Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987.
real name: Pierino Ronald Como
labels: Decca
genres: pop music
awards: Peabody Awards, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Primetime Emmy Award for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, Kennedy Center Honors, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, American Music Award of Merit, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
plays: voice
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
Como was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. He was the seventh of 13 children and the first American-born child of Pietro Como (1877–1945) and Lucia Travaglini (1883–1961), who both immigrated to the US in 1910 from the Abruzzese town of Palena, Italy. Como did not begin speaking English until entering school since the Comos spoke Italian at home. The family had a second-hand organ his father had bought for $3; as soon as Como was able to toddle, he would head to the instrument, pump the bellows, and play music he had heard.
Como's Hollywood-type good looks earned him a seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1943. He made four films for Fox, Something for the Boys (1944), Upbeat in Music (1945 short musical documentary film, volume 10 episode 5 of the March of Time series), Doll Face (1945), and If I'm Lucky (1946). He also appeared in a single film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Words and Music (1948). Como never appeared to be truly comfortable in films, feeling the roles assigned him did not match his personality.
Como made the move to television when NBC initially televised the Chesterfield Supper Club radio program on December 24, 1948. A guest on that first show was Como's eight-year-old son, Ronnie, as part of a boys' choir singing "Silent Night" with his father. The show was the usual Friday night Chesterfield Supper Club with an important exception—it was also being broadcast on television. The experimental simulcast was to continue for three Friday "Supper Club" shows, but had gone so well, NBC decided to extend the televised version through August 1949. Years later, Como admitted to being scared and feeling awkward initially but somehow managed to just be himself. Said Como, "You can't act on TV. With me, what you see is what you get." While...
Underlined songs have their story further down.