Alexander Emil Caiola (September 7, 1920 – November 9, 2016) was an American guitarist, composer and arranger, who spanned a variety of music genres including jazz, country, rock, and pop. He recorded over fifty albums and worked with some of the biggest names in music during the 20th century, including

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United S ...

, Ferrante & Teicher,

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian–American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of instrumental ballads and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizin ...

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Mitch Miller Mitchell William Miller (July 4, 1911 – July 31, 2010) was an American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor ...

, and

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

Early life

Alexander Emil Caiola was born in

Jersey City Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

, New Jersey to Emil Caiola and Genevieve Esposito. His father was employed as a barber. At a young age, Caiola first expressed an interest in a musical career solely as a vocalist. He was soon persuaded by his father to also pursue professional opportunities as an instrumentalist instead. This led Caiola to take up the banjo and subsequently the guitar. By the age of 11, he emerged as a child prodigy on the guitar and undertook formal studies with Anthony Antone in New York City and subsequently with the guitarist Peter Milano in Jersey City. As a young teenager, he was influenced by the performances of

Eddie Lang Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro; October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) was an American musician who is credited as the father of jazz guitar. During the 1920s, he gave the guitar a prominence it previously lacked as a solo instrument, as p ...

and

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and studied Lang's method book for guitarists closely. By the age of sixteen he appeared as both a vocalist and guitarist on the children's radio program ''Sally and Sam'' in collaboration with Tony Mottola. During this time Mottola encouraged Caiola to master new performance techniques. After returning from military service during World War II, Caiola pursued formal musical studies at the New Jersey College of Music. Over the years, he also completed studies with the guitarist Harry Volpe.

Career

During World War II Caiola played trumpet with the United States Marine Corps 5th Marine Division Band that also included

Bob Crosby George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the younge ...

. Caiola served in the

Battle of Iwo Jima The was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Navy (USN) landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during World War II. The American invasion, desi ...

as a stretcher bearer. After returning from the war, Caiola embarked upon an extended engagement as a staff musician on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

network from 1946 until 1956. As part of his audition, he was required to appear on shows with Gordon MacRae,

Archie Bleyer Archibald Martin Bleyer (June 12, 1909 – March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive. Early life Bleyer was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. His father was a well-k ...

and the vocalist Patty Clayton. After signing with CBS, Caiola also collaborated on several major network TV productions with

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer. At the peak of his success, in the early to mid-1950s, Godfrey was heard on radio and seen on television up to six days ...

(''Talent Scouts''),

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

(''Toast of the Town'') and

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

(''The Jackie Gleason Show'') under the direction of the conductor

Ray Bloch Raymond Arthur Bloch (August 3, 1902 – March 29, 1982) was an American composer, songwriter, conductor, pianist, author and arranger. He is best remembered as the arranger and orchestra conductor for ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' during its entire run ...

. Caiola was also a successful studio musician in the 1950s in New York City. He released some minor records under his own name in that decade. In addition, he performed under the musical direction of John Serry Sr. on an

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

album for

Dot Records Dot Records was an American record label founded by Randy Wood (record producer), Randy Wood and Gene Nobles that was active between 1950 and 1978. The original headquarters of Dot Records were in Gallatin, Tennessee. In its early years, Dot sp ...

in 1956, which received favorable critical reviews in '' The Billboard'' magazine and '' The Cash Box'' magazine.('' Squeeze Play''). Later in the decade in 1959, his collaboration with Tony Mottola and

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

on the smash album ''Open Fire, Two Guitars'' for

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

also received favorable reviews. In 1960 he became a recording star on the

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

label for over ten years. He had hits in 1961 with "The Magnificent Seven" (#35 in USA and #27 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

.) and "Bonanza" (#19 in USA and #19 in

.) The

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

s were typically by

Don Costa Dominick P. "Don" Costa (June 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American conductor and record producer. He discovered singer Paul Anka and worked on several hit albums by Frank Sinatra, including '' Sinatra and Strings'' and '' My Way'' ...

