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.
I Get a Kick Out of You
Dean Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mere alcohol, it doesn't move me at all
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you
Some like the bop-type refrain
I'm sure that if I heard even one riff
T'would bore me terrifically too
I get a kick every time I see you
Standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously don't adore me
I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some gal in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
Yeah, I get a kick out of you
I get a kick every time I see you
Standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously do don't adore me
I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some gal in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
Yeah, I get a kick, yes, I get a kick yes, I get a kick out of you
The song I Get a Kick Out of You, as performed by Dean Martin, is a classic example of a love song with a unique twist. The lyrics suggest that the singer, despite not experiencing pleasure from some of life's typical indulgences such as champagne or partying, finds delight in the mere presence of their beloved. The song alludes to the notion that true love is the ultimate high, something that transcends material possessions and societal expectations.
The song's opening lyrics clarify that the singer doesn't enjoy the typical luxuries associated with high society, such as champagne and alcohol. The lyrics go on to question why the singer, who seemingly lacks interest in indulgent activities, would still find pleasure in their beloved's company. The singer goes on to state that even music that some people adore, such as the bop-type refrain, would quickly grow tiresome.
The chorus of the song is where the real meaning of the song becomes clear, with the singer expressing that they get a kick out of seeing their beloved, despite the other person not reciprocating the same feelings. The singer reinforces that they are not interested in the typical pleasures associated with high society either, such as flying on a plane or partying.
Overall, I Get a Kick Out of You is a timeless love song that reflects the idea that true love can trump material possessions and other life's indulgences.
Line by Line Meaning
I get no kick from champagne
Champagne doesn't excite or interest me in any way.
Mere alcohol, it doesn't move me at all
Even regular alcohol doesn't have much of an effect on me.
So tell me why should it be true
There's no logical reason why I should get so much enjoyment from being around you.
That I get a kick out of you
Despite my indifference to other things, being with you is something that brings me genuine joy.
Some like the bop-type refrain
I'm aware that some people enjoy the fast-paced and upbeat style of music.
I'm sure that if I heard even one riff
However, I personally find it uninteresting and even tiresome if I were to hear just a small portion of it.
T'would bore me terrifically too
It would feel incredibly dull and unstimulating to me.
Yeah, I get a kick out of you
That being said, being around you still brings me a lot of happiness.
I get a kick every time I see you
Just seeing you is enough to give me a feeling of excitement and elation.
Standing there before me
Simply being in your presence is enough to evoke these strong feelings within me.
I get a kick though it's clear to me
Even though I'm fully aware that you don't reciprocate my feelings, I still feel this way.
You obviously don't adore me
It's pretty clear that you don't feel the same way about me, but I still can't help the way I feel.
I get no kick in a plane
Traveling by plane or doing exciting things like that doesn't do much for me either.
Flying too high with some gal in the sky
Even flying with someone else doesn't make it any more fun for me.
Is my idea of nothing to do
It's so uninteresting to me that it feels like it's not even worth doing.
Yeah, I get a kick out of you
Despite my lack of interest in other things, being with you still brings me genuine happiness.
I get a kick, yes, I get a kick yes, I get a kick out of you
Overall, there's nothing logical or predictable about why being around you makes me feel the way I do, but it's still true nonetheless.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@igranditemi3774
My story is much too sad to be told,
But practically everything leaves me totally cold.
The exception I know is the case
When I'm out on a quiet spree,
Fighting vainly the old ennui,
And I suddenly turn and see your fabulous face.
I get no kick from champagne.
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all.
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you?
Some, they may go for cocaine.
I'm sure that if I took even one sniff
It would bore me terrifically, too.
Yet I get a kick out of you.
I get a kick every time I see
You standing there before me.
I get a kick though it's clear to see
You obviously do not adore me.
I get no kick in a plane.
Flying too high with some gal in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do.
Yet I get a kick - um you give me a boot - I get a kick out of you.
@frankdascoli709
“They gotta listen, the door’s locked” and “keep it down, someone’s sleeping up there” those 2 lines crack me up every time
@tipsy30515
I love these guys. They're smooth and hilarious. I can't help but vibe to this.
@capitolia
Where is all this now? :(
@aannabellazappata3545
Nessuno mai, come loro, fantastici e indimenticabili ❤grandissimi ❤
@TheTsar1918
I love how they could pick on each other and it's the funniest thing in their eyes. Men who truly enjoyed their jobs.
@zadejustin3576
So smooth, so talented and these guys looked liked they had so much fun!
@wagnergitirana
What a duo of gentlemen and great performers. The best of America.
@michellepost3098
I grew up watching Dean Martin's variety show, during my childhood and early teens. I always watched those Dean Martin celebrity roasts, too, whenever they were on tv. Both Dean and Sinatra sang awesomely.
@AarnessMusic
Oh my gosh..this is my childhood and these guys are so classic
@colinwilliams553
Two halarious,swarve, debonair, funny talented men.sadly,we won't see the likes of people like those two anymore not with today's crap on T.V nowadays long Live
DEAN MARTIN and FRANK SINATRA.