Pop tenors who sang neither Nessun dorma nor La donna è mobile
Pop music's best tenors
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Mariano Eusebio González García, a.k.a Luis Mariano, was a famous tenor of Spanish-Basque origin who is remembered, especially in France, as "the king of the operetta." Born in Irún, he showed from an early age the signs of a multi-talented personality. By the time he was 12 years old, he could sing, draw and write stories with incredible virtuosity. When both his house and his hometown were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, Mariano fled to France and settled in Bordeaux where he even had to work on the fields to support himself and his education. He enrolled there at the Fine Arts Institute choosing Architecture as his major. After graduation, he decided that singing was his true vocation and for the next two years he attended the prestigious Conservatory of Music. His professional debut as a tenor came in 1943 when he sang the part of Ernesto in Donizetti's comic opera "Don Pasquale" at the Palais de Chatillot, receiving enthusiastic reviews. In 1945 he moved to Paris where he met Francis López, a French composer of Spanish ancestry who specialized in colorful operettas with Spanish themes. López talked Mariano into trying this popular musical genre and within a year, both the vocalist and the composer, had achieved a great success with "La Belle de Cadix." The operetta was recorded and one of the songs, "María Luisa" became a radio hit for Luis Mariano making him a pop sensation in France and Spain. From then on it was continued success for the singer who starred in many other operettas by López and recorded dozens of highly popular tunes. Soon the movie industry came calling and he was featured in several films with notable box office results. Some of the productions were filmed versions of his stage hits allowing his good looks and golden voice to reach a worldwide audience.
By 1952 and with the box office success of his film "Violetas Imperiales," Luis Mariano had become and international idol and for many years, combined his stage, film and recording activities in Europe with personal appearances all over the world. By the 1960s, with the rock British invasion and the demise of the operetta, Luis Mariano's stage work became less frequent. However he continued recording and was often seen on television and live concerts. In 1967 Luis Mariano and Francis López united again and surprised everybody with "Le Prince de Madrid," an old style operetta which ran in a Paris theater for two years. It was like the good old days all over again and in December 1969 they opened with "La Caravelle d'Or" expecting similar results. However a few weeks after the debut, Luis Mariano became ill and had to abandon the production. He was diagnosed with viral hepatitis and after a long fight with the disease he died in July 1970. During his extraordinary career, Luis Mariano received most of the awards and accolades granted by the entertainment industry. He was also officially recognized with France's Legion of Honor Medal and Spain's Order of Queen Isabella The Catholic. His films and recording are still widely distributed on CDs and DVDs while in his hometown a park was named after him with a sculpture of the singer ensuring his everlasting presence.- Actor
- Music Department
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Tino Rossi broke into films in 1934 with Moscow Nights (1934) but his first real success came with Marinella (1936). All his films were musicals and capitalised on his success as a singer. It is during the Occupation of France by the Germans that his film career reached its peak, notably with Mon amour est près de toi (1943) and L'île d'amour (1944). At the Liberation, the French authorities reproached him for associating with the French Gestapo, but most importantly for actively supporting collaborationist causes such as the LVF (Légion des Volontaires Français) who sent French volunteers to work in German factories. He was arrested in October 1944 and spent three weeks in Fresnes prison (near Paris). Brought to trial in 1945, his sentence was relatively light (unlike his fellow actors Arletty,Mireille Balin, Josseline Gaël or Robert Le Vigan) as he only received a retrospective (and symbolic) work suspension. He then only appeared sporadically in films concentrating on his singing career.- Music Artist
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João Gilberto was born on 10 June 1931 in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil. He was a music artist and composer, known for V for Vendetta (2005), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) and Murder Mystery (2019). He was married to Maria do Céu, Claudia Faissol, Miúcha and Astrud Gilberto. He died on 6 July 2019 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.- Actor
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Vicente Celestino was born on 12 September 1894 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was an actor and writer, known for O Ébrio (1946), Madame Satã (2002) and Coração Materno (1951). He was married to Gilda de Abreu. He died on 23 August 1968 in São Paulo, SP, Brazil.- Actor
- Music Department
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Pedro Vargas was born on 29 April 1904 in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Great Expectations (1998), Los chiflados del rock and roll (1957) and Los tres bohemios (1957). He was married to María Teresa Campos y Fernández de Jáuregui. He died on 30 October 1989 in Mexico City, Mexico.- Alfonso Ortiz Tirado was born on 23 January 1893 in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico. He was an actor, known for Su última canción (1933), Cuando me vaya (1954) and Vigesimo concierto de la compania 'El Aguila' (1937). He died on 12 September 1960 in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Music Artist
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David Crosby was born on 14 August 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Backdraft (1991), Hook (1991) and The Limey (1999). He was married to Jan Dance. He died on 18 January 2023 in Santa Ynez, California, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Allan Jones was born Theodore Allen Jones in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. A coal miner's son, he worked in the mines until 1926. At that point in time, he received a scholarship from Syracuse University, but chose instead to study music at New York University with Claude Warford and then with Felix Leroux in Paris and Sir Henry Wood in London.