, using a large orchestral backing. Caiola released singles and albums throughout the 1960s and beyond, though no others appeared on the charts except for an entry in 1964 with " From Russia with Love". United Artists used him to make commercial recordings of many movie and TV themes: "Wagon Train (Wagons Ho)", " The Ballad of Paladin", "The Rebel", and "Gunslinger". His album ''Solid Gold Guitar'' contained arrangements of "Jezebel", "Two Guitars", " Big Guitar", "I Walk the Line", and "Guitar Boogie". ''The Magnificent Seven'' album, other than the title track, consisted of a variety of pop songs with a jazzy bent. ''Guitars Guitars Guitars'' was similar. There was a wide variety to his albums — soft pop, Italian, Hawaiian, country, jazz. In the early 1970s he continued on the Avalanche Recordings label, producing similar work including the album ''Theme From the 'Magnificent 7 Ride' '73''. Later, on other labels, came some ethnic-themed

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

albums such as ''In a Spanish Mood'' in 1982, and Italian instrumentals. In 1976, Caiola accompanied

Sergio Franchi Sergio Franchi ( , ; born Sergio Franci Galli; April 6, 1926 – May 1, 1990) was an Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the early 1960s. In 1962, RCA ...

, Dana Valery, and Wayne J. Kirby (Franchi's musical director) on a concert tour to Johannesburg, South Africa. At the urging of the talent agency Ashley-Famous, Caiola appeared in concert in Las Vegas during the 1960s in addition to operating his own music publishing firm Alpane Music. He is credited with serving as both an arranger, conductor and soloist on many of his recordings. In later years, Cailo continued to perform and even toured with

in 1991. During the course of his professional career, Caiola also performed under the musical direction of several leading conductors including:

Morton Gould Morton Gould (December 10, 1913February 21, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist. Biography Morton Gould was born in Richmond Hill, New York, United States. He was of Austrian-Jewish heritage. He was recognized ear ...

and

Andre Kostelanetz Andre Kostelanetz (; December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orchestra music. Biography Abram Naumovich Kostelyanetz was born ...

Death

Caiola died in Allendale, New Jersey, at the age of 96.

Performance style

Al Caiola has been described as an artist who projected a "light" or "liquid" touch during his performances on the guitar. His pianist, Mo Wechsler observed that he was a versatile well rounded musician who was comfortable playing either

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

and even

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

Discography

* ''Serenade in Blue'' (

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, 1956) * ''Music for Space Squirrels'' (

Atco Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing com ...

, 1958) * ''Deep in a Dream'' (Savoy, 1958) * ''High Strung'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

, 1959) * ''Guitars Guitars Guitars'' (

, 1960) * ''Percussion Espanol'' (Time, 1960) * ''Great Pickin' '' with Don Arnone (Chancellor, 1960) * ''Salute Italia!'' (Roulette, 1960) * ''Gershwin and Guitars'' (Time, 1960) * ''Guitar of Plenty'' (Time, 1960) * ''Italian Guitars'' (Time, 1960) * ''Guitars Woodwinds and Bongos'' (United Artists, 1960) * ''Golden Hit Instrumentals'' (United Artists, 1961) * ''Hit Instrumentals from Western TV Themes'' (United Artists, 1961) * ''Cleopatra and All That Jazz'' (United Artists, 1962) * ''The Guitar Style of Al Caiola'' (RCA Camden, 1962) * ''Solid Gold Guitar'' (United Artists, 1962) * ''Golden Guitar'' (United Artists, 1962) * ''Greasy Kid Stuff'' (United Artists, 1962) * ''Spanish Guitars'' (Time, 1962) * ''City Guy Plays Country'' (United Artists, 1963) * ''50 Fabulous Guitar Favorites'' (United Artists, 1964) * ''Guitar for Lovers'' (United Artists, 1964) * ''The Magic World of Italy'' (Roulette, 1964) * ''50 Fabulous Italian Favorites'' (United Artists, 1964) * ''On the Trail'' (United Artists, 1964) * ''Tuff Guitar'' (United Artists, 1965) * ''Solid Gold Guitar Goes Hawaiian'' (United Artists, 1965) * ''Sounds for Spies and Private Eyes'' (United Artists, 1965) * ''Tuff Guitar English Style'' (United Artists, 1965) * ''Tuff Guitar Tijuana Style'' (United Artists, 1966) * ''Romantico'' (United Artists, 1966) * ''King Guitar'' (United Artists, 1967) * ''The Power of Brass'' (United Artists, 1968) * ''It Must Be Him'' (United Artists, 1968) * ''Let the Sunshine In'' (United Artists, 1969) * ''Soft Guitars'' (Bainbridge, 1980) * ''In a Spanish Mood'' (Accord, 1982) * ''Amigo & Other Songs'' (Aurora, 1993) * ''Encore! Oro Italiano'' (Alanna, 2001) * ''Guitar for Latin Lovers'' (Alanna, 2001) * ''The Manhattan Guitars'' (Alanna, 2002) * ''Classic Italian Love Songs'' (Alanna, 2005)

Partial studio recordings list

* Enzo Stuarti - One album

Jubilee A jubilee is often used to refer to the celebration of a particular anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and the 70th anniversary. The term comes from the Hebrew Bible (see, "Old Testament"), initially concerning ...

in 1964: ''"Stuarti Arrives at Carnegie Hall"'' - Al Caiola, guest artist for entire live performance *

Paul Anka Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and actor. His songs include " Diana", “ You Are My Destiny", “Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and " (You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wr ...

— ''" Diana", " Lonely Boy", "

My Way "My Way" is Paul Anka's English-language lyrical adaptation of the French song " Comme d'habitude", released by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The original song was written by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude François, and was first recor ...

", "

Puppy Love Puppy love, also known as a crush, is an informal term for feelings of romantic love, often felt during childhood and early adolescence. It is an infatuation usually developed by one's looks and attractiveness at first sight. It is named for its r ...

", "

Put Your Head on My Shoulder Put or PUT may refer to: Finance * Put option, a financial contract between a buyer and a seller * CBOE S&P 500 PutWrite Index (ticker symbol) Science and technology * Programmable unijunction transistor Computing * Parameterized unit testing ...

", " Times of Your Life"'' *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

— ''"Back O'Town Blues", "Mop! Mop!", "

Blueberry Hill "Blueberry Hill" is a popular American song published in 1940 and first recorded and released by Sammy Kaye in 1940 on RCA Victor. It is best remembered for its 1950s rock and roll version by Fats Domino. Glenn Miller peaked at no. 2 on the ' ...

"'' (All three tracks recorded live in 1947) *

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...

— ''"

DeDe Dinah "DeDe Dinah" is a song written by Peter De Angelis and Bob Marcucci and performed by Frankie Avalon. The song reached #7 on the ''Billboard'' Top 100 and #8 on the R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip ...

", "

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

"'' *

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...

— ''"Bridget Bardo"'' *

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer, comedian and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the ti ...

— ''" I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'", "Westport"'' *

LaVern Baker Delores LaVern Baker (born Delores Evans; November 11, 1929 – March 10, 1997) was an American rhythm and blues singer who had several hit records on the pop charts in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were " Tweedle Dee" ...

— ''"I Cried a Tear", "I'm Leaving You"'', banjo on ''"Humpty Dumpty Heart"'' *

— ''" Boulevard of Broken Dreams", " Climb Ev'ry Mountain", " Stranger in Paradise"'' *

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...

— ''" Miss Rhythm", " Late Date with Ruth Brown"'' *

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been called ...

— ''" Cry to Me"'' *

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

— ''" Don't Sleep in the Subway", " This Is My Song"'' *

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccin ...

— ''" Come on a My House", " Half as Much", " Hey There", "

This Ole House "This Ole House" (sometimes spelled "This Old House") is an American popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954. Rosemary Clooney's version reached the top of the popular music charts in both the US and the UK in 1954. T ...

"'' *

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

— ''" Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes", "Patricia", "

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

"'' *

, His Orchestra And Chorus — ''"Melody for Two Guitars"'' *

The Crickets The Crickets were an American rock and roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer-songwriter Buddy Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, "That'll Be the Day", released in May 1957, peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Top ...

— ''" Rave On!", " That's My Desire"'' *

King Curtis Curtis Montgomery (February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musi ...

& Al Caiola — ''"Guitar Boogie Shuffle"'' *

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

— ''"Artificial Flowers", "

Bill Bailey Mark Robert Bailey (born 13 January 1965), known professionally as Bill Bailey, is an English musician, comedian, actor and television presenter. He is known for his role as Manny in the sitcom '' Black Books'' (2000–2004), and for his regula ...

", " Dream Lover", "

Mack the Knife "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" () is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama ''The Threepenny Opera'' (). The song tells of a knife-wielding criminal of the London underworld n ...

", " Queen of the Hop", " Splish Splash", "That's All"'' * Peter De Angelis Orchestra & Chorus featuring Al Caiola — ''"The Happy Mandolin"'' * Fabian — ''"

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large Felidae, cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is ...

", " Turn Me Loose", "Hound Dog Man"'' *

— " ''The Theme from'' A Summer Place" * Ferrante & Teicher — ''"Airport Love Theme"'', " ''Theme from'' Exodus" *

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, '' The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress E ...

— ''" Any Time", " Dungaree Doll", " On the Street Where You Live", " Oh! My Pa-Pa"'' *

The Four Lads The Four Lads were a Irish male singing quartet that earned many gold singles and albums in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Their million-selling signature tunes include " Moments to Remember"; " Standing on the Corner"; " No, Not Much"; " Who Ne ...

— ''" Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing", " Moments to Remember", " No, Not Much", " Standing on the Corner"'' *

- Two entire

albums in 1968: ''"I'm A Fool to Want You"'' & ''"Wine and Song"'' *

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero ( ; born December 12, 1937), known as Connie Francis, is a retired American Pop music, pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She is estimated to have sold more th ...

— ''"Al-Di-La", "Arrivederci Roma", "Mama", "Summertime in Venice"'' *

— ''" From Russia with Love", "Melancholy Serenade"'' * The Bobby Hackett Quartet — entire ''"You Stepped Out of a Dream"'' album *

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

— ''"Deck the Halls"'' *

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roo ...

— ''" Body and Soul", " Caldonia", "Early Autumn", "

Mood Indigo "Mood Indigo" is a jazz song with music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard and lyrics by Irving Mills. Composition Although Irving Mills—Jack Mills's brother and publishing partner—took credit for the lyrics, Mitchell Parish claimed in a ...

"'' *

Al Hirt Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java (instrumental), Java" and the accompanying album ''Honey in the Horn (album ...

— ''"Big Honey", " Puppet on a String"'' *

— ''" I'm Gonna Love You Too", " It Doesn't Matter Anymore", " Moondreams", " True Love Ways"'' * The Hugo & Luigi Chorus — ''" It Happened in Monterey"'' *

Ivory Joe Hunter Ivory Joe Hunter (October 10, 1914 – November 8, 1974) was an American rhythm-and-blues singer, songwriter, and pianist. After a series of hits on the US R&B chart starting in the mid-1940s, he became more widely known for his hit recordi ...

— ''"

Empty Arms "Empty Arms" is a song composed and first recorded by Ivory Joe Hunter which became an R&B hit in 1957. This original version peaked at #2 on the US, R&B Airplay chart and at #43 on the pop chart. Cover Versions *A cover version by Teresa Brewer ...

", "Love's a Hurting Game"'' *

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel music, gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was ...

— ''" He's Got the Whole World in His Hands", "I See God", "You're Not Living In Vain"'' * Willis Jackson — ''"Back Door", "Lator Gator"'' * Ben E. King — ''"

Spanish Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem, or , is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City, north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the west, and the East and Harlem Rivers to the east ...

", " Stand by Me"'' *

— ''" The Impossible Dream", " My Favorite Things"'' *

Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performa ...

— ''"Lonely Man", " Moonlight Gambler"'' *

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Primarily performing rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, she achieved her first ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' hit aged 12 i ...

— ''"Fairyland", " One Step at a Time"'' *

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

— ''"Lean On Me", "

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"'' *

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

— ''"Let's Talk About Us", "To Make Love Sweeter For You"'' *

Julie London Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...

— ''"Lonely Girl", "Remember"'' *

Al Martino Jasper Cini (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009), known professionally as Al Martino, was an American traditional pop and standards singer. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one o ...

— ''" Spanish Eyes"'' *

— ''" Chances Are", " It's Not for Me to Say", "

Misty In cryptography, MISTY1 (or MISTY-1) is a block cipher designed in 1995 by Mitsuru Matsui and others for Mitsubishi Electric. MISTY1 is one of the selected algorithms in the European NESSIE project, and has been among the cryptographic tech ...

", "

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...

", " The Twelfth of Never"'' *

Howard McGhee Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger bebo ...

— ''" Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries"'' (Bethlehem, 1956) * The McGuire Sisters — ''" Sugartime"'' *

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording ''Helen Merrill (album), Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associat ...

— ''"

It's De-Lovely "It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, ''Red Hot and Blue''. It was introduced by Ethel Merman and Bob Hope. The song was later used in the musical ''Anything Goes'', first appearing in the An ...

"'' *

— ''" The Yellow Rose of Texas"'', most ''" Sing Along with Mitch"'' albums *

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. His best-kno ...

— ''" Knee Deep in the Blues", "Run with the Best"'' * Lou Monte — ''"Lazy Mary", "Pepino the Italian Mouse"'' * Claus Ogerman — ''"Lyric Suite"'' *

— ''" Santa Lucia"'' *

Johnnie Ray John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and blu ...

— ''" Just Walkin' in the Rain", "Soliloquy of a Fool"'' * Henri René And His Orchestra — entire ''"Compulsion To Swing"'' album *

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American country and western singer and songwriter. He was one of the most popular and successful singers of his genre for most o ...

— ''" A White Sport Coat", "She Was Only Seventeen", "The Story of My Life"'' *

Neil Sedaka Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...

— ''"

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" is a song recorded by Neil Sedaka, co-written by Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. Sedaka recorded this song twice, in 1962 and 1975, in two significantly different arrangements, and it is considered to be his signature s ...

", " Calendar Girl", " Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", " Next Door to an Angel"'' * John Serry Sr. - ''" Granada (song)"'', ''" Secret Love (Doris Day song)"'','' " Side By Side (1927 song)"'', ''" My Heart Cries for You"'', ''" Button Up Your Overcoat"'', ''" Terry's Theme"'' *

Del Shannon Charles Weedon Westover (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990), better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one ''Billboard'' hit " Runaway", which was covered la ...

— ''" Hats Off to Larry", " Little Town Flirt", " Runaway"'' *

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...

— ''"

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth Album, studio album, ''Bookends (album), Bookends'' (1968). The writing of the song was begun before the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', which contained only f ...

", " Old Friends", "

Bridge over Troubled Water ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for ''The Graduate'', Art Garfunkel took an acting ...

"'' (also see Tom & Jerry) *

— ''"Bye Bye Baby", "Don't Cry Joe", "Drinking Again", "It All Depends on You"'' * Somethin' Smith and the Redheads — ''"It's Gonna Snowflow", "Love Is a Gamble"'' *

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

— ''" Bye Bye Blackbird"'' * Tom & Jerry (Simon & Garfunkel) — ''"

Baby Talk Baby talk is a type of speech associated with an older person speaking to a child or infant. It is also called caretaker speech, infant-directed speech (IDS), child-directed speech (CDS), child-directed language (CDL), caregiver register, parente ...

"'' *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

— ''" Autumn in New York", " Lullaby of Birdland", " Moonlight in Vermont", "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"'' *

The Village Stompers The Village Stompers were an American dixieland jazz group during the 1950s and '60s. The group developed a folk-dixie style that began with the hit song " Washington Square".Liner notes, "Around the World with The Village Stompers" The Village S ...

-'' "Washington Square"'' *

Dinah Washington Dinah Washington (; born Ruth Lee Jones; August 29, 1924 – December 14, 1963) was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a ...

— entire ''"

What a Diff'rence a Day Makes! ''What a Diff'rence a Day Makes!'' is a tenth studio album by Dinah Washington, arranged by Belford Hendricks, featuring her hit single of the same name. The title track won Washington the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance at the 2nd An ...

"'' album *

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

— ''"Butterfly", " Canadian Sunset"'' * Joe Williams — ''"I Should Have Kissed Her More", "

On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Some authors say that Fats Waller was the composer, but he sold the rights to the song. It was introduced in the Broadway musical '' Lew Lesli ...

"'' *

Chuck Willis Harold "Chuck" Willis (January 31, 1926 – April 10, 1958) was an American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll singer and songwriter. His biggest hits, " C. C. Rider" (1957) and " What Am I Living For" (1958), both reached No.1 on the '' ...

— ''"C. C. Rider"'' (also known as ''" See See Rider"''), ''"Hang Up My Rock 'N' Roll Shoes", "

What Am I Living For "What Am I Living For" is a song written by Fred Jay and Art Harris and performed by Chuck Willis featuring the Reggie Obrecht Orchestra and Chorus. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart and #9 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958. Chuck Willis’s ...

"''Willis, Chuck, ''The Complete Chuck Willis: 1951-1957'', JSP Records, London, England, 2009, Discs 1, 2 & 3, liner notes * Hugo Winterhalter — ''" Blue Tango", " Count Every Star"''

References

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Cited sources

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Caiola, Al 1920 births 2016 deaths American country guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists Musicians from Jersey City, New Jersey His Master's Voice artists RCA Victor artists Savoy Records artists United States Marines Guitarists from New Jersey 20th-century American guitarists Country musicians from New York (state) Country musicians from New Jersey 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II