Frankie Laine Passes

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LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6, 2007

Frankie Laine, the big-voiced singer whose string of hits made him one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950s, died Tuesday. He was 93.

Laine died of heart failure at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Jimmy Marino, Laine's producer of more than a dozen years, told The Associated Press.

"He was one of the greatest singers around," Marino said. "He was one of the last Italian crooners type."

With songs such as "That's My Desire," "Mule Train," "Jezebel," "I Believe" and "That Lucky Old Sun," Laine was a regular feature of the Top Ten in the years just before rock 'n' roll ushered in a new era of popular music.

Somewhat younger listeners may remember him best for singing the theme to the television show "Rawhide," which ran from 1959 to 1966, and the theme for the 1974 movie "Blazing Saddles."

http://www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com/stor...n2441361.shtml

[amber]

I just saw that in the paper. I didn't really know who he was. But me and my fam sure loved the Rawhide theme. I still mourn the passing of a good musician/singer/lyricists, though I didn't know his work.

It's always sad when one of a kind, very talented people pass. Even if I didn't know all they did, it's nice to have talented energy with us. Especially as there are so many hacks nowadays. And I mean, most people are hacks nowadays.

He reminds me of old timey good stuff, when people with talent were incredibly prolific, and everything wasn't about publicity and money and etc. The days when talented people worked their ass off because they loved it, and had to, and had all the creativity inside.
Oh, and of course he was Italian, so he was extra special.

That's like Stevie, she's one of those old fashioned talented "workhorses" who just keeps producing, and going, and going, and going, for the love of art and creativity and performing, most of all. Mostly.

Seriously, I love the Rawhide theme. We always sang that around the house, but somehow it was about something funny, not the show, everytime. It's one of those timeless T.V. themes, you know. Like Peter Gunn, and Perry Mason, and the whistley theme from Clint Eastwood's Good, Bad, Ugly. Or Hang 'Em High. Or whatever spaghetti western that whistly Clint Eastwood theme is from. And stuff. Only more than those.

[ELIUD]

He also sang the original Cool Water, but I'm not sure if he wrote it.