He and Jerry Lewis formed the immensely popular comedy duo Martin and Lewis, with Martin serving as the straight man to Lewis' slapstick hijinks. Martin went on to become a star of concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings, motion pictures, and television, and was also a member of the "Rat Pack". Martin was the host of the television variety programs The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare", and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"
Martin was born on June 7, 1917, in Steubenville, Ohio, to an Italian father, Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti (1894–1967), and an Italian-American mother, Angela Crocetti (née Barra; 1899–1966). They were married in 1914. His father, who was a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, in Abruzzo, and his maternal grandparents' origins are believed to be also from Abruzzo, although they are not clearly known. Martin had an older brother named William Alfonso Crocetti (1916–1968). Martin's first language was Abruzzese, a dialect of Neapolitan, and he did not speak English until he started school at the age of five. He attended Grant Elementary School in Steubenville, where he was bullied for his broken English. He later took up the drums as a hobby as a teenager. Martin then dropped out of Steubenville High School in the 10th grade because he thought he was smarter than his teachers. He bootlegged liquor, served as a speakeasy croupier, was a blackjack dealer, worked in a steel mill, and boxed as a welterweight.
As Martin's solo career grew, he and Frank Sinatra became friends. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Martin and Sinatra, along with friends Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis, Jr. formed the Rat Pack, so-called after an earlier group of social friends, the Holmby Hills Rat Pack centered on Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, of which Sinatra had been a member (The Martin-Sinatra-Davis-Lawford-Bishop group referred to themselves as "The Summit" or "The Clan" and never as "The Rat Pack", although this has remained their identity in popular imagination). The men made films together, formed part of the Hollywood social scene, and were politically influential (through Lawford's marriage to Patricia Kennedy, sister of President John F. Kennedy).
The Rat Pack was legendary for its Las Vegas Strip performances. For example, the marquee at the Sands Hotel might read DEAN MARTIN—MAYBE FRANK—MAYBE SAMMY. Their appearances were valuable because the city would flood with wealthy gamblers. Their act (always in tuxedo) consisted of each singing individual numbers, duets and trios, along with seemingly improvised slapstick and chatter. In the socially charged 1960s, their jokes revolved around adult themes, such as Sinatra's womanizing and Martin's drinking, as well as Davis's race and religion. Sinatra and Martin supported the civil rights movement and refused to perform in clubs that would not allow African-American or Jewish performers. Posthumously, the Rat Pack has experienced a popular revival, inspiring the George Clooney/Brad Pitt "Ocean's Trilogy."
Martin returned to films briefly with appearances in the star-laden, critically panned but commercially successful The Cannonball Run and its sequel Cannonball Run II. He also had a minor hit single with "Since I Met You Baby" and made his first music video, which appeared on MTV. The video was created by Martin's youngest son, Ricci. On March 21, 1987, Martin's son, actor Dean Paul Martin (formerly Dino of the 1960s "teeny-bopper" rock group Dino, Desi & Billy), died when his F-4 Phantom II jet fighter crashed while flying with the California Air National Guard. Martin's grief over his son's death left him depressed and demoralized. Later, a tour with Davis and Sinatra in 1988, undertaken in part to help Martin recover, sputtered.
Martin, who responded best to a club audience, felt lost in the huge stadiums they were performing in at Sinatra's insistence, and he was not interested in drinking until dawn after performances. His final Vegas shows were at Bally's Hotel in 1990. There he had his final reunion with Lewis on his 72nd birthday. Martin's last two TV appearances involved tributes to his former Rat Pack members. On December 8, 1989, he joined stars in Sammy Davis Jr's 60th anniversary celebration, which aired a few weeks before Davis died from throat cancer. In December 1990, he congratulated Sinatra on his 75th birthday special.
Martin, a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in September 1993, and was told that he would require surgery to prolong his life, but he rejected it. He retired from public life in early 1995 and died of acute respiratory failure resulting from emphysema at his Beverly Hills home on Christmas Day, 1995 at the age of 78. The lights of the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor. Martin's body was interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. The crypt features the epitaph "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime", the title of his signature song.
In 1996, Ohio Route 7 through Steubenville was rededicated as Dean Martin Boulevard. Road signs bearing an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Martin's likeness designate the stretch with a historical marker bearing a small picture and brief biography in the Gazebo Park at Route 7 and North Fourth Street. An annual Dean Martin Festival celebration is held in Steubenville. Impersonators, friends and family, and entertainers, many of Italian ancestry, appear. In 2005, Clark County, Nevada, renamed a portion of Industrial Road as Dean Martin Drive. A similarly named street was dedicated in 2008 in Rancho Mirage, California. Martin's family was presented a gold record in 2004 for Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, his fastest-selling album, which also hit the iTunes Top 10, and in 2006 it was certified "Platinum".
For the week ending December 23, 2006, the Dean Martin and Martina McBride duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" reached No. 7 on the R&R AC chart. It also went to No. 36 on the R&R Country chart – the last time Martin had a song this high in the charts was in 1965, with the song "I Will," which reached No. 10 on the Pop chart. An album of duets, Forever Cool, was released by Capitol/EMI in 2007. It features Martin's voice with Kevin Spacey, Shelby Lynne, Joss Stone, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Robbie Williams, McBride and others. His footprints were immortalized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1964. Martin has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one at 6519 Hollywood Boulevard for movies; the second at 1617 Vine for recordings; and a third at 6651 Hollywood Boulevard for television. In February 2009, Martin was honored with a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Four of his surviving children, Gail, Deana, Ricci and Gina accepted it on his behalf. In 2010, Martin received a posthumous star on the Italian Walk of Fame in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Martin was married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Anne "Betty" McDonald, (July 14, 1922 – July 11, 1989) of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Martin and McDonald married in 1941 and had four children: Craig Martin (born 1942), Claudia Martin (March 16, 1944 – February 16, 2001), Gail Martin (born 1945); and Deana Martin (born 1948). Martin and McDonald divorced in 1949 and Dean gained custody of their children. Betty lived out her life in relative obscurity in San Francisco, California.
