169-492: Pierino Ronald " Perry " Como ( / ˈ k oʊ m oʊ / ; 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. "Mr. C.", as he was nicknamed, reportedly sold over 100 million records worldwide and pioneered a weekly musical variety television show. His weekly television shows and seasonal specials were broadcast throughout
338-447: A Frank Sinatra imitator, but chose to keep his own style. While Como was negotiating for a store lease to reopen a barber shop, he received a call from Tommy Rockwell at General Artists Corporation, who also represented Weems. Como fielded many other calls that also brought offers, but he liked and trusted Rockwell, who was offering him his own sustaining (unsponsored) Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) radio show and promising to get him
507-750: A Peabody Award with good friend Jackie Gleason in 1956. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987 and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990. Posthumously, Como received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He has the distinction of having three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio, television, and music. Como
676-554: A "remarkable turnaround" with the success of artists including Britney Spears , the Dave Matthews Band , Natalie Imbruglia , the Verve Pipe , Robyn , SWV , Christina Aguilera , NSYNC , and Foo Fighters . A distribution deal with Loud Records yielded hit records from urban artists including Big Punisher , Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep . In 2002, BMG fully acquired J Records , which it had founded in 2000 as
845-416: A 12-year "unbreakable" contract with NBC. On his last CBS show, June 24, 1955, Como was in high spirits, bringing all those who worked off camera on the air for introductions. Como tried his hand at camera work, getting a picture on the air but one that was upside-down. In appreciation for the 11-year association, his sponsor, Chesterfield, presented him with all the musical arrangements used during this time as
1014-407: A 1989 interview, "I got a kick out of live television. The spontaneity was the fun of it." Spontaneity and the ability to be himself came in handy for swimmer/actress Esther Williams 's guest appearance of March 16, 1957. A wardrobe malfunction meant that viewers were seeing more of Esther than 1950s television considered to be in good taste; more live show mishaps followed. At the show's end, Williams
1183-576: A British punk rock label, and Jive Records , whose roster included Schooly D , Kool Moe Dee , and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince . By the end of the fiscal year 1988, RCA Records had gross revenue of $ 236 million in the United States, the most profitable year in the label's history. The album The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range , sold more than three million copies, and
1352-590: A Hollywood columnist, publicly stated that he believed Como the barber was just a publicity gimmick. Como gave him a shave and haircut at the Fox Studios barber shop to prove him wrong. In 1985, Como related the story of his first film role experience in Something for the Boys . He sat ready to work in his dressing room for two weeks without being called. Como spent the next two weeks playing golf, still not missed by
1521-649: A barber shop in the Hotel Conneaut . About 80 miles from Cleveland, it was a popular stop on the itinerary for dance bands who worked up and down the Ohio Valley. Como, his girlfriend Roselle, and their friends had gone to nearby Cleveland; their good times took them to the Silver Slipper Ballroom, where Freddy Carlone and his orchestra were playing. Carlone invited anyone who thought he might have talent to come up and sing with his band. Como
1690-523: A boys' choir singing "Silent Night" with his father. The show was the usual Friday night Chesterfield Supper Club with an important exception—it was also being broadcast on television. The experimental simulcast was to continue for three Friday "Supper Club" shows, but had gone so well, NBC decided to extend the televised version through August 1949. Years later, Como admitted to being scared and feeling awkward initially but somehow managed to just be himself. Said Como, "You can't act on TV. With me, what you see
1859-418: A campus. The first building erected, the library, was designed by Alden himself, and is a notable example of early American architecture. Bentley Hall is named in honor of Dr. William Bentley , who donated his private library to the college, a collection of considerable value and significance. In 1824, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Alden, expressing the hope that his University of Virginia could someday possess
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#17327798235922028-590: A city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 13,050 at the 2020 census . The first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania , Meadville is within 40 miles (64 km) of Erie and within 90 miles (140 km) of Pittsburgh . It is the principal city of the Meadville micropolitan area , as well as part of the larger Erie–Meadville combined statistical area . The Meadville area
2197-455: A different supporting cast. They also issued two studio cast versions of Show Boat , one with Robert Merrill, Patrice Munsel , and Rise Stevens in 1956, and the other with Howard Keel , Anne Jeffreys , and Gogi Grant in 1958. Contrary to the way the show is written, both of these Show Boat albums featured all-white casts, reflecting the era of racial segregation. In 2006, Sony BMG merged its Broadway music labels, including RCA Victor, to
2366-480: A guy equipped with ESP To see what's cookin' with your curiosity! Is "Mister Nice Guy" just a press agent's pitch? His dearest friends say he's a ... You never thought you'd see me in Las Vegas "live" I haven't played a "club" since 1885! It's spelled out in dollar signs (you better believe it!) I can almost read your minds! Como credited Bing Crosby for influencing his voice and style. Como's voice
2535-416: A household in the city was $ 40,694, and the median income for a family was $ 52,255. About 19.6% of the population were living below the poverty line , including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those 65 or over. About 49.2% of the population were employed, and 24.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher. As of the census of 2010, there were 13,338 people, 5,376 households, and 2,891 families residing in
2704-545: A hub for local farmers. Farmers markets are still held on Saturdays. The Baldwin-Reynolds House , managed by the Crawford County Historical Society, is a house museum in town. The building was constructed in 1843 by Heney Baldwin , an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court , a few months before his death in 1844. Diamond Park is Meadville's central park and has been used for a variety of different purposes for over two centuries. In
2873-638: A joint venture called RCA/Ariola International. In December 1985, the RCA Corporation was purchased by General Electric (GE), with the acquisition completed in June, 1986. GE sold its 50% interest in RCA Records to its partner Bertelsmann and the company was renamed BMG Music for Bertelsmann Music Group. BMG revived the RCA "lightning bolt" logo that was retired in 1968 to differentiate RCA Records from
3042-850: A joint venture with Clive Davis . Davis was then named chairman of RCA Records and J Records under the auspices of a new entity, the RCA Music Group , which included RCA Records, J, and Arista Records . In 2004, Sony and BMG merged their music divisions to create Sony BMG , and in 2007, the RCA Music Group was rebranded as the BMG Label Group . In 2006, Sony BMG merged its former Broadway music and classical labels, including Red Seal and Gold Seal, to Sony Masterworks . Legacy Recordings , Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division, reissued classic albums from RCA. In April 2008, former Zomba Label Group president and CEO Barry Weiss
3211-579: A new sense of enjoyment. In May 1974, he embarked on his first concert appearance outside the U.S., a show at the London Palladium for the Variety Club of Great Britain to aid children's charities. It was here where he discovered what he had been missing when the audience cheered for ten minutes after he walked onstage. At the show's end, Como sat in a chair, delightedly chatting back and forth with his equally delighted fans. Perry returned to
3380-722: A nightclub appearance in 26 years when he accepted an engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in June 1970, which also resulted in his first "live" album, Perry Como in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas . Ray Charles , whose Ray Charles Singers were heard with Como for over 35 years, formed a special edition of the vocal group for Como's Vegas opening. Como had last appeared at New York's Copacabana in 1944. Como continued to do periodic engagements in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe , limiting his nightclub appearances to Nevada. Performing live again brought Como
3549-833: A number of recordings with the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra , which was usually drawn from either Philadelphia or New York musicians, as well as members of the Symphony of the Air, and the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera . By the late 1950s, RCA Victor had fewer high prestige orchestras under contract than Columbia had: RCA Victor recorded the Chicago Symphony Orchestra , the Boston Symphony Orchestra , and
