanish Eyes and Volare, died aged 82 in his home town of Philadelphia, according to a statement from his publicist Wednesday.
Along with his musical career, Martino also appeared with Marlon Brando in the 1972 film The Godfather, in which he played Johnny Fontane, a singer with Mafia connections.
Born Alfred Cini in Philadelphia in 1927, he was an apprentice bricklayer in his youth and had been expected to go into his family’s successful masonry business. But his strong baritone helped him break into the music business. After he adopted his grandfather’s surname Martino, he had a string of hits starting in 1952 with Here in My Heart, I Love You More and More Every Day and Mary in the Morning.
Martino is survived by his wife Judi and two children.
- "Here In My Heart" Singer Al Martino Dies - Oct 14, 2009
- 'Last Tango in Paris' actress Maria Schneider dies aged 58 - Feb 04, 2011
- Gangster who inspired The Godfather was a 'fake' - Jan 06, 2011
- 'Godfather' house up for sale at $2.9m - Dec 05, 2010
- Anurag Kashyap To Adapt Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather' - Jun 16, 2010
- Coppola insists Brando's bad reputation was a misunderstanding - Jun 09, 2009
- Even after so many years 'Godfather' remains fresh: Big B - Sep 02, 2011
- French actress Maria Schneider dead at 58 - Feb 04, 2011
- Cher regrets not dating Brando and Presley - Nov 13, 2010
- Al Pacino says he was almost fired from 'The Godfather' - Dec 08, 2010
- Marlon Brando's family still in dispute over his ashes - Aug 10, 2010
- Johnny Depp: Whats His Dream Role? - Dec 01, 2010
- 'Godfather' house on sale for $3 mn - Dec 05, 2010
- Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall once flashed butts to lighten mood on film sets - Dec 15, 2008
- Actress Maria Schneider Of "Last Tango In Paris" Fame Passes Away At 58 - Feb 04, 2011
Tags: al martino, apprentice, baritone, bricklayer, cini, dpa, godfather, heart, johnny fontane, mafia connections, marlon brando, masonry business, music business, musical career, publicist, spanish eyes, surname, town of philadelphia, wife judi