[Dixielandjazz] Buddy Greco R.I.P.

[Robert Ringwald]

Buddy Greco R.I.P.  

Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra Pal Buddy Greco Dies in Las Vegas

by Bruce Fessier

Palm Springs Desert Sun, January 10, 2017

Singer-pianist Buddy Greco, who hung out with Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack, gave a command performance with the Beatles and owned a chic jazz supper club in Cathedral City, died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 90.


His son, Buddy Greco Jr., of Desert Hot Springs, said in an email, "My beloved dad has passed away. The world is a lesser place. There will never be another... I was lucky to be his drummer for three years... and his son forever."


Greco, born Armando Greco in Philadelphia, was known as one of the leading singer-pianists-arrangers in jazz. He was hired by the legendary big band leader Benny Goodman when he was 16. He sang, played piano and wrote arrangements for the band for four years before starting a solo career that included hit recordings of “The Lady Is a Tramp” and perhaps the first recording of “Up, Up and Away.”


Greco and his fifth wife, singer Lezlie Anders, headlined The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies in 2004 and made Palm Desert their full-time home. They bought property in Cathedral City and in 2006 opened Buddy Greco’s Dinner Club, featuring touring jazz and traditional pop acts, plus performances by Anders with Greco on a grand piano.


He also performed and recorded with the Cathedral City High School jazz band and performed and arranged music for the Coachella Valley Symphony while living in the Coachella Valley. Buddy Jr. plays drums in his own rock band.


Buddy Greco’s Dinner Club closed in 2009 and Anders and Greco moved to England, where they performed their theatrical production of "Fever," based on Greco's relationship with the late singer, Peggy Lee. Greco celebrated his 80th year in show biz in Essex in 2013 performing with a Rat Pack tribute act. His website said he first appeared on radio when he was 4 years old.


The Review-Journal said Greco celebrated his 90th birthday last August at the Italian American Club in Las Vegas. Friends said he was working on an autobiography in Vegas when he died.


Before moving to Palm Desert, Greco performed at a benefit to raise funds for the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at the McCallum Theatre with Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Mel Torme and Dinah Shore. He also performed with Sinatra at the first Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Gala in 1989 and was a regular at the Jazz Celebrity Golf and JAMS Session in Palm Desert.


Greco, who recorded more than 40 albums in his career, was signed in 1965 to Sinatra’s Reprise Records, where he recorded three albums, including “Big Band and Ballads.” He was visiting Sinatra at his Cal Neva Lodge at Lake Tahoe July 28-29, 1962, and had his photo taken with Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. He said Monroe acted like she “didn’t have a care in the world,” but she was found dead a week later in her Brentwood home.


Greco loved telling stories about Sinatra and the Rat Pack.


“We were in Atlantic City," he said in one Desert Sun interview. “Dean and everybody was there. Dean was looking at Frank's set of golf clubs and he said, ‘Do you mind if I try this driver?’ Frank said, ‘Sure,’ and Dean went down the elevator. And Frank calls security! He says, ‘This is Mr. Sinatra. A guy who looks just like Dean Martin stole my golf clubs.’ And they arrested him when he got down there! But just for a moment.”


Anders recalled when her husband angered Sinatra by blowing out some windows at his Rancho Mirage compound with cherry bombs.


“Oh, God," Greco sighed. “We were at the house and he had these big orange ash trays. Yul Brynner and I were drinking by the pool and Yul got a couple of cherry bombs."


"More than a couple," corrected Anders.


"There were quite a few cigarettes burning in the ash tray,” Greco said, “so we threw them. About 20 seconds later you hear (explosion sounds). Well, needless to say, it destroyed everything."


Greco had his first solo hit in 1947, after the Big Band Era, with “Oh Look-a-There Ain’t She Pretty,” which sold over a million copies. His fame as a singer eclipsed his arranging renown in the 1950s when he had hits such as “Oh Look At Her, Ain’t She Pretty” and “Around the World.” In the 1960s, he hung with Sinatra and the Rat Pack in Vegas and had his own network TV show with George Carlin. He played a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II in November 1963 with the Beatles. He also wrote for and conducted orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra.

  A list of survivors and funeral arrangements were not yet available. 30


 
KNPR (Nevada), January 11, 2017  
Three-minute segment:
  https://knpr.org/knpr/2017-01/las-vegas-entertainer-buddy-greco-dies-90

Bob Ringwald piano, Solo, Duo, Trio, Quartet, Quintet 
Fulton Street Jazz Band (Dixieland/Swing)
916/ 806-9551
Amateur (ham) Radio Station K6YBV

Just read that 4,153,237 people got married last year... 
I'm not meaning to cause any trouble,
but shouldn't that be an even number?
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