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#17327798235923718-494: A parting gift. He moved back to NBC with The Perry Como Show , a weekly hour-long variety show featuring additional musical and production numbers, comedy sketches and guest stars premiering September 17, 1955. This version of his show was also so popular that, in the 1956–1957 television season, it reached ninth in the Nielsen ratings : the only show on NBC that season to land in the top ten. Como's "Dream Along With Me" became
3887-522: A period during which RCA Records had notable success in the pop genre, with Christina Aguilera, Kesha , Pink , Kelly Clarkson and Pitbull scoring multiple #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. In May 2011, former Universal Music Group CEO Doug Morris was appointed chairman of Sony Music Entertainment . Focused on A&R, Morris named Peter Edge , president of A&R at RCA and J Records, chairman and CEO of RCA Music Group. Tom Corson
4056-887: A practice of simultaneously recording orchestras with both stereophonic and monaural equipment. Other early stereo recordings were made of Toscanini's final NBC concerts (never officially issued) and Guido Cantelli respectively, with the NBC Symphony Orchestra; the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler; and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Fritz Reiner . Initially, RCA used RT-21 quarter-inch tape recorders (which ran at 30 inches per second), wired to mono mixers, with Neumann U-47 cardioid and M-49/50 omnidirectional microphones. Then they switched to an Ampex 300–3 one-half inch machine, running at 15 inches per second (which
4225-458: A recording contract. The offers were also appealing because it meant staying put in New York with no more road tours. As Como pondered the job offer, Roselle told him, "You can always get another barber shop if it doesn't work out!" Until the radio show and recording contract offers, he did not view singing as his true career, believing the years with Carlone and Weems had been enjoyable but now it
4394-521: A recording studio until 1935. Beginning in 1928, Victor built a new recording studio in New York City and in the 1950s and '60s RCA Victor built and operated recording studio facilities in Nashville, Hollywood, and Chicago. In 1977, RCA closed the studios in Nashville and Hollywood; the remaining New York City recording studios were closed in 1993. Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is
4563-553: A release from the remainder of his MGM contract later the same year. Quoting Como, "I was wasting their time and they were wasting mine." Como's comments during a 1949 interview were prophetic, as far as his success was concerned. At the time he was doing the Chesterfield Supper Club on radio and TV, "Television is going to do me a lot more personal good than the movies ever have ... The reason should be obvious. On television, I'm allowed to be myself; in pictures, I
4732-485: A result of the need for close tolerances and tool and die makers , a cottage industry of tool and die shops was established which resulted in Meadville, earning the city the nickname Tool City with more tool shops per capita than any place else in the United States. In 1886, a blacksmith from Evansburg, Pennsylvania , George B. DeArment, began hand-forging farrier 's tools and selling them from town to town out of
4901-487: A second-hand organ his father had bought for $ 3; as soon as Como was able to toddle, he would head to the instrument, pump the bellows , and play music he had heard. Pietro, a mill hand and an amateur baritone , had all his children take music lessons even if he could barely afford them. In a rare 1957 interview, Como's mother, Lucia, described how her young son also took on other jobs to pay for more music lessons; Como learned to play many different instruments, but never had
5070-615: A serviceman with a Castro-like beard and the enthusiastic participation when Perry asked for volunteers to come on stage to do the Twist with the lovely ladies who were part of the visiting dance troupe. Filming for the Kraft Music Hall Christmas show that was aired on December 17, 1964, began at the Vatican November 7. By special permission of Pope Paul VI , Como and his crew were able to shoot segments in
5239-574: A seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1943. He made four films for Fox, Something for the Boys (1944), March of Time (1945), Doll Face (1945), and If I'm Lucky (1946). He also appeared in a single film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Words and Music (1948). Como never appeared to be truly comfortable in films, feeling the roles assigned him did not match his personality. A Hollywood press agent sought to alter Como's life story by changing his previous occupation from barber to coal miner, claiming it would make for better press. Fred Othman,
Perry Como - Misplaced Pages Continue
5408-431: A shallower and more closely spaced implementation of the large "standard groove" found on contemporary 78 rpm records, rather than the "microgroove" used for post-World War II 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm " LP " (long play) records. The format was a commercial failure, partly because the new Victrolas with two-speed turntables designed to play these records were exorbitantly priced, the least expensive model retailing for $ 395.00 in
5577-490: A similarly controversial reputation, derided by some record collectors as "Dynawarp". RCA gradually phased out Dynaflex records and by the end of the 1970s had returned to manufacturing thicker vinyl records. In April 1970, RCA Records announced the first quadraphonic 4-channel 8-track tape cartridges ("Quad-8", later called just Q8). RCA began releasing quadraphonic vinyl recordings in the United States in February 1973, in
5746-602: A voice lesson. He showed more musical talent in his teenaged years as a trombone player in the town's brass band , playing guitar, singing at weddings, and as an organist at church. Como was a member of the Canonsburg Italian Band along with bandleader Stan Vinton, father of singer Bobby Vinton and often a customer at Como's barber shop. Como started helping his family at age 10, working before and after school in Steve Fragapane's barber shop for 50¢
5915-648: A wedding in Meadville and drove to the Pittsburgh Airport. In addition to the Meadville Downtown Historic District , several buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places : Baldwin-Reynolds House , Bentley Hall (Allegheny College), Independent Congregational Church , Dr. J. R. Mosier Office , Roueche House , Ruter Hall (Allegheny College), and Judge Henry Shippen House . Meadville
6084-479: A week. By age 13, he had graduated to having his own chair in the Fragapane barber shop, although he stood on a box to tend to his customers. Also around this time, Como lost his week's wages in a dice game. Filled with shame, he locked himself in his room and did not come out until hunger got the better of him. He managed to tell his father what had happened to the money his family depended on. His father told him he
6253-499: Is derived from the initials of its now defunct parent company, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). RCA Records was fully acquired by Bertelsmann in 1987, making it a part of Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) and became a part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment after the 2004 merger of BMG and Sony; it was acquired by the latter in 2008, after the dissolution of Sony/BMG and the restructuring of Sony Music. RCA Records
6422-419: Is known for its good-natured vocal acrobatics as portrayed in his novelty songs such as " Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom) ", but there was another side to Como. Music critic Gene Lees describes it in his sleeve note to Como's 1968 album Look To Your Heart : Despite his immense popularity, Como is rarely given credit for what, once you stop and think of it, he so clearly is: one of the great singers and one of
6591-614: Is located at 41°39′N 80°9′W / 41.650°N 80.150°W / 41.650; -80.150 (41.642, −80.147). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11 km ), all land. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Meadville has a warm-summer humid continental climate , abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Meadville
6760-420: Is located at Bicentennial Park along the banks of French Creek. The replica was built as a part of Meadville's Bicentennial celebration in 1988. The cabin is used as an educational resource for school tours and the general public. The Market House is a prominent historical building located in downtown Meadville. It is the oldest continuously run market structure in the state of Pennsylvania, and still serves as
6929-678: Is the corporate successor of the Victor Talking Machine Company . In 1929, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company , then the world's largest manufacturer of phonographs (including the famous " Victrola ") and phonograph records . The company then became the RCA Victor Division of RCA. In absorbing Victor, RCA acquired the New World rights to
Perry Como - Misplaced Pages Continue
7098-672: Is what you get." While still in its experimental phase, Como and the television show survived an on location broadcast in Durham, North Carolina, on April 15, 1949. On September 8, 1949, it became a weekly half-hour offering on Sunday nights, directly opposite Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town . In 1950, Como moved to CBS and the show's title was changed to The Perry Como Chesterfield Show , again sponsored by Liggett & Myers' Chesterfield cigarettes. Como hosted this informal 15-minute musical variety series on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, following
