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.
Guys And Dolls
Dean Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll tell ya what's playin' at The Roxy.
A picture about a Minnesota man
So in love with a Mississippi girl
That he sacrifices everything
And moves all the way to Biloxi.
That's what's playin' at The Roxy.
I'll tell ya what's in The Daily News.
A story about a guy
Who bought his wife a small ruby
With what otherwise woulda been his union dues.
That's what's in the Daily News.
What's happenin' all over?
I'll tell ya what's happenin' all over.
Guy sittin' home by a television set
Who once used to be something of a rover.
That's what's happenin' all over.
Love is the thing that has licked 'em.
And it looks like Nathan's another victim.
When you see a guy
Reach for stars in the sky
You can bet that he's doin' it for some doll
When you spot a John
Waitin' out in the rain
Chances are he's insane
As only a John
Can be for a Jane
When you meet a gent
Payin' all kinds of rent
For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal
Call it sad
Call it funny
But it's better than even money
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
When you see a Joe
Savin' half of his dough
You can bet there'll be mink in it for some doll
When a bum buys wine
Like a bum can't afford
It's a cinch that the bum
Is under the thumb
Of some little broad
When you meet a mug
Lately out of the jug
And he's still liftin' platinum falderal
Call it Hell
Call it Heaven
It's a probable twelve to seven
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
When you see a sport
And his cash has run short
You can bet that he's bankin' it with some doll
When a guy wears tails
With the front gleaming white
Who do you think
He's tickling pink
On Saturday night?
When a lazy slob
Gets a good steady job
And he smells of Vitalis and Barbasol
Call it dumb
Call it clever
But you can get odds forever
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
Some doll
Some doll
The guy's only doin' it for some doll!
The song "Guys and Dolls" was originally written for the Broadway musical of the same name and made popular by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. This particular section of the song highlights the idea that men will do crazy and often irrational things for love, or in this case, for "some doll." The first verse talks about a man who moves all the way to Biloxi, Mississippi, for the love of a woman from there. The second verse tells the story of a man who sacrificed his union dues to buy a small ruby for his wife. The final verse states that love has "licked 'em" and that Nathan, the main character from the musical, is another victim of love.
Throughout the song, the lyrics purposely contrast the idea of love and men's actions. The songwriters illustrate that love can be wonderful and poignant, but at the same time can lead to irrational behavior, financial ruin, and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
What's playin' at The Roxy?
What movie is showing at the Roxy theater?
I'll tell ya what's playin' at The Roxy.
I can inform you what is showing at the Roxy theater.
A picture about a Minnesota man
The movie is about a man from Minnesota.
So in love with a Mississippi girl
He is deeply in love with a girl from Mississippi.
That he sacrifices everything
He gives up everything he has.
And moves all the way to Biloxi.
He relocates to Biloxi to be with her.
What's in The Daily News?
What news is in today's Daily News publication?
I'll tell ya what's in The Daily News.
I can inform you what is in today's Daily News publication.
A story about a guy
The news is a story about a man.
Who bought his wife a small ruby
He purchased his wife a small ruby stone.
With what otherwise woulda been his union dues.
He used the money that should have gone towards union dues to purchase the ruby.
What's happenin' all over?
What is happening everywhere?
I'll tell ya what's happenin' all over.
I can inform you what is happening everywhere.
Guy sittin' home by a television set
Men are sitting at home watching television.
Who once used to be something of a rover.
These men used to be adventurous and travel frequently.
Love is the thing that has licked 'em.
These men have been conquered by the power of love.
And it looks like Nathan's another victim.
It seems that Nathan has also fallen in love and become a victim of the power of love.
When you see a guy
When you observe a man
Reach for stars in the sky
Trying to accomplish something difficult
You can bet that he's doin' it for some doll
He is most likely doing it for the attention of a girl.
When you spot a John
When you observe a man who uses prostitutes
Waitin' out in the rain
Standing outside in the rain
Chances are he's insane
It's likely that he is mentally unstable.
As only a John
As only someone who pays for sex
Can be for a Jane
Can be for a woman he is paying for sex.
When you meet a gent
When you encounter a man who is a gentleman
Payin' all kinds of rent
Paying a lot of money for rent
For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal
Paying a lot of rent for an extravagant apartment.
Call it sad
Many people would consider this a sad state of affairs.
Call it funny
But some people might find it amusing.
But it's better than even money
It's more than likely that this is the reason why he is paying such high rent.
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
He is doing it all for the sake of attracting a particular girl.
When you see a Joe
When you observe a man named Joe
Savin' half of his dough
Saving fifty percent of his money
You can bet there'll be mink in it for some doll
He is likely saving up money to buy a fur coat for a particular girl.
When a bum buys wine
When a homeless person purchases wine
Like a bum can't afford
As if he doesn't have the money to buy it
It's a cinch that the bum
It's almost a guarantee that the homeless person
Is under the thumb
Is being controlled by a woman
Of some little broad
Of a particular girl who is small in stature.
