Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record

Given my current fascination (one of those music "phases") with Perry Como's recorded output, I thought some kind of guide might provide some details.This book is a winner.It is a first-class research, reporting, and critical look at Como's career. A private man who *really did* successfully separate his private and personal life, the book contains just enough of his married, home life with his wife and children to properly place his career in context with his entire timeline.The most important facts and details center on the historical trajectory of his career, and his song output.It really takes you into the time periods of each decade, the music scene, and Como's contribution and place in and relative to them; the changes in the music industry and how sales and prominence of styles and genres were impacted and affected.The most keen discussions centered on the kind of material Como undertook. Turns out, he really didn't care for much of the material handed to him, specifically, what were coined as "novelty songs," many of them he termed "garbage."Yet, those songs reflected public tastes, and as the authors pointed out, many of even the serious artists, including Sinatra, put out what we now consider as "trash tunes." Turns out, too, Como had the biggest successes with these novelty tunes, because he *did them better than anyone else.* The authors did an outstanding job of outlining how difficult some of these jaunty tunes were, because they required just that ease and straightforward, non-gimmicky approach in which Como excelled. The 3 CD set I bought recently, which is a career sample retrospective covering his output from the mid-40s to the late 1980s, I now have a far better perspective and understanding as to the material thanks to this book. I will actually listen to them anew given these enlightened analyses.The rest of the book centers just on that which Como did best, which was really how phenomenally *good* he was. The technique, diction, intonation, and sensitivity to lyrics and musical values.As well, why he had such a wildly successful, long run on television, his mass audience appeal, how hard he worked to achieve that hallmark *lack* of strenuous effort.The value of the book is essential for understanding the Como artistry, and it is a great read. It takes you back there in American musical culture.Highly, enthusiastically recomended.

Perry Como was a warm and engaging entertainer for many decades. His Christmas shows became iconic for the Baby Boomers. This is how I know of him. His shows were laid back and his personality was like a friendly uncle who would come to visit. This book goes into all his recording and shows. It gets a a little cumbersome and repitive at times. It also has little about his personal life which the authors state up front in deference to Como's very guarded privacy during his entire career, It does give a good account of how he began as a singing barber and was discovered from that. Como seemed like a very good man. No scandals and just a little conflict that he often deflected away with a smile. There were a few associates he had differences with and pushed himself away from them but not many. This book has an extensive discography and voluminous listing of shows he appeared on. All in all a good book for anyone who liked or admired Perry Como.

This really a good read for anyone who is a fan of Perry Como. It’s one of the few biographies out there and seems to be as accurate as one could expect. It was well researched.

This is an excellent compendium of aspects of recording, acting, and television appearances. The first section is the most complete biography of Perry Como that has ever existed. The discography section is very thorough. It is an excellent source for Como's recorded work. The book also catalogs Como's television and performing history. Como didn't make public appearances until 1970, but he put in a fairly busy schedule from then until age forced his retirement.This book is an exemplar of how this kind of book should be prepared about other recording artists.

Yes, I've been a Como fan since I was a child way back in the 1950s. And, yes, as several have pointed out, I have felt that Como was underrated, particularly from the 1970s on (after all, in the 40s and 50s and into the early 60s, he was a force with which to be reckoned in the entertainment industry, whether it be in radio, recordings, or television). Then, with the exception of his television specials, we began to forget just how iconic a figure he had been. Not that that's unusual. How many people remember Al Jolson or Eddie Cantor? The same is happening to most all the figures that dominated the entertainment scene of the 40s and 50s and 60s, such as Red Skelton, Jack Benny, and our subject...Perry Como.I had heard that this biography was very straight forward and lacking on personal drama. Yes, it does lack the personal drama and scandal that haunted Nick Tosches biography of Dean Martin or most of the biographies that have been written about Sinatra. But, what would you expect...we're talking Perry Como! Yet, this bio is downright interesting as it reveals how a major career in show business evolved. I thought I knew much of what there was to know about Perry Como. I was wrong! The research for this book was very comprehensive.After reading it in just two days, I walked away with several thoughts. First, that Perry Como was more popular than even I remembered (I didn't know, for example, that in terms of record sales in the 1950s, he was second only to Presley). Second, that today's critics, when they tend to dismiss Como as having recorded too many novelty songs, forget that most of what he released were ballads, but that (at least in the 1950s) the public kept buying the novelty songs, which Como did so very well (something Sinatra, for example, really couldn't pull off).Finally, that while I want to see Como's reputation restored to the prominence it deserves, we shouldn't feel too sorry for him. He was a radio star of the first magnitude. He was a preeminent television star of the 1950s, whose shows were the model for all other singers who had television shows. And, not many television stars were productive from the very early 1950s, through the 1960s, through the 1970s, and even into the 1980s. The same is true of his recording career -- a hit maker in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, and even recorded into the 80s.It has been written that Perry Como was, "a nice guy who finished first." We just forgot. This very readable book reminds us. If you're a Como fan, or interested in the history of radio, television, or the recording business, you should read this book.

Perry Como has sold over 100 million records....I didn't know that. Perry Como had a withdrawm personality and brought the curtain down on friendships if things didn't go his way......I didn't know that.In fact ,this book reveals information about his life and career which has never been in the public domain before because he was a private family man and was not interested in personal publicity. He had a great voice and started the TV musical programmes in the early fifties and was more popular at doing this than any other recording star. All the details of his programmes and his recordings are here. One thing I noted....there is an amazing amount of unreleased tracks still in the vaults of RCA. There should be more CDs on this basis.Any Como fan should buy this...It does give you an insight to the man as well as every minute detail of his performances and recordings.

I grew up listening, and appreciating the singing of Perry Como, and have enjoyed listening to his music ever since. Mr Como belongs to an era when great singers earned their reputation over years of producing excellent recordings, live performances and being part of people's lives.The likes of Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Matt Munro etc, won't be seen again. We do, however, have the records in all formats to enjoy, and this book summarises very well an all round excellent entertainer and good guy. A time when Christmas specials were part of the festive fabric, and a time that many of us elder listeners sometimes yearn for.

Slightly disappointed the book had dirty finger marks inside the first leaf. Covers bent outwards and don't stay flat. For £22.50 expected better. First time I've been disappointed with the quality

The content and appendices of this biography are unquestionably excellent. However, I was extremely disappointed by the quality of the book itself, in particular low grade printing paper, poorly reproduced B&W pictures and a flimsy 'curly' very thin card cover. I have given this as a gift and was very embarrassed as the book wouldn't even close due to the cover curling back. Because of the inferior B&W pictures and poor print I am SO glad I didn't purchase the Hard Back edition - Be Aware, GF

I got this for a friend