7267-503: The CBS Television News . The Faye Emerson Show was initially broadcast in the same time slot on Tuesday and Thursday. By 1952, it was evident that television would replace radio as the major entertainment medium. Gary Giddins , the biographer of Bing Crosby, said in 2001, "He (Como) came from this whole generation of crooners—Crosby and Sinatra, but he was the only one of them who figured out TV." Como's 15-minute TV show
7436-519: The Boston Pops Orchestra disc featuring Tchaikovsky 's Marche Slave and Ketèlbey 's In a Persian Market . RCA Victor issued boxed sets of four to six 45s, each set providing about the same amount of music as one LP (an extreme example of these 45 rpm boxed sets was the complete 1951 recording of the opera Carmen , featuring Risë Stevens and Jan Peerce , conducted by Fritz Reiner , which consisted of sixteen 45 rpm discs). In
7605-823: The National Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded in London's Kingsway Hall . In order to publish music in Japan, RCA collaborated with the Victor Company of Japan's publishing wing Victor Musical Industries Inc. in 1975 to found Japanese record label RVC. In October 1976, the RCA Corporation announced the revival of the Nipper/His Master's Voice trademark. RCA Records reinstated Nipper to most (Victor, Victrola , Red Seal and Special Products) record labels (in addition to returning to
7774-711: The Nipper / His Master's Voice trademark for use in Japan. From 1942 to 1944, RCA Victor was seriously impacted by the American Federation of Musicians recording ban . Virtually all union musicians in the US and Canada were forbidden from making recordings during the period. One of the few exceptions was the eventual release of recorded radio broadcast performances from the NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arturo Toscanini . However, RCA Victor lost
7943-687: The Philadelphia Orchestra during this period; the orchestra's contract with RCA Victor expired during the strike and when Columbia Records settled with the union before RCA Victor, Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphians signed a new contract with Columbia and began recording in 1944. Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra would not return to RCA until 1968. In the spring of 1946, "RCA Victor" replaced "Victor" on its record labels. In 1949, RCA Victor introduced
8112-638: The RCA Thesaurus label at its RCA Recorded Program Services studio in New York City. These recordings were not offered for sale to the general public and were intended solely for use in broadcasts carried over leading radio networks. By 1936, RCA's extensive musical library of recordings was eventually consolidated with NBC's own transcription division. During the 1950s, it included popular music by noted musicians, such as Sammy Kaye , Freddie Martin , Lawrence Welk and John Serry Sr. Besides manufacturing its own records, RCA's Custom Record Division
8281-549: The Reverend Timothy Alden , a graduate of Harvard's School of Divinity . The college was historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church after 1833, although it is currently non-sectarian. The first class, consisting of four male students, began their studies on July 4, 1816, without any formal academic buildings. Within six years, Alden accumulated sufficient funds to begin building
8450-597: The soundtrack album from the film Dirty Dancing , which cost RCA $ 200,000 to produce, sold 15.6 million copies in less than two years. Its follow-up, More Dirty Dancing , composed of song tracks which had been left off of the first album, was produced for $ 80,000 and went on to sell more than 5.6 million. RCA's most successful artists during the 1980s included the Eurythmics , Love and Rockets , Joshua Perahia , Rick Astley , Hall & Oates , Dolly Parton , Juice Newton , and Bucks Fizz . In August 1990, Buziak
8619-643: The " bobby soxer " and "swooner" teenaged girls who were wild about Sinatra added Como to their list. A "swooners" club voted Perry "Crooner of the Year" in 1943. The line for a Perry Como Paramount performance was three deep and wound around the city block. Como's popularity also extended to a more mature audience when he played the Versailles and returned to the Copacabana, where the management placed "SRO-Swooning Ruled Out" cards on their tables. Doug Storer, who
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#17327798235928788-426: The "Supper Club" radio studio, they found Como and his guests sitting on stools behind music stands. The show's closing theme was, "You Are Never Far Away From Me". Perry's announcer on the broadcasts, Frank Gallop , became a foil for Como's jokes. When the television show began, there was not enough room for Gallop to appear on stage; he was an invisible "voice from the clouds" until the show's 1958–1959 season. There
8957-534: The 19th century, the park was used as militia drill grounds leading up to and during the Civil War. After the Civil War was over, Diamond Park became more open to the public with grass, statues, monuments and a gazebo. It is now used as a recreational park for the community. Meadville is the home of Allegheny College , a liberal arts college with approximately 1,700 students. Allegheny was founded in April 1815 by
9126-464: The 45 became the preferred speed for pop music singles, overtaking U.S. sales of the same material on 78s by 1954, but Columbia's LP prevailed as the favored format for classical music and convenient one-disc "album" collections of eight or more pop songs. RCA Victor finally bowed to the inevitable and announced its intention to issue LPs in January, 1950. Among the first RCA Victor LPs released in 1950
9295-472: The 47-xxxx series), rhythm and blues on orange or cerise (50-xxxx series), and international on light blue (51-xxxx series). This array of colors complicated the production process, and the practice was soon discontinued, all records becoming black. Yellow and red Red Seal records held on until about 1952. The first 45 rpm record manufactured was "PeeWee the Piccolo" RCA Victor 47-0147 pressed December 7, 1948 at
9464-412: The 7-inch 45 rpm micro-grooved vinylite record, marketed simply as the "45". The new format, which had been under development for over a decade, was originally intended to replace 78 rpm discs. By the time RCA Victor unveiled it, the 45 was now competing with the 10-inch and 12-inch 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm microgroove vinyl " LP " (Long Play) discs introduced by arch-rival Columbia Records in
9633-617: The Boston Pops, whereas Columbia had the Cleveland Orchestra , the Philadelphia Orchestra , and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under contracts. On October 6, 1953, RCA Victor held experimental stereophonic sessions in New York City's Manhattan Center with Leopold Stokowski conducting a group of New York City musicians in performances of George Enescu 's Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1 and
9802-527: The CD-4 format developed by its former subsidiary, the Victor Company of Japan (JVC), and made commercially practical by Quadracast Systems Inc. (QSI). RCA's trade name became "Quadradisc". The CD-4 format required a special cartridge that had a ±1 db frequency response out to 50 kHz, a CD-4 demodulator which decoded the difference between the front and rear channels from a 30 kHz subcarrier, four separate amplifier channels, and four separate speakers for
9971-474: The Delawares at the town of Cussewago, at the present site of Meadville. After Cussewago was abandoned, Meadville was laid out by William McArthur Sr. and settled on May 12, 1788, by a party of settlers led by David Mead . Its location at the confluence of Cussewago Creek and French Creek was only a day's travel by boat to the safety of Fort Franklin . The neighboring Iroquois and Lenape befriended
10140-466: The Great Depression and the economy continued to grow past World War II. By the early 1990s, Channellock and Dad's were the only large companies operating in Meadville. This blow to the local economy was softened by a subsequent surge in light industry, mainly tool and die machine shops. The song "Bittersweet Motel" by Vermont jam band, Phish , was inspired when keyboardist Page McConnell left
10309-578: The Lloyd Shaffer Orchestra, and the entire "Supper Club" crew made the flights for the shows. Two "Supper Club" broadcast flights were made that evening: at 6 pm and again at 10 pm for the West Coast broadcast of the show. Three flights were made; an earlier rehearsal flight was made for reception purposes. In addition to the band instruments, the plane also carried a small piano. Because the stand-held microphones were not very useful on
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#173277982359210478-688: The Nipper/His Master's Voice trademark for which EMI held the rights to in the U.K. and Europe. RCA set up its own British manufacturing and distribution in 1969. RCA Victor issued several spoken word albums in the 1950s and 60s, notably the soundtracks of the films Richard III , A Man for All Seasons and The Taming of the Shrew , as well as complete versions of the National Theatre of Great Britain stage productions of Othello (starring Laurence Olivier ) and Much Ado About Nothing (starring Maggie Smith , who also played Desdemona in
10647-487: The Olivier Othello ). None of these albums have appeared on compact disc, but the films of Richard III , A Man For All Seasons , The Taming of the Shrew and the filmed version of Olivier's Othello have all been issued on DVD. In 1960, RCA Victor announced the Compact 33 double extended play and singles; these were 7 inch records, which played at 33 1/3 rpm. In January 1961, the Compact 33 discs were released simultaneously with their 45 rpm counterparts. The long-term goal