When you meet a mug
When you encounter a man who is a bit of a fool
Lately out of the jug
Recently released from prison
And he's still liftin' platinum falderal
He is still trying to make money through questionable means.
Call it Hell
Many people would describe this situation as unpleasant.
Call it Heaven
But some people might find it enjoyable.
It's a probable twelve to seven
It's most likely that
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
He's doing all of this for the sake of attracting a particular girl.
When you see a sport
When you observe a man who is sporty or fashionable
And his cash has run short
When he's starting to run low on money
You can bet that he's bankin' it with some doll
He's likely saving his money for a particular girl.
When a guy wears tails
When a man wears suit tails
With the front gleaming white
The front of the suit is shiny and new.
Who do you think
Who do you suppose
He's tickling pink
He's showing off or impressing a particular girl.
On Saturday night?
On a night out or for a special occasion.
When a lazy slob
When a man who is lazy and unkempt
Gets a good steady job
When he gets a job that is stable and has a good income
And he smells of Vitalis and Barbasol
After using Vitalis and Barbasol grooming products
Call it dumb
Many would describe this as unintelligent.
Call it clever
But some might find it smart or resourceful.
But you can get odds forever
It's almost always the case that
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
He's doing all of this for the sake of attracting a particular girl.
Some doll
An attractive woman who is worth pursuing.
Some doll
An attractive woman who is worth pursuing.
The guy's only doin' it for some doll!
He is doing all of this for the sake of attracting a particular girl.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DariysChannel
Dean: What's playin' at the Roxy?
I'll tell you what's playin' at the Roxy
A picture bout a Minnesota man so in love with a Mississippi girl
that he sacrifices everything and moves all the way to Biloxi
That's what's playin' at the Roxy
Frank: What's in the daily news?
I'll tell you what's in the daily news
Story about a guy who bought his wife a small ruby
with what otherwise would've been his union dues
That's what's in the daily news
Dean: What's happenin' all over?
I'll tell you what's happenin' all over
Guy sittin' home by a television set
who once used to be somethin' of a rover
Both: That's what's happenin' all over
Love is a thing that has licked 'em
And it looks like Nathan's another victim
Dean: When you see a guy
Reach for stars in the sky
You can bet, that he's doin' it fo' some doll
Frank: When you spot a John
Waitin' out in the rain
Chances are he's insane
As only a John can be for his Jane
Dean: When you meet a gent
Payin' all kinds of rent
For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal
Both: Call it sad, call it funny
But it's better than even money
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
Dean: When you see a Joe
Savin' half of his dough
You can bet, there'll be mink in it for some doll
Frank: When a bum buys wine
Like a bum can't afford
It's a cinc' that the bum
is under the thumb
of some little broad
Dean: When you see a mug
Lately out of the jug
And he's still liftin' platinum folderol
Both: Call it hell, call it heaven
It's a probable twelve to seven
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
Some doll
Some doll
The guy's only doin' it for some doll
-
Both: Call it hell, call it heaven
It's a probable twelve to seven
That the guy's only doin' it for some doll
Some doll
Some doll
The guy's only doin' it for some doll
@crocostimpy
LO234DFH831 fol·de·rol
ˈfäldəˌräl,ˈfôldəˌrôl/
noun
noun: folderol; noun: falderal
trivial or nonsensical fuss.
"all the folderol of the athletic contests and the cheerleaders"
dated
a showy but useless item.
plural noun: folderols; plural noun: falderals
@connorbrackin722
im glad people are able to still preserve and enjoy good music
@michelleharper9974
Ok Quindarious Gooch
@riejurv50
Style and class at its best!
@surrealhernandez4901
call it hell call it heaven, its a probable 12 to 7, that the guy's only doin it for some dooollll
@robertszvetics210
what gavones
@nodarikurtauli3722
Dggggggdffdfdgfggjfffgff
@nodarikurtauli3722
Jdgggfggddddddgffddgfddgddsdgfdddggdddggfdfdfdfghggddddghggddddddddggddgdfgddgfdgffddgddsdgddfddddsgddgddsgsddddgddfddgdfgdsddddddddgddsddadddaghgshfddjsfhfgfdgshhdafgfgfgdgggggfggggdgedddhddghdgffdgghdggffgfffgfgdggggdggdggddgfggggggddgdgddgggdddgggddddddghdddggffffdddfddfgffggggdggahdgfggdfgggdgddddgffgfgdgsggdddddggdfafdlgdddddddddddgddddddggdddgffdgaddsddfadadadddsafddddsddddddssdddddgfsddsddddddsaggddddgdddlddddgddshdsgddddddddgdddddaddddgddddddgdddgdffdgjdfgggfgdd
@iac4357
Came here from Cleveland radio station FM 91.5 WKHR, nostalgia, swing, etc. Deano, Frank, Jimmy Durante, Blossom Dearie, Nat King Cole !!!
@nickconrad435
I think I'm going to use this for my Frank and Dean show.. thank you for posting this! :)
@PhilipJackson03
Thank you Family Guy for forming my musical taste.