Philly’s own Martino
sings his way to Wilmington

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

His credo, he explained, has always been a simple one and borrowed from none other than Sir Winston Churchill: "The measure of success is when you go from failure to failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm!"
And according to singing star Al Martino, who may still be recognized by many as "Johnny Fontane" in the epic film The Godfather, nothing could be truer, whether it comes to making it in show business or just making it in life.
"I had the dream of becoming a singing star for many years, off and on like most people," said Martino, who will show off his singing talents Feb. 8 and 9 at the Three Little Bakers Dinner Theater in Wilmington. "But I finally made up my mind to be in the entertainment business when I was living in Philadelphia (his hometown) and got a job at Big Bill’s Nightclub just down the street from the Celebrity Room. Then, after playing all the saloons in Philly, I finally migrated to New York, got on and won first place in Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scout Show and decided to accept my fate."
Born in 1927, Alfred Cini Martino was originally inspired and helped by fellow Philly friend Mario Lanza.
"I made this great song called Here in my Heart and I knew it was a winner," Martino recalled. "Well, Mario was already a big star in Hollywood, so when the people at RCA heard about my record, they called Mario and asked him to record the song for them. When I heard about it, I called Mario’s family, got his number in Hollywood and told him of my dilemma. I told him I thought the record would be a big hit but that if he recorded it too, I could kiss my record goodbye. Great guy that he was, he said that he wouldn’t record it and mine went on to become a big hit for me. I think that’s how it all began."
Recording that song guaranteed Martino a place in the international music scene, bringing him success here and in Europe and Australia.
Later, sales of Martino’s top hit, Spanish Eyes, brought him gold and platinum awards. The song reached 15 on the British charts and is one of the most-played songs worldwide. He also recorded Volare, which was a No. l hit all over Europe and the rest of the world.
Other memorable Martino hits include Painted, Tainted Rose; Living a Lie; I Love You More and More Every Day; Can’t Help Falling in Love; and many, many more.
Gaining the respect of fellow actors as well as the rest of the world, Martino also sang the title score in the 1972 Godfather movie, The Love Theme From The Godfather.
He’s also gained the respect of fellow musicians — witness the fact that in 1999, Martino and his group of musicians were asked to perform at the home of Billy Joel in honor of Joel’s 50th birthday.
In show business for more than 50 years, Martino was asked what has kept him so successful after all these years.
"Perseverance," he answered quickly. "I always say don’t let anybody shoot you down. And even though we live in youth-oriented society, there’s still room for singers like me.
"I love what I do and can’t imagine doing anything else," he concluded, "not even making another film. Oh, I might, if something were presented to me that was as good as or better than The Godfather. But I’m not going to do a cameo role. I’m not going to audition for anybody, either. I never had to audition for The Godfather. Not even read for the part. So I’m not about to start now. Why should I? I’m perfectly happy with what I’m doing right now, right at this moment in time." oo
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