10816-399: The RCA Nashville division and in March, 1995 was replaced by Bob Jamieson, the president of RCA's Canadian division. Jamieson overhauled RCA, streamlining middle management and retooling the label's marketing department. The A&R department was again restructured and the roster of artists further reduced. By the close of the decade, RCA Records had undergone what Billboard described as
10985-417: The Reggae Album of the Year Grammy. In June 2020, the label partnered with the Human Rights Campaign to present the 2020 Pride Benefit Concert, a livestream supporting LGBTQ equality in June. RCA artists including Isaac Dunbar, Cam, and Citizen Queen performed. SZA released the single " Good Days " on December 25. In January 2021, Mark Pitts was appointed president of RCA Records and John Fleckenstein
11154-745: The Sherman Drive plant in Indianapolis. The use of vinyl, which was much more expensive than the gritty shellac compound normally used for 78s, was actually cheaper because of the smaller diameter and greatly reduced bulk of the new records, which required very little raw material. The smaller, lightweight discs were also more economical to store and ship. RCA Victor marketed the 45 as a direct replacement for 10-inch and 12-inch 78 rpm records, which typically played for about three and four minutes per side respectively. The company also released some " extended play " (EP) 45s with playing times up to 7 minutes per side, primarily for vocal collections and light classical selections, as typified by an Arthur Fiedler and
11323-438: The South Ward schools, Elias Allen tried unsuccessfully to enroll his two children. He appealed to the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, and Judge Pearson Church declared unconstitutional the 1854 state law mandating separate schools for Negro children. This law was amended, effective July 4, 1881, to prohibit such segregation. The League of Friendship, Mechanical Order of the Sun , a fraternal beneficiary labor organization
11492-438: The UK and its territories on the HMV label until 1957. RCA also manufactured and distributed HMV recordings on the RCA Victor and special HMV labels in North America. Due to hostilities between Japan and the United States during World War II , ties between RCA Victor and its Japanese subsidiary Victor Company of Japan (Nippon Victor) were severed. JVC's record company is known today as Victor Entertainment and still retains
11661-405: The United Kingdom in November for a Royal Variety Performance to benefit the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in attendance. Como was invited to visit Buckingham Palace the day after the show. At first, the invitation did not extend to his associates traveling and working with him, and Como politely declined. When word reached the Palace regarding
11830-452: The Vatican gardens and other areas where cameras had never been permitted previously. The show featured the first television appearance of the Sistine Chapel Choir , and also the first time a non-choir member (Como) sang with them. The choir performed a Christmas hymn in Latin written by their director, Domenico Bartolucci , called "Christ Is Born", as part of their presentation. Como asked his associate, Ray Charles, to write English lyrics for
11999-411: The Vik label was discontinued the following year. From the label's beginnings in 1902, and intensifying through the 1940s and 1950s, RCA Victor was in direct competition with Columbia Records . A number of recordings were made with the NBC Symphony Orchestra , conducted by Arturo Toscanini ; sometimes RCA Victor utilized recordings of broadcast concerts (Toscanini had been recording for the label since
12168-593: The Weems organization to start his own band. Weems was in need of a vocalist; Como got a raise. Weems paid him $ 50 per week, his first chance for nationwide exposure. Weems and his orchestra were based in Chicago and were regulars on The Jack Benny Program and Fibber McGee and Molly . The Weems band also had its own weekly radio program on the Mutual Broadcasting System during 1936–1937. From
12337-401: The average family size was 2.86. In the city the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 20.0% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. There are currently 6,171 males (46.6%) while there are currently 7,067 females (53.4%). The median income for a household in the city was $ 33,848, and
12506-463: The back of a wagon. The business eventually became known as the Champion Bolt and Clipper Company. In 1904, now named Channellock , the company moved to a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m ) facility in Meadville and added nippers, pinchers, and open-end wrenches to its product line. George B. DeArment's two sons, Almon W. and J. Howard DeArment became partners in the company in 1911 and expanded
12675-613: The barber shop owned a Greek coffeehouse that included a barber shop area, and asked Como whether he would like to take over that portion of his shop. Como had so much work after moving to the coffeehouse, he had to hire two barbers to help. His customers worked mainly at the nearby steel mills. They were well-paid, did not mind spending money on themselves, and enjoyed Como's song renditions. He did especially well when one of his customers would marry. The groom and his men would avail themselves of every treatment Como and his assistants had to offer. Como sang romantic songs while busying himself with
12844-670: The barbers were framed in the shop. "The Como" closed in 2002, but it remains a household name in The Liberties . RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment , a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation . RCA Records is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA 's former long-time rival Columbia Records ; also Arista Records , and Epic Records . The label has released multiple genres of music, including pop , classical , rock , hip hop , afrobeat , electronic , R&B , blues , jazz , and country . The label's name
13013-518: The case of operas, symphonies and other complete recordings of classical music, there was an interruption every four minutes as one record side ended and another side began. These disruptive "side breaks", a nuisance long familiar to listeners of album sets of classical and operatic 78 rpm records, were minimized by an extremely fast automatic record-changing mechanism that was a core feature of RCA Victor's 45 players. Thanks in large degree to RCA Victor's massive five million dollar advertising campaign,
13182-490: The center and edge of a record are thicker than the playing area, reducing scuff marks during handling and when stacked on a turntable with an automatic record changer. Most competitors quickly adopted the raised label and edges. In 1955, RCA Victor purchased the recording contract of Elvis Presley from Sun Records for the then-exorbitant sum of $ 40,000. His first single for RCA Victor was " Heartbreak Hotel ", recorded in January 1956. Ten million Presley singles were sold by
13351-458: The city. The population density was 3,060.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,181.5/km ). There were 5,985 housing units at an average density of 1,375.5 per square mile (531.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 87.5% (11,487) White , 5.28% African American , 0.18% Native American , 2.4% (320) Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.34% from other races , and 3.2% (420) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% (5) of
13520-425: The company, "Goodbye, Sue". It was the beginning of a professional relationship that lasted for 44 years. He became a very successful performer in theater and nightclub engagements; Como's initial two weeks at the Copacabana in June stretched into August. Sinatra would sometimes call Como and ask him to fill in for him at his Paramount Theater performances. The crooning craze was at its height during this time, and
13689-480: The concept of their ideal husband: it was Perry Como. A 1958 nationwide poll of U.S. teenagers found Como to be the most popular male singer, beating Elvis Presley , who was the winner of the previous year's poll. At one point, his television show was broadcast in at least 12 other countries. Another way to judge the value of the Como show to the network can be found in the following: during sound checks at rehearsals, it
13858-492: The concert tours. Gone, however, were the cardigan sweaters which had been a staple of his weekly television shows, and which he had actually hated wearing. Como now performed in a tuxedo , saying, "It shows respect for the audience." The return to live appearances also provided Como with an opportunity to have a little fun with his "Mister Nice Guy" image in a song Ray Charles and Nick Perito , his closest collaborator since 1963, wrote and composed for him: It doesn't take
14027-663: The construction of the French Creek Feeder Canal in 1837 and of the Beaver and Erie Canal it connected to at Conneaut Lake and subsequent railroad development. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Meadville played a small part in the Underground Railroad helping escaping slaves to freedom. An event in September 1880 led to the end of segregation by race in the state's public schools. At
14196-533: The days of acoustic recordings , and RCA Victor had been recording the NBC Symphony since its creation in 1937). After Toscanini retired in the spring of 1954, the NBC Symphony was reorganized later that year as the Symphony of the Air . The orchestra, while no longer connected to NBC, continued to record for RCA Victor, as well as other labels, usually conducted by Leopold Stokowski . RCA Victor also released
14365-620: The depths of the Great Depression . By 1933, the format was abandoned and two-speed turntables were no longer offered, but some Program Transcriptions lingered in the Victor record catalog until the end of the 1930s. During the early days of the Depression, RCA Victor made a number of attempts to create a successful low-priced label to compete with " dime store labels" such as Perfect , Oriole , Banner , and Melotone . The first
14534-512: The early summer of 1948. In heavy promotion, RCA Victor sold compact, inexpensive add-on and stand-alone units that played the 45 rpm format exclusively. At first, RCA Victor's 45s were issued on colored vinyl according to the musical genre: contemporary pop music on black vinyl (47-xxxx series), prestigious Broadway musicals and operettas on "midnight blue" vinyl (52-xxxx series), classical music on red vinyl (49-xxxx series), country and polka on green (48-xxxx series), children's fare on yellow (also in
14703-602: The famous Nipper /" His Master's Voice " trademark . In 1931, RCA Victor's British affiliate the Gramophone Company merged with the Columbia Graphophone Company to form EMI . This gave RCA head David Sarnoff a seat on the EMI board. In September 1931, RCA Victor introduced the first 33 1 ⁄ 3 rpm records sold to the public, calling them "Program Transcription" records. These used
14872-593: The first half of the decade, RCA released platinum and multi-platinum records by artists including A$ AP Rocky , Cage the Elephant , Chris Brown , Kelly Clarkson , Miley Cyrus , D'Angelo , Dave Matthews Band , Foo Fighters , G-Eazy , Jennifer Hudson , R. Kelly , Kesha , Khalid , Alicia Keys , Kings of Leon , Miguel , Pentatonix , P!nk , Pitbull , Shakira , Sia , Britney Spears , Bryson Tiller , Justin Timberlake , T-Pain , and Tinashe . Since 2012,
15041-466: The first stereo 8-track tape music Cartridges ( Stereo 8 ) which were first used in the 1966 line of Ford automobiles and were popular throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. (The initial release comprised 175 titles from RCA Victor and RCA Camden's catalog of artists.) In late 1968, the Radio Corporation of America, wishing to modernize its image, introduced what was then a futuristic-looking new logo (the letters 'RCA' in block, modernized form), replacing
15210-437: The flu during the show, which took four hours to record. At the show's conclusion, Como apologized to his Dublin audience for a performance he felt was not up to his usual standards. During his visit to Dublin, Como visited a barber shop called "The Como" on Thomas Street . The owners, lifelong fans who named their business in his honor, had sent photographs of the shop and letters to Como inviting him to visit. Photos of Como with
15379-485: The format never became popular, and both RCA and CBS/Columbia abandoned quadraphonic recording in 1976; some of the RCA sessions were later remastered for Dolby encoding (same as Peter Scheiber 's original matrix system) and released on compact disc This included Charles Gerhardt 's acclaimed series of RCA Red Seal albums devoted to classic film scores by Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Alfred Newman , Dimitri Tiomkin , Max Steiner , Franz Waxman , and others, performed by
15548-451: The great artists of our time. Perhaps the reason people rarely talk about his formidable attributes as a singer is that he makes so little fuss about them. That celebrated ease of his has been too little understood. Ease in any art is the result of mastery over the details of the craft. You get them together to the point where you can forget about how you do things and concentrate on what you are doing. Como got them together so completely that
15717-563: The groom as the other two barbers worked with the rest of the groom's party. During the wedding preparation, the groom's friends and relatives would come into the shop with gifts of money for Como. He became so popular as a "wedding barber" in the Greek community that he was asked to provide his services in Pittsburgh and throughout Ohio. In 1932, Como left Canonsburg, moving about 100 miles away to Meadville, Pennsylvania , where his uncle had
15886-559: The holiday. Como filled the yearly gap for his fans with live Christmas concerts in various locations. Como's final Christmas special was filmed in January 1994 in Dublin's Point Theatre before an audience of 4,500, including Irish President Mary Robinson and Como's friend, the actress Maureen O'Hara . Perry Como's Irish Christmas was a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) production, made by an Irish independent production company in association with RTÉ . Como, appearing aged and unwell, had
16055-574: The isolated settlement, but their enemies, including the Wyandots , were not so amiable. The threat of their attacks caused the settlement to be evacuated for a time in 1791. Around 1800, many of the settlers to the Meadville area came after receiving land bounties for service in the American Revolutionary War . Allegheny College was founded in April 1815 by Timothy Alden . Meadville became an important transportation center after
16224-506: The label bought back $ 25 million in unsold albums and lost $ 35 million during the fiscal year 1987. As a partial corrective, a decentralized style of management which allowed RCA Records to function as a free-standing entrepreneurial business was implemented for 1988. Buziak drastically cut the RCA roster from around 40 artists to 11, and began to rebuild it with a focus on developing new artists, including artists acquired through marketing and distribution agreements with Beggars Banquet Records ,
16393-554: The label during 1956; Presley went on to become RCA Victor's biggest selling artist. Effective in 1957, EMI/HMV ended its 55-year association with RCA Victor, after EMI's acquisition of Capitol Records in 1955. Capitol then became the main distributor for EMI recordings in the Americas; Decca Records became the manufacturer and distributor for RCA Victor in the United Kingdom, using the RCA lightning bolt logo, instead of
16562-677: The label had signed Thai rapper Lisa , a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink , for her venture into American solo endeavors. RCA Victor has produced several notable Broadway cast albums, among them the original Broadway recordings of Brigadoon , Paint Your Wagon , the Mary Martin Peter Pan , Damn Yankees , Hello, Dolly! , Oliver! , and Fiddler on the Roof . RCA has also recorded and released recordings of revival stagings of musicals. These include
16731-521: The label has released music by artists including: Kevin Abstract , A$ AP Ferg , Becky G , Bleachers , Brockhampton , Bryson Tiller , Cam , G-Eazy , Childish Gambino , Martin Garrix , H.E.R. , Normani , Kaytranada , Khalid , Kygo , Tate McRae , Mark Ronson , Sasha Sloan , Jazmine Sullivan , SZA , ZAYN . In 2015, RCA Records reinstated its 1968 space-age 'RCA' styled logo after utilizing
16900-468: The left and right front and left and right rear. Both the CD-4 Quadradisc and Quad-8 tape cartridge systems were true discrete 4–4–4 quadraphonic systems. Columbia Records introduced a quadraphonic matrix system, SQ, which required a decoder, 4-channel amplifier and the four speakers. The SQ system was referred to as a 4–2–4 matrix system. The Warner Music Group labels also adopted Quadradisc, but
17069-607: The lightning bolt logo since 1987. The lightning bolt logo is still used by RCA's Nashville division. John Fleckenstein and Joe Riccitelli were appointed as co-presidents of RCA Records in January 2018. Later that year, RCA named Keith Naftaly president of A&R, and Tunji Balogun executive VP of A&R. In addition to releasing successful albums by Bryson Tiller, Alicia Keys, Fousheé' and Pentatonix in 2020, RCA had #1 records with Doja Cat 's "Say So" feat. Nicki Minaj ; Miley Cyrus' " Plastic Hearts " and Chris Brown & Young Thug's " Go Crazy ". Brockhampton's single "Sugar"
17238-423: The median income for a family was $ 54,069. Males had a median income of $ 32,813 versus $ 22,579 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 17,290. About 13.7% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over. A replica of founder David Mead's log cabin, the first permanent settlement in northwestern Pennsylvania,
17407-514: The muscles don't even show. It seems effortless, but a good deal of effort has gone into making it seem so. Como is known to be meticulous about rehearsal of the material for an album. He tries things out in different keys, gives the song thought, makes suggestions, tries it again, and again, until he is satisfied. The hidden work makes him look like Mr. Casual, and too many people are taken in by it—but happily so. —Gene Lees, sleeve note, Look To Your Heart Como's Hollywood-type good looks earned him
17576-452: The musical productions staged at Lincoln Center , such as the 1966 revivals of Show Boat and Annie Get Your Gun , the 1987 revival of Anything Goes and the 1998 Broadway revivals of Cabaret and The Sound of Music . Call Me Madam was recorded by RCA Victor with all of its original cast except for its star Ethel Merman , who, due to contractual obligations, could not be released from her American Decca Records contract. She