Martin's second wife was Dorothy Jean "Jeanne" Biegger (March 27, 1927 – August 24, 2016), a former Orange Bowl queen from Coral Gables, Florida. Their marriage lasted 24 years (1949–1973) and produced three children: Dean Paul Martin (November 17, 1951 – March 21, 1987), Ricci Martin (September 20, 1953 – August 3, 2016)[15] and Gina Martin (born 1956).
Martin's third marriage, to Catherine Hawn, lasted three years before Martin initiated divorce proceedings. They had no biological children of their own but Martin adopted Hawn's daughter, Sasha.
Martin's uncle was Leonard Barr, who appeared in several of his shows. In the 1960s and early 1970s, he lived at 363 Copa De Oro Road in Bel Air, Los Angeles, before selling it to Tom Jones for $500,000 in June 1976.
Martin's son-in-law was the Beach Boys' Carl Wilson, who married Martin's daughter Gina. Figure skater Dorothy Hamill and actress Olivia Hussey were his daughters-in-law during their marriages to Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin.
Christmas Blues
Dean Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The streets are white with snow
The happy crowds are mingling
But there's no one that I know
I'm sure that you'll forgive me
If I don't enthuse
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
I've done my window shopping
There's not a store I've missed
But what's the use of stopping
When there's no one on your list
You'll know the way I'm feeling
When you love and you lose
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
When somebody wants you
Somebody needs you
Christmas is a joy of joy
But friends, when you're lonely
You'll find that it's only
A thing for little girls and little boys
May all your days be merry
Your seasons full of cheer
But 'til it's January
I'll just go and disappear
Oh, Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes
But Santa only brought me the blues
Those brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas blues
Oh, Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes
But Santa only brought me the blues
Those brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas blues
The lyrics to Dean Martin's "The Christmas Blues" tell a story of loneliness during the holiday season. Martin sings about the festive decorations and crowds of people celebrating Christmas, yet he still feels isolated and without company. He goes through the motions of shopping and decorating, but the lack of meaningful connections makes it all feel empty. In the second verse, Martin acknowledges that his feelings are likely due to a recent loss or heartbreak. The chorus highlights the joy of Christmas when you have someone to share it with, but laments the experience of being alone during the holiday season.
This bittersweet Christmas classic speaks to the fact that, despite the emphasis on togetherness during the holidays, there are many people who feel left out or forgotten. Even the most festive decorations and familiar carols can't make up for the absence of loved ones. Martin nails the emotions of trying to put on a brave face amidst the merriment, but feeling like something is missing. "The Christmas Blues" acknowledges that the holidays can be tough for those who are going through a difficult time or who are far from family and friends.
Line by Line Meaning
The jingle bells are jingling
The sound of Christmas is all around, with the bells ringing and chiming
The streets are white with snow
The snow-covered streets add to the festive atmosphere of Christmas
The happy crowds are mingling
People from all walks of life are out and about, enjoying the festive season together
But there's no one that I know
Despite the cheerful environment, the singer is still feeling lonely because there is no one around whom he knows
I'm sure that you'll forgive me
The singer is apologizing in advance for not being able to express any enthusiasm for Christmas
If I don't enthuse
The singer is just not able to get excited about Christmas due to his loneliness
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
The singer is feeling blue and down due to loneliness and lack of companionship during Christmas
I've done my window shopping
The singer has visited all the stores and shops in town
There's not a store I've missed
The singer has not left any stone unturned in his window shopping
But what's the use of stopping
Despite thorough window shopping, the singer can't buy anything as there is no one to gift it to
When there's no one on your list
The singer has no one to gift anything this Christmas
You'll know the way I'm feeling
The singer is sure that anyone who has ever loved and lost can understand how he is feeling right now
When you love and you lose
The singer is expressing the pain of losing someone he loved, resulting in his loneliness and sadness during the festive season
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
The singer is feeling depressed and disappointed during Christmas due to his loneliness, and the festive season is no longer joyful for him
When somebody wants you
The singer is wishing for someone to want him and appreciate him during Christmas
Somebody needs you
The singer is feeling unneeded and worthless because he doesn't have anyone in his life
Christmas is a joy of joy
The festive season is considered to be a time of happiness, and everyone should be able to celebrate happily
But friends, when you're lonely
The festive season can't bring happiness if you don't have anyone to share it with
You'll find that it's only
The celebrations and the happiness are only meant for people who have someone in their lives
A thing for little girls and little boys
Christmas and other festive celebrations seem like something only meant for children who can enjoy the festivities with their families
May all your days be merry
The singer is wishing everyone a joyful and happy life
Your seasons full of cheer
The seasons should be full of happiness and good times
But 'til it's January
The singer doesn't expect to enjoy the festive season until it's over and the new year starts
I'll just go and disappear
The singer might just withdraw from the festive season altogether and retire until January begins
Oh, Santa may have brought you some stars for your shoes
Santa Claus might have brought something wonderful and special for others, but not for the singer
But Santa only brought me the blues
While others are enjoying Santa's gifts, the singer only got the blues this Christmas
Those brightly packaged tinsel covered Christmas blues
The blues the singer is feeling is not temporary but related to the entire festive season, with all its decorations and celebrations
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMMY CAHN, DAVID JACK HOLT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind