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.
In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening
Dean Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sam wants to boil ham
Grace votes for bouillabaisse stew
Jake wants a wienie bake, steak and a layer cake
He'll get a tummy ache too
We'll rent a tent or tepee
Let the town crier cry
This is what I'll reply
In the cool cool cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool cool cool of the evening
You better save a chair
When the party's getting a glow on
Singing fills the air
In the shank of the night when the doings are right
You can tell 'em I'll be there
We, said the bumblebee, let's have a jubilee
When said the prairie hen, soon
Sure said the dinosaur
Where said the grizzly bear
Under the light of the moon
How 'bout your brother jackass
Everyone gave a cry
You coming to the fracas
Over his expected sighs
In the cool cool cool of the evening
Tell 'em I'll be there
In the cool cool cool of the evening
Slickum on my hair
When the party's getting a glow on
Singing fills the air
If I ain't in the clink
And there's something to drink
You can tell 'em I'll be there
If I can find the right sock by eleven o'clock
You can tell 'em I'll be there
If you need a new face or a tenor off base
You can tell 'em I'll be there
If I can climb out of bed, put a hat on my head
You can tell 'em I'll be there
The lyrics of Dean Martin's "In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening" convey a lighthearted and carefree spirit in which the characters are planning a party, discussing what they want to eat, and where the party should be located. The song is a reverie of an entertaining event that the characters are eagerly looking forward to. The lyrics are full of humor and wit, as each voice humorously chimes in with their opinions on what kind of food and tent should be at this party, and how they will attend.
The song's chorus serves as the catchy and memorable refrain, acting as a melodic bridge between each verse. The verses contain a series of vignettes that all take place under the night sky, from the bumblebee suggesting a jubilee to the grizzly bear questioning the party's location. Throughout the song, Martin's voice is smooth and velvety as he effortlessly croons each line, and you can almost hear the smile in his voice.
All in all, "In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening" is an infectious and uplifting song that captures the essence of a joyful party atmosphere. Its witty and playful lyrics have become a classic that can still make listeners smile and sing along even after all these years.
Line by Line Meaning
Sue wants a barbecue
Sue desires to have a grilled meat party
Sam wants to boil ham
Sam wants to cook ham in boiling water
Grace votes for bouillabaisse stew
Grace prefers to have a fish and vegetable soup called bouillabaisse
Jake wants a wienie bake, steak and a layer cake, He'll get a tummy ache too
Jake wants hot dogs, steak, and cake, but he may feel sick afterward
We'll rent a tent or tepee, Let the town crier cry, And if it's RSVP, This is what I'll reply
We will rent a tent or a tepee, and will let the town crier announce the event. And if a reply is required for invitation (RSVP), this is what I'll say
In the cool cool cool of the evening, Tell 'em I'll be there, In the cool cool cool of the evening, You better save a chair
When the evening is pleasantly cool, let them know that I'll attend and save me a seat
When the party's getting a glow on, Singing fills the air, In the shank of the night when the doings are right, You can tell 'em I'll be there
When the party is lively, and singing echoes all around late at night, let them know I'll be there
We, said the bumblebee, let's have a jubilee, When said the prairie hen, soon, Sure said the dinosaur, Where said the grizzly bear, Under the light of the moon, How 'bout your brother jackass, Everyone gave a cry, You coming to the fracas, Over his expected sighs
The bumblebee suggested a festive celebration, and the prairie hen agreed, followed by an affirmative nod from the dinosaur, and the grizzly bear asked where the party would be, and when they invited the jackass, others cheered while he sighed
In the cool cool cool of the evening, Tell 'em I'll be there, In the cool cool cool of the evening, Slickum on my hair
After the lovely day when it cools down in the evening, let them know I'll come, and my hair will be neatly set
When the party's getting a glow on, Singing fills the air, If I ain't in the clink, And there's something to drink, You can tell 'em I'll be there
When the party is in full swing, and everyone is singing, if I am not in jail and if there's alcohol, let them know I'll be there
If I can find the right sock by eleven o'clock, You can tell 'em I'll be there
If I can get ready and dress up well before 11 o'clock, they can tell them I'll be there
If you need a new face or a tenor off base, You can tell 'em I'll be there
If you require a new person or someone who can sing tenor perfectly, let them know I'll be there
If I can climb out of bed, put a hat on my head, You can tell 'em I'll be there
If I can wake up and manage to wear a hat, let them know I'll be there
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SunHomeInfo
went 44 years without hearing this song. just listened for the 4th time in 12 hours. amazing tune sang by the coolest guy ever
Bilal A
Thats a long time 44 years without listening to it
Jonathan Blair
Me n my mom listened this, thanks to her. I still like it even though she passed on. He's cool too
dgermano11
GREAT Dino-jam! No one does it better!!!
Sofía Gala Campusano
Beautiful, I love this songs!!!
Thank you !!!
Alejandro bermúdez
Me too, and this great singer with his unique voice and style.
bdh70
Love this version! They sang it on Lawrence Welk once but this version is much better
Craig Dixon
I remember hearing this album for the first time but not recognising Dean's face on the album cover so put the record in a Dean Album i did know his face in lol
pdndpm
Dean—o FTW!!
Bobby Kotick making love to a pumpkin
Best version.