17745-536: The new Masterworks Broadway Records . All of these recordings are now on Masterworks Broadway Records , which has remastered and reissued many of these albums. Victor's early recording studios were established in Philadelphia in 1901 and then at its headquarters in Camden, New Jersey and also in New York. In 1917, Victor acquired the abandoned Trinity Church located at 114 North 5th Street in Camden and used it as
17914-525: The next four years. Over the next four seasons, from 1963 to 1967, the series was presented as monthly specials alternating with Kraft Suspense Theatre , The Andy Williams Show , and finally The Road West . Como became the highest-paid performer in the history of television to that date, earning mention in the Guinness Book of World Records . Como himself took part in none of this; his production company, Roncom, named for son Ronald Como, handled
18083-516: The next year in California as part of the entertainment for Queen Elizabeth 's Royal visit. Perry was on the program by special request of the Queen. In 1984, Como traveled the US with his 50th Anniversary tour. Having spent most of his professional life in radio or recording studios and on television soundstages, he was enjoying doing live performances. Even after his 80th birthday, Como continued
18252-572: The opportunity, he might never know whether or not he could be a professional singer. The decision was also made with an eye on finances; at this time, Como was earning around $ 125 per week from his barber shop, while the job with Carlone paid $ 28 per week. Roselle was willing to travel with her fiancé and the band, but the salary was not enough to support two people on the road. Perry and Roselle were married in Meadville on July 31, 1933; four days later, Como joined Carlone's band and began working with them. Roselle returned home to Canonsburg; Como would be on
18421-557: The original lightning bolt logo, and the virtual retirement of both the Victor and Nipper/His Master's Voice trademarks. The Radio Corporation of America officially changed its name to the RCA Corporation; the RCA Victor Division was now known as RCA Records. The 'Victor' trademark was restricted to the labels and album covers of RCA's regular popular record releases. RCA Victor record labels were changed to bright orange or yellow (becoming tan briefly late in 1975–76), replacing
18590-468: The other RCA divisions, which GE either liquidated, sold, or closed. BMG also revived the "RCA Victor" label for Red Seal, Broadway and soundtrack releases and other musical genres outside of rock, pop and country music. In 1986, Bob Buziak, formerly an artist manager, was appointed president of the label. During the mid-1980s, RCA Records operated at a deficit, due in part to "overpriced deals" with pop stars including Kenny Rogers and Diana Ross . In 1986,
18759-402: The plane, hand-held mikes were used, but they became extremely heavy to hold after a few minutes. This mid-air performance caused the American Federation of Musicians to consider this a new type of engagement and issue a special set of rates for it. From 1989 until his death in 2001, Como co-hosted a weekly syndicated radio show with John Knox called Weekend With Perry . Como had not made
18928-404: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 5,058 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% were married couples living together, 21.7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 36.0% had a female householder with no spouse present. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% were someone living alone who
19097-409: The population. There were 5,376 households, out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.8% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and
19266-432: The prefix "LSP". RCA utilized these catalog prefixes until 1973, when they were changed to "ARL1" and "APL1" for stereo classical and stereo non-classical single LPs, respectively. During the 1950s, RCA Victor had three subsidiary or specialty labels: Groove , Vik and "X". The edition of Billboard magazine dated April 11, 1953, announced a new RCA Victor subsidiary label, its first to use independent distribution and
19435-603: The product line again to include hammers. In 1923, the company moved again to a 33,000-square-foot (3,100 m ) facility at its current location. Four years later, the name of the company was changed to the Champion–DeArment Tool Company. Talon remained a major employer, along with the Erie Railroad , American Viscose Corporation (later known as Avtex Fibers), Channellock tools, and Dad's Pet Food . The area actually saw an increase in population during
19604-632: The reason for Perry's turning down the invitation, it was then extended to include the entire Como party and Como accepted. Soon after, he announced his first concert tour that began in the UK in the spring of 1975. In 1982, Como and Frank Sinatra were invited to entertain Italian President Sandro Pertini at a White House state dinner when he made an official visit. President Pertini enjoyed their performance enough to join them in singing "Santa Lucia". The pair reprised this routine
19773-517: The richness of Allegheny's library. Alden served as president of the college until 1831, when financial and enrollment difficulties forced his resignation. Ruter Hall was built in 1853. Meadville Theological School was established in 1844 by a wealthy businessman and Unitarian named Harm Jan Huidekoper. It moved to Chicago in 1926. Public schools, all part of the Crawford Central School District , which covers
19942-525: The road for the next 18 months. Three years after joining Carlone, Como moved to Ted Weems 's Orchestra and his first recording dates. Como and Weems met in 1936 while the Carlone orchestra was playing in Warren, Ohio . Como initially did not take the offer to join Weems's orchestra. Apparently realizing it was the best move for Como, Carlone selflessly urged him to sign with Weems. Art Jarrett had just left
20111-479: The season premiere of The Perry Como Show was broadcast from NBC's new color television studio at the New York Ziegfeld Theatre , making it one of the first weekly color TV shows. In addition to this season premiere as a color television show, there was also a royal visit from Prince Rainier of Monaco and his bride of six months, Grace Kelly . Como competed with Jackie Gleason in what
20280-676: The settlement of Cussewago. Custaloga's name first appeared in western Pennsylvania's history in George Washington's journal of 1754. When Washington arrived in the village of Venango (Fort Machault), Custaloga was in charge of the wampum of his nation. This wampum was a message that was sent to the Six Nations if the French refused to leave the land. Custaloga was the chief of the Munsee or Wolf Clan of Delawares and he also ruled over
20449-403: The show's opening theme song, "Mr. C." received the first of many "stacks and stacks of letters" requesting him to sing a specific song. It was also here where he began wearing his trademark cardigan sweaters. The "Sing to me, Mr. C." segment with Como seated on a stool singing viewer requested songs had its roots in the first television broadcasts of Chesterfield Supper Club . When cameras entered
20618-428: The show, Como acquired polish and his own style with Weems's help. Mutual's Chicago affiliate, WGN radio, threatened to stop carrying the Weems broadcasts from Chicago's Palmer House if his new singer did not improve. Weems had recordings of some of his previous radio programs; one evening he and Como listened to them, and Como was shocked to realize no one could understand the lyrics when he sang. Weems told Como there
20787-562: The song, using it many times on both television shows and his Christmas albums. The Carpenters also recorded the song on their first Christmas album, Christmas Portrait . Beginning in 1967, Como began reducing his TV appearances, gradually becoming limited to seasonal and holiday specials with the emphasis being on Christmas. A large part of Como's public persona was the idea that he personally knew Santa Claus. Como had numerous Christmas television specials, beginning on Christmas Eve 1948, and continuing to 1994, when his final Christmas special
20956-425: The star, asking Storer to obtain the release of the singer they preferred, so he would be free for their new program. Storer decided to do nothing about getting the singer released from his contract. When he was contacted by the agency some weeks later, saying they were ready to put the program on the air on NBC, Storer bluntly told them the man for their show was the man they had heard on the demo recording. The program
21125-430: The studio. It was five weeks before he was actually called to the set, despite the studio's initial urgent report for work notice. When Como finally appeared, the director had no idea who he was. At the time Como was signed, musical films were on the wane and he became a studio contract player, where the actors or actresses worked only when the studio needed to fill out a schedule. Though his last film, Words and Music ,
21294-592: The traditional black label color for popular releases) in countries where RCA held the rights to the Nipper/His Master's Voice trademark. Nipper was once again widely used in RCA newspaper and magazine advertisements and sales literature, as well as store displays and promotional items such as T-shirts caps, posters, coin banks, keychains, watches, coffee mugs and stuffed toys. The trademark was also restored to RCA stationery, shipping cartons and company vehicles. In 1983, Arista Records owner Bertelsmann sold 50% of Arista to RCA. In 1985, Bertelsmann and RCA Records formed
21463-424: The traditional black label color in use since 1901. The Nipper/His Master's Voice trademark was seen only on the album covers of RCA Red Seal Records . RCA Records introduced a thin, pliable, lightweight vinyl LP record known as Dynaflex in late 1969. This very thin, flexible record claimed to overcome warping and other problems encountered with conventional thicker LP records and like Dynagroove, it soon developed
21632-575: The transaction along with all other Como business matters. Como also had control of the show which would replace his during the summer television hiatus. While "Mr. C." was having a holiday, viewers would see Perry Presents , beginning in 1959. In late 1962, after the Cuban Missile Crisis had settled well enough to permit the evacuated servicemen's families to return to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara
21801-644: The waltz from Tchaikovsky 's opera Eugene Onegin . There were additional stereo tests in December, again in the Manhattan Center, this time with Pierre Monteux conducting members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In February 1954, RCA Victor made its first commercial stereophonic recordings, taping the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Münch , in a performance of The Damnation of Faust by Hector Berlioz. This began
21970-420: The world. He recorded primarily vocal pop and was renowned for recordings in the intimate, easy-listening genre pioneered by multimedia star Bing Crosby . In the official RCA Records Billboard magazine memorial, his life was summed up in these few words: "50 years of music and a life well lived. An example to all." Como received five Emmys from 1955 to 1959, and a Christopher Award in 1956. He also shared
22139-496: Was Gaîté Parisienne by Jacques Offenbach , performed by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra , which had been recorded in Boston 's Symphony Hall on June 20, 1947; the record was given the catalogue number LM-1001. Non-classical LP record albums were issued with the prefix "LPM". When RCA Victor began issuing classical LPs in stereophonic sound in 1958, the prefix "LSC" was used. Non-classical stereo LPs were issued with
22308-503: Was simulcast on radio via the Mutual Broadcasting System beginning August 24, 1953; while the Chesterfield Supper Club broadcasts were simulcast on radio and television, this was the first instance of a simulcast between two networks. Como's CBS contract was to expire on July 1, 1955. The year before, he had been asked to be the master of ceremonies and narrator of the NBC Radio 35th anniversary special. That April, Perry Como signed
22477-527: Was 104 °F (40.0 °C) on July 9, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was −23 °F (−30.6 °C) on January 31, 1948. As of the census of 2020, there were 13,050 people living in the city, for a population density of 2,991.75 people per square mile (1,155.16/km ). There were 6,009 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 6.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 6.7% from two or more races. 3.1% of
22646-422: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25, and the average family size was 2.90. 19.9% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 64.2% were 18 to 64, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.3. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey , for the period 2016-2020 the estimated median annual income for
22815-520: Was always some other guy. I come over like just another bum in a tuxedo." After he began appearing regularly on television, Como was offered some film roles that interested him, but there was never enough time to pursue any film work. Como made the move to television when NBC initially televised the Chesterfield Supper Club radio program on December 24, 1948. A guest on that first show was Como's eight-year-old son, Ronnie, as part of
22984-647: Was an advertising manager with the Blackman Company at the time, became convinced of Como's abilities after hearing him on his unsponsored CBS Radio show. Storer produced a demonstration radio program recording with Como and the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra, which he brought to the advertising agency that handled the Chesterfield Cigarettes account. Initially, the agency liked the format of the show, but wanted someone else as
23153-731: Was appointed chairman of the BMG Label Group, and Davis was named chief creative officer of Sony BMG worldwide. In October, Sony acquired BMG's 50% ownership and the BMG Label Group was merged with the Jive Label Group to establish the RCA/Jive Label Group . It included RCA, Jive, J, Arista, Polo Grounds, LaFace Records , Volcano Entertainment , Hitz Committee , Battery Records , and the Verity Gospel Music Group . The decade marked
23322-615: Was as much fun at rehearsals as on the show itself. Como's relaxed and fun-loving manner at rehearsals put many nervous guests at ease. It was common for Como to leave the Saturday-afternoon rehearsal for about a half-hour to go to confession . He managed to save some time by asking his music publisher, Mickey Glass, to wait in line for him at the confessional. Glass, who was Jewish, was most agreeable to this but wondered what to do if his turn came before Como arrived. Como thoroughly enjoyed his years working in television, saying in
23491-520: Was billed as the "Battle of the Giants" and won. This is rarely mentioned, in part because Como commonly downplayed his achievements and because the two men were friends. The weekly ratings winner would phone the loser for some mock gloating. At the height of this television competition, Como asked Gleason a favor: to visit his home when his mother-in-law, a big Gleason fan, was there. Though Mrs. Belline spoke no English and Gleason no Italian, Roselle's mother
23660-583: Was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania , about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. He was the seventh of 13 children and the first American-born child of Pietro Como (1877–1945) and Lucia Travaglini (1883–1961), who both emigrated to the US in 1910 from the Abruzzese town of Palena, Italy . He did not begin speaking English until he entered school, since the Comos spoke Italian at home. The family had
23829-485: Was born in 1940, while the Weems band was working in Chicago. Como left to be at his wife's side, though he was threatened with dismissal if he did so. Though Como was now making $ 250 a week and travel expenses for the family were no problem, Ronnie could not become used to a normal routine when they were unable to stay in one place for a period of time. The radio program Beat the Band did not always originate from Chicago, but
23998-472: Was certified platinum, and singles by Flo Milli and Latto (formerly known as "Mulatto") were certified gold. Both Doja Cat and Kaytranada received multiple Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, H.E.R. received her 13th Grammy nomination, and the Strokes album The New Abnormal won for Best Rock Album. Koffee signed with RCA just after she became the first woman and the youngest person to win
24167-517: Was distributed by RCA, which had released the Broadway cast album. RCA Victor also released the original American cast album of Hair . Similarly, RCA Victor also made several studio cast recording albums, including a Lerner and Loewe series with Jan Peerce , Jane Powell , and Robert Merrill , as well as a 1963 album of excerpts from George Gershwin 's Porgy and Bess , with its 1952 revival leads, Leontyne Price and William Warfield , but
24336-461: Was eager to do more for morale there. He asked Como to bring his television show to the Naval base. Como and his cast and crew were at Guantanamo when the families of the armed forces began their return. The first entertainers to visit the base since the crisis, the Como show filmed there for eight days. Some highlights of the program, which was seen in the US on December 12, 1962, included Como's shaving
24505-533: Was entitled to make a mistake and that he hoped his son would never do anything worse than this. When Como was 14, his father became unable to work because of a severe heart condition. Como and his brothers became the support of the household. Despite his musical ability, Como's primary ambition was to become the best barber in Canonsburg. Practicing on his father, he mastered the skills well enough to have his own shop at age 14. One of Como's regular customers at
24674-526: Was formed at Meadville in April 1868, and dissolved in October, with the establishment of the Ancient Order of United Workmen as the succeeding organization. By the late 19th century, Meadville's economy was also driven by logging, agriculture, and iron production. The Talon Corporation , headquartered in Meadville, played a major role in the development of the zipper . Since the clothing industry
24843-536: Was largely unaffected by the Great Depression , the community saw a population boom at that time. During World War II , the nearby Keystone Ordnance plant brought additional jobs to the area. The high demand for zippers created favorable conditions for the Talon Company, and so became Meadville's most crucial industry. The company encountered significant difficulties after it was absorbed by Textron industries in 1968, eventually ending up bankrupt. However, as
25012-606: Was later increased to 30 inches per second). These recordings were initially issued in 1955 on special stereophonic reel-to-reel tapes and then, beginning in 1958, on vinyl LPs with the "Living Stereo" logo. RCA has continued to reissue many of these "Living Stereo" recordings on CD. Another 1953 project for RCA was converting the acoustically superior building Webster Hall into its main East Coast recording studio. RCA Victor operated this studio venue from 1953 to 1968. In September 1954, RCA Victor introduced "Gruve-Gard" where
