Don Cornell (born Luigi Francisco Varlaro; April 21, 1919 – February 23, 2004) was an American singer.

Early years

Born to an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

family in

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New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Cornell attended Roosevelt High School in the Bronx.

Career

In his teens he played guitar in a band led by jazz trumpeter

Red Nichols Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8, 1905 – June 28, 1965) was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader. Biography Early life and career Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah, United States. His father was a college music profes ...

. When he was eighteen, he was a vocalist in the

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band. He became a solo act in 1949. Between 1950 and 1962, twelve of his records were certified gold. These included " It Isn't Fair" "

I'll Walk Alone "I'll Walk Alone" is a 1944 popular song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song was written for the 1944 musical film '' Follow the Boys'', in which it was sung by Dinah Shore, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best ...

", " I'm Yours", and " Hold My Hand". He appeared often on television programs hosted by

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, and

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during the 1950s and 1960s. When singing at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Kentucky, he appeared many times on the Ruth Lyons television program and was a substitute host. In 1953, he was on the TV program '' Chance of a Lifetime''. He had a radio program on KGO in San Francisco in 1953. In 1959, Cornell, comedian

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, and other investors formed The Big Daddy Mining Company. The company planned to mine "a rich gold vein on a hillside near Coarsegold, California". Cornell worked as a singer into the 1990s. He and his wife founded the label Iris as a division of MCA to release songs he recorded for

Coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

and Dot earlier in his career. These albums include ''Something to Remember Me By'' and ''From Italy with Love''.

Awards and honors

Cornell was named to the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

in 1963. In 1993, he was inducted into the Big Band Hall of Fame. His 1952 hit "I" was the only single-character pop chart entry until

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

's No. 7 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hit " 7" from 1992 and the only single-letter hit until

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's No. 76 Hot 100 hit " X" from 2000. "Hold My Hand" sold over one million copies and topped the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1954. Cornell's 1955 hit "Young Abe Lincoln" holds the record for highest debuting pop single (#25) to spend only one week on the ''Billboard'' chart.

Death

Cornell died in Aventura, Florida, from

emphysema Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alv ...

and

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

at the age of 84.

Hit records

References

External links

*
Don Cornell recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornell, Don 1919 births 2004 deaths Jazz musicians from New York (state) Singers from New York City People from Aventura, Florida 20th-century American singers American jazz musicians American people of Italian descent American male pop singers Big band singers Traditional pop music singers Deaths from diabetes Deaths from emphysema Jubilee Records artists RCA Victor artists 20th-century American male singers American male jazz musicians