Classically trained in opera, the handsome Jones worked on Broadway and in operettas until 1935. At that point, Jones was signed by MGM Grand. He is best remembered for his roles in the two Marx Brothers movies A Night at the Opera (1935) and A Day at the Races (1937), and for his costarring role in Show Boat (1936). The movie The Firefly (1937) produced the song "Donkey Serenade", which became Jones's signature song. Jones was relegated to minor roles at MGM after this. He moved to Universal Studios in 1940, and he starred or appeared in several B musicals there and at Paramount.
During the war years, Jones was one of the first entertainers to volunteer to sing for the troops overseas. In 1945, Jones left Hollywood and toured Great Britain for two years. He returned to the stage and toured with several off-Broadway musicals. Over the next twenty years, he worked the nightclub circuit, appeared in summer-stock and off-Broadway productions, and recorded extensively, including several short "songfests", meant to be fillers in the early days of TV.
In the mid 1960s the busy Jones managed to fit a few appearances on television and in movies into his busy theater, nightclub, and recording career. In 1971, he took on the role of Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha", a role he would perform off and on for the next eight years. He also was very successful on the lecture circuit.
In 1982, the 75-year-old Jones cut yet another LP, his voice belying his age: as clear and vibrant as singers a third his age.
Jones continued to work for the remainder of his life, finishing a successful tour of Australia a few weeks before his death, at 84, in 1992.- Actor
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Carlo Buti was born on 14 November 1902 in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. He was an actor, known for Raging Bull (1980), Girl on the Bridge (1999) and Fear City (1984). He died on 16 November 1963 in Montelupo Fiorentino, Tuscany, Italy.- Music Department
- Actor
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Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos was a Greek Egyptian then his family migrated to Greece and he became a Greek vocalist and performer who had an internationally acclaimed career, as a single recording artist and bandleader. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in the progressive rock music act Aphrodite's Child, but as a vocal soloist, his repertoire included hit songs like ''Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye'', ''From Souvenirs to Souvenirs'' and ''Forever and Ever''.- Actor
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Roberto Murolo was born on 19 January 1912 in Naples, Italy. He was an actor and composer, known for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Nine (2009) and Tormento (1950). He died on 13 March 2003 in Naples, Campania, Italy.- Composer
- Actor
- Writer
Son of Rodolfo Ramazzotti and Raffaella Molina, Eros was raised in Rome in the Cinecittà neighborhood. Since his teens he showed a natural passion for music and tried for admittance to the Music Conservatory, but he failed the evaluation. Mastering the guitar, Eros taught his skills in playing and singing. In 1981, he participated in the Castrocaro Festival with the song 'Rock 80'. The beginning of his musical career occurred when he launched his first album 'La Drogueria di Drugolo' (with DDD records), signed his first contract and moved to Milan.
In 1982 his first 45 rpm single, 'Ad un Amico', was introduced. In 1984, Eros participated for the first time in the San Remo Festival and won that contest with his song 'Terra Promessa'. In 1985 he participated once again and was placed sixth. The following year, a third participation in the same event gave Eros the victory in the principal category with 'Adesso Tu'. Next, his second album 'Nuovi Eroi' was launched. In 1987, the third one came as 'In Certi Momenti', which raised him to the top in Europe. 'Musica È', his fourth album came in 1988. Two years later 'In Ogni Senso' with its song 'Cantico' was launched. Eros toured almost all over the world.
In 1993, his new album 'Tutte Storie' was introduced. Eros quit DDD records and founded his own record company, 'Radiorama'. In May 1996 he launched his first production 'Dove c'è Musica', completely from his own inspiration. Some months later, his wife, Swiss model Michelle Hunziker gave birth to their daughter, Aurora, in Lugano, Switzerland. Awarded Best Music Video in 2002 for his song "Per me Per sempre" directed by Paolo Scarfò.- Actor
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Reda Caire was born on 4 February 1905 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an actor, known for Si tu reviens (1938), Prince de mon coeur (1938) and Vous seule que j'aime (1939). He died on 9 September 1963 in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France.- Music Artist
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Sir Elton John is one of pop music's great survivors. Born 25 March, 1947, as Reginald Kenneth Dwight, he started to play the piano at the early age of four. At the age of 11, he won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. His first band was called Bluesology. He later auditioned (unsuccessfully) as lead singer for the progressive rock bands King Crimson and Gentle Giant. Dwight teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin and changed his name to Elton John (merging the names of saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). The duo wrote songs for Lulu and Roger Cook. In the early 1970s, he recorded the concept album "Tumbleweed Connection." He became the most successful pop artist of the 1970s, and he has survived many different pop fads including punk, the New Romantics and Britpop to remain one of Britain's most internationally acclaimed musicians.
Elton John announced he was a bisexual in 1976, and in 1984, he married Renate Blauel. The marriage lasted four years before he finally came to terms with the fact that he was actually homosexual. In the 1970s and 1980s, he suffered from drug and alcohol addiction and bulimia but came through it. He is well known as a campaigner for AIDS research and he keeps his finger on the pulse of modern music, enjoying artists such as Eminem, Radiohead, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. He was knighted in 1997.- Music Artist
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Graham Nash was born on 2 February 1942 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He is a music artist and actor, known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), The Limey (1999) and Up in the Air (2009). He has been married to Amy Grantham since 2019. He was previously married to Susan Sennett and Rose Eccles.- Music Artist
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Richard Wayne Penniman, better known as Little Richard, the self-proclaimed "Architect of Rock 'n' Roll", traveled in his early days with the legendary vaudeville star Spencer "Snake" Anthony. One of Richard's early bands had the young, then unknown singer James Brown (the Godfather of Soul), a fourteen-year-old keyboardist named Billy Preston, and the famous and legendary rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix. His first recording session took place at WGST in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; he was backed by a local band led by Billy Wright. This session produced a local hit called "Every Hour" which enjoyed heavy airplay on Atlanta's WERD radio station which was the first completely Black-owned radio station in the United States. Little Richard was backed up by his idol Billy Wright, once referred to him as the most fantastic entertainer he had ever seen. Indeed, it was Wright who used a brand of makeup called Pancake 31.
Little Richard admitted to copying Wright's penchant for heavy makeup and wild stage theatrics. With a public persona and personal life marked by sexual ambiguity, he would make his mark with later hits such as the suggestive "Tutti Frutti" and "Good Golly Miss Molly". Unbeknownst to many fans, Richard overcame a debilitating drug habit and eventually became an ordained minister. Beginning in the 1980s, he saw a resurgence in his popularity as he acquired small acting roles where he impressed fans, old and new, with his unique comedic timing. As versatile and ageless as ever, Little Richard continues to delight fans the world over with his extraordinary stage presence and flamboyant antics. Now inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the American Songwriters Hall of Fame, he remains one of the most popular entertainers in the world.- Actor
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Jimmy Cliff was born on 30 July 1944 in St. Catherine, Jamaica. He is an actor and composer, known for The Harder They Come (1972), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and Mission: Impossible III (2006).- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Phil Collins was born in Chiswick, London, England, to Winifred (Strange), a theatrical agent, Greville Philip Austin Collins, an insurance agent. He spent most of his early entertainment life as a young actor and model. He played the "Artful Dodger" in the West End production of "Oliver!" alongside the future movie screen "Artful Dodger," Jack Wild. His interest in music and drumming began at school, where he drummed with a stage school band "The Real Thing," subsequently joining "Freehold" and "Flaming Youth." "Flaming Youth" recorded an album to some critical acclaim, although the group disbanded shortly afterward. Collins later successfully auditioned for Genesis, taking over vocals from Peter Gabriel when he left the band in 1975.
After separating from his first wife, Collins recorded his first solo album, "Face Value." The album was well received and Collins started to become a household name after the song "In the Air Tonight" was featured on the US TV show Miami Vice (1984). This instigated a guest appearance on the show playing a game show host. His third LP, "No Jacket Required," produced multiple chart hits and awards.
Collins is an active musician and entertainer, contributing and guesting regularly on many albums, ranging from Gary Brooker and Camel (Peter Barden's old band) to Eric Clapton. Collins also played as the drummer for the jazz fusion group Brand X and later formed his own big band to play swing and jazz music.
Collins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010. With over 200 million album sales (when his solo career and Genesis career are combined), Collins is one of the most successful musicians of all time, as well as probably the most successful British pop star to have been consistently overlooked for the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British music.
Actress Lily Collins is his daughter (her mother is his second wife, Jill Tavelman).