25181-407: Was made for prestigious Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , Como fared no better. Less than two weeks before the film's release, Walter Winchell wrote in his syndicated column, "Someone at MGM must have been dozing when they wrote the script for Words and Music . In most of the film Perry Como is called Eddie Anders and toward the end (for no reason) they start calling him Perry Como." Como asked for and received
25350-764: Was named chief operating officer. Jazmine Sullivan's Heaux Tales hit #1 on the Billboard R&;B albums chart. Tate McRae's " You Broke Me First " (stylized as "you broke me first") was quadruple platinum in Ireland, double platinum in Canada, Mexico and New Zealand, and platinum in the US, UK, Australia, Finland, France, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. She was #1 on the Billboard emerging artist chart. In April 2024, Variety announced that
25519-565: Was named president and COO. On the seventh of October of that year, the Jive, Arista and J imprints were altogether permanently merged into RCA. As a result, the RCA Music Group was then disbanded and RCA was reinstated as a standalone label under the Sony Music umbrella. Following the shutdown of the three labels, a majority of various artists from the rosters of Jive, Arista and/or J were shifted to release future material under RCA. During
25688-416: Was nameless when it was first revealed. For the lack of any better designation, Billboard chose to refer to the new, unnamed label in the story as Label "X"; the new label began to hire staffers and decide on a direction, and the name stuck until 1955. RCA Victor officially announced the formation of label "X" on April 20, 1953. Groove was an R&B specialty label founded in 1954 and folded into Vik in 1957;
25857-688: Was no need for him to resort to vocal tricks; what was necessary was to sing from the heart. Como's first recording with the Weems band was a novelty tune called "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes", recorded for the Decca Records label in May 1936. During one of Como's early Decca recording sessions with the Weems orchestra, Weems was told to get rid of "that kid" (Como) because he sounded too much like Bing Crosby, who also recorded for Decca. Before Como could reply, Weems spoke up, saying Como
26026-507: Was often broadcast from other cities such as Milwaukee, Denver, and St. Louis. The band continued to play road engagements while part of the program was broadcast. Como decided life on the road was no place to raise a child, and Roselle and the baby went back to Canonsburg. In late 1942, Como decided to quit the Weems band, even if it meant giving up singing. Weary of life on the road and missing his wife and son, he returned to Canonsburg, his family, and his trade. Como received an offer to become
26195-512: Was often difficult to hear Como's soft voice without having a large microphone ruin a camera shot. NBC had RCA design a microphone for the show—the RCA Type BK-10A—which was known as the "Como mic"; it was able to pick up Como's voice properly and was small enough not to interfere with camera shots. In 1959, Como signed a $ 25 million deal with Kraft Foods and moved to Wednesday nights, hosting Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall weekly for
26364-448: Was part of the session or it was over. By the time Como had been with Weems about a year, he was mentioned in a 1937 Life magazine NBC Radio ad for Fibber McGee and Molly as "causing cardiac flutters with his crooning". The weekly radio show, Beat the Band , which ran on NBC from 1940 to 1944, was a "stump the band"-type musical quiz show on which Weems and his orchestra were featured from 1940 to 1941. The Comos' first child, Ronnie,
26533-564: Was recorded in Ireland. They were recorded in many countries, including Israel, Mexico, and Canada, as well as many locations throughout the United States, including a Colonial America Christmas in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 1987 Christmas special was cancelled at the behest of an angry Como; the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) was willing to offer him only a Saturday 10 PM time slot for it three weeks before
26702-522: Was redesigned, and it became known as the 'buff' label). Another discount label, Sunrise, was produced (although it is not known for whom it was produced, as Sunrise records are exceptionally rare today). The same musical couplings were issued on all three labels and the Bluebird label is still in existence today, nine decades after Electradisk and Sunrise were discontinued. During this time, RCA Victor also produced electrical transcriptions of music under
26871-460: Was replaced by Joe Galante , who had been the president of RCA Records Nashville division. The roster was cut once again and the A&;R department was restructured. Along with the launch of BNA Records and the expansion of the urban music division, these initiatives would prove to be positive, but RCA was unsuccessful under Galante, ranking 10th in market share in 1995. Galante returned to head
27040-464: Was replaced on the RCA Victor album by Dinah Shore . RCA Victor was also responsible for the film soundtrack albums of Damn Yankees , South Pacific , Bye Bye Birdie , Half a Sixpence , and The Sound of Music . The album made from the 1965 hit Julie Andrews film was (and is) one of the best selling soundtracks of all time. The film soundtrack of Oliver! , made by Colgems Records ,
27209-474: Was scheduled to make its debut in a week; the only option was to hire Como for the show. Storer then arranged for Como's release from his CBS contract. On December 11, 1944, he moved from CBS to NBC for a new radio program, Chesterfield Supper Club . The April 5, 1946, broadcasts of the Chesterfield Supper Club took place 20,000 feet in the air; these were the first known instances of a complete radio show being presented from an airplane. Como, Jo Stafford ,
27378-589: Was swimming in a pool specially constructed on the set for her appearance. Como simply said, "Goodnight, folks," and leaped, fully clothed, into the swimming pool. On December 17, 1955, viewers were able to see first-hand what Como did for a living before he was a professional singer. Actor Kirk Douglas was one of Como's television guests; Douglas had grown a beard for his Vincent van Gogh role in Lust for Life , which finished filming that week. Como shaved Douglas's beard live on national television. On September 15, 1956,
27547-417: Was terrified, but his friends urged him and pushed him onto the stage. Carlone was so impressed with Como's performance that he immediately offered him a job. Como was not certain if he should accept Carlone's offer, so he returned to Canonsburg to talk the matter over with his father. Como expected his father would tell him to stay in the barber business, but to his surprise, his father said if he did not take
27716-693: Was the ancestral land of the Eriechronon people until the Iroquois Confederacy forced them out. Having been displaced from their ancestral lands in what is now Eastern Pennsylvania, the Lenape moved into the now unoccupied region. They formed an alliance with the neighboring Seneca , one of the five tribes that made up the Iroquois Confederacy, and other displaced Lenape. Under the leadership of Chief Custaloga , they founded
27885-402: Was the leading record manufacturer for independent labels . RCA's Midwestern plant in Indianapolis , at 501 North LaSalle Street (the site is now part of a Demolition and Blight Reduction Project). The Custom Division notably pressed many record compilations for The Reader's Digest Association . RCA sold its interest in EMI in 1938, but EMI continued to distribute RCA Victor recordings in
28054-410: Was the short-lived Timely Tunes label in 1931, sold exclusively by Montgomery Ward . Bluebird Records was created in 1932 as a sub-label of Victor. It was originally an 8-inch record with a dark blue label, alongside the 8-inch Electradisk label (sold by F.W. Woolworth ). Neither label was a success. In 1933, RCA Victor reintroduced Bluebird and Electradisk as a standard 10-inch label (Bluebird's label
28223-457: Was thrilled. Como's words to Gleason after the visit, "Anything you want, you got it. In fact, I'll even do one of your shows so the ratings will be better." Como was among those who filled in for Gleason on The Jackie Gleason Show in 1954 when the entertainer suffered a broken ankle and leg in an on-air fall. An example of Como's popularity came in 1956, when Life conducted a poll of young women, asking them which man in public life most fit
28392-505: Was time to get back to work. Como said in a 1983 interview, "I thought I'd have my fun and I'd go home to work." Perry made his debut radio broadcast for CBS on March 12, 1943. Rockwell's next move was to book Como into the renowned Copacabana nightclub for two weeks beginning on June 10, 1943. At this same time, RCA Victor was looking for a crooner to compete with Sinatra and Crosby; Como signed his first recording contract with RCA Victor and three days after that, cut his first record for
28561-486: Was to phase out the 45 rpm disc, but sales of the new records were poor and by early 1962 the campaign had failed. In 1963, RCA Victor introduced Dynagroove which added computer technology to the disc cutting process, ostensibly to improve sound reproduction. Whether or not the complex process was actually an improvement is still debated among audiophiles. RCA quietly phased out the Dynagroove process by 1970. In September 1965, RCA and Lear Jet Corp. teamed up to release
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