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.
Open Up The Door
Dean Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Toes out of my shoes
Bringing me the blues
I said "Blues, good morning"
I don't want to fight
'Cuse me while I have a smoke
If I can't find a light
Open up the door and let the good times in
Just open up the door and let the good times in
Tomorrow's gonna be better than today
I went to that cupboard
Found the cupboard bare
What happened to that sip of wine
I had hidden there
Over in the corner a little mouse laid on his side
He was wearing such a grin
I thought the mouse had died
Open up the door and let the good times in
Don't let anything stand in your way
Just open up the door and let the good times in
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
I won't call my baby
When she got to the phone
I kinda had a little feeling
My baby was not alone
She said "Daddy, I'm busy
Call some other time"
I don't need that woman but I sure could use that dime
Open up the door and let the good times in
Don't let anything stand in your way
Open up the door and let the good times in
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
The song "Open Up the Door" by Dean Martin is a cheery tune about not giving up even when things seem bleak. The first verse talks about waking up with the blues, toes out of his shoes, and not wanting to fight. Martin then suggests that one should open up the door and let the good times in despite any obstacles that may be preventing the good times from coming in. The second verse speaks of looking for comfort and finding none, not even a sip of wine. However, Martin sees a little mouse lying on its side with a grin, which gives him some hope that good things will come. In the final verse, Martin calls his love, but she seems distant and uninterested. Despite this, he still believes tomorrow will be a better day and urges everyone to open up the door and let the good times in.
The song provides a message of hope and resiliency, which is a common theme in Martin's music. He encourages listeners to keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles may arise, and to keep a positive attitude. The song's catchy melody and upbeat rhythm reflect the theme of the song and add to its uplifting message.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this morning
The singer describes how his day started
Toes out of my shoes
The singer feels helpless, almost as if he doesn't have the right footing to tackle the day ahead
Bringing me the blues
The singer's mood is despondent or dejected
I said "Blues, good morning"
The singer acknowledges his negative emotional state
I don't want to fight
The singer expresses disinterest in engaging in any kind of conflict
'Cuse me while I have a smoke
The singer decides to have a cigarette, potentially as a way to calm down or give himself a moment to think
If I can't find a light
The singer may be searching for a way to illuminate his path forward, either literally or metaphorically
Open up the door and let the good times in
The singer suggests that a change of perspective or positive outlook might be the key to improving his day
Don't let nothing stand in your way
The singer implores the listener to remain undeterred by obstacles or setbacks
Just open up the door and let the good times in
The singer repeats his earlier advice, emphasizing its importance
Tomorrow's gonna be better than today
The singer expresses hope that the future holds brighter prospects
I went to that cupboard
The singer moves on to describe another event
Found the cupboard bare
The singer experiences further disappointment
What happened to that sip of wine
The singer had been looking forward to relaxing with a glass of wine, but finds that it's not there
I had hidden there
The singer may have been trying to keep the wine a secret from someone else in the house
Over in the corner a little mouse laid on his side
The singer discovers an unexpected sight
He was wearing such a grin
The sight of the happy mouse puzzles or amuses the singer
I thought the mouse had died
The singer initially worries that the mouse is dead
I won't call my baby
The singer moves on to a new topic
When she got to the phone
The singer implies that he attempted to call someone, presumably his significant other
I kinda had a little feeling
The singer senses that something is amiss
My baby was not alone
The singer suspects that his partner is in the company of someone else
She said "Daddy, I'm busy
The singer recounts the response he receives from his partner
Call some other time"
The singer is put off by the dismissive tone of his partner's response
I don't need that woman but I sure
The singer voices his frustration, but maintains that he is not dependent on his partner
could use that dime
The singer seems to imply that he could use some financial assistance or support, even if it's just a small amount
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
The singer repeats his refrain from earlier in the song, perhaps as a reminder to himself or to others that hope springs eternal
Tomorrow's gonna be a better day
The singer once again looks ahead to the future with optimism
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: K, A GALE JONES, MITCHELL TOROK, RAMONA A REDD, RAMONA A/K/A GALE JONES REDD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind