"The Godfather" Singer Al Martino Dies at 82

Italian-American singer and actor Al Martino passed away on October 13, at his childhood home. He was 82 years old.

It has been reported by the Philadelphia Daily News that Martino died of a heart attack in his childhood home located in Springfield, part of Delaware County in Philadelphia. He was reportedly not ill at the time of his death, and had in fact still been performing. According to the Associated Press, Martino and his wife dined with Philadelphia radio and television personality Jerry Blavat, who told the press Martino "appeared to be in fine shape."

"He was the last of the show business legends," Blavat said. "There's nobody else. The last of the performers. A magnificent voice."

And it's true. As a fan of the group of singers known as the Rat Pack, I considered Martino a solid squeeze in with the Crooner-set of musicians. His silky voice fell sweetly between the voices of other famous crooners like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Tony Bennett. Martino was one of the last living crooners of the 20^th Century. Even as a fan of modern crooners like Michael Bublé and Harry Connick, Jr., I have always thought these modern artists were a kind of testament to the enduring legacy and power of their predecessors, the "Original Voices," among whom Martino was a classic. Martino's death represents another chink in the wall of the beloved collection of smooth voices my parents helped instill a love for in me throughout my childhood: there is now yet another hole in the annals of music, another key silenced in the collection of voices that helped shape the American landscape through the rhythm of their collective sounds.

Martino's death is a personal one on several levels for me: as an avid fan of the standards Martino would become famous for over his career, a former resident of Philadelphia, and a die-hard Godfather film fan, Al Martino has been a name on the radar of my interests for many years. A native of the City of Brotherly love, Martino was born Alfred Cini in Springfield, which is located within Delaware County, in South Philadelphia. A renowned Jazz, Pop, and Swing singer, Martino's single "Here in My Heart" was the first number one single on the UK Singles Chart in 1952. Yet closer to my heart are the songs he sang in association with the Godfather films. In 1972 he would perform the love theme for The Godfather, "Speak Softly Love." In the famous opening wedding scene of the film, Martino also performs the ballad "I Have But One Heart" as Michael Corleone tells his girlfriend about his father, Don Vito Corleone.

Martino would enjoy a great deal of success during his singing career. His song "Spanish Eyes" went gold and platinum, while other songs, including "I Love You Because," went on to earn him several spots in the Billboard Top 40 during the 1960s and 70s.

If Al Martino's smooth singing voice made him a classic in the crooner set, his role in The Godfather made him a legend. While well-known for his music career, Martino is of course probably best known for his role in Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of Mario Puzo's TheGodfather. This role was my first introduction to the silk-voiced South Philly performer. Martino portrayed a singer-actor named Johnny Fontaine, the godson of Mafia chieftain Don Corleone. The famous "I'll make him an offer he won't refuse" line and all its derivative forms revolved around Johnny's career. In the first film, Michael Corleone told his then-girlfriend Kay Adams the tale of Johnny's music career, when his father made a Big Band leader the irresistible offer that "either his brains or his signature" would be on a contract releasing Johnny. Johnny was later seen asking Don Corleone for help procuring a role in a movie that would be "perfect for [him]," a scene many would speculate linked Puzo's crooning Fontaine-character to singer-actor Frank Sinatra. Martino first took on the role in 1972's The Godfather, and went on to reprise the role in the 1990's sequel, The Godfather Part III. He also performed the love theme for the first movie, "Speak Softly Love," which would come in at number 24 in the US Adult Contemporary Tracks music rating.

Martino died within a week of celebrating his 82^nd birthday on October 7.

Sources

John F. Morrison, Obituary for Al Martino, Philadelphia Daily News

The Press Association, "First number one singer dies at 82", The Press Association

Associated Press, "'Godfather' singer Al Martino dies in Pa. at 82", Associated Press