Jerry Vale was an Italian-American singer and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, Vale reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, many of which he sang in Italian. The crooner showed his love of Italian music with his albums, "I Have But One Heart" (1962) and "Arrivederci, Roma" (1963), full of Italian standards such as "Amore, Scusami", "Ciao, Ciao, Bambina", "Arrivederci, Roma", and "O Sole Mio". His renditions of "Volare", "Innamorata (Sweetheart)", and "Al di là" became classic Italian-American songs.
Biography:
Early years:
Genaro Louis Vitaliano was born in the Bronx, N.Y., to Italian immigrant parents, and the Bronx Italian American community was the place where he grew up. In high school, to earn money, Vale took a job shining shoes in a barbershop in New York City. Still a teenager, he left school for a job in a factory, where he worked as an oiler alongside his father. During his time at the barbershop, he sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy. Enjoying the lessons, Vale started singing in high school musicals and at a local nightclub.
Career:
This led to additional club dates, in the early 1950s, including one that lasted for three years at a club in the suburb of Yonkers, New York, just north of the city. When Paul Insetta, (who was a road manager for singer Guy Mitchell and a hit songwriter) heard him there, he signed him to a management contract, changed his name, and further coached him. He then arranged for Vale to record some demonstration records of songs he'd written, and brought the demos to Columbia Records. By the time, Vale had caught a closer attention of Mitchell, who introduced him to Mitch Miller, the influential executive at Columbia Records. This led to Vale signing a recording contract with Columbia, and Insetta became his manager for many years to come. Vale’s first recording with the label, and with accompaniment by Percy Faith and his band, was "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart", #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and becoming Vale's first U.S. chart hit.
His version of "The Star-Spangled Banner", recorded in the late 1963, was a fixture at many sporting events for years. The Gold Record Vale achieved for this was displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame located in Cooperstown, New York. He also frequently sang the song at the Yankee Stadium over the years. Additionally he owned the Daytona Beach Admirals.
In 1959, Vale married Rita Grapel, an actress who appeared, among others, in the 1952 film The Thief. Vale and Rita, his wife of over 54 years, resided in Palm Desert, California. His biography A Singer's Life, by Richard Grudens, was published in 2000 by Celebrity Profiles, Stonybrook, New York. He sang the Late Night with David Letterman anthem "It's a Late Night World" on the program's eighth anniversary special in 1990. He made cameo appearances as himself in the 1990 film Goodfellas and the 1995 film Casino, both directed by Martin Scorsese.
Vale reportedly suffered a stroke in 2002 and did not perform in his recent years.
Death:
Jerry Vale died of natural causes in his sleep on May 18, 2014 at his home in Palm Desert, California. He was 83 years old. He is interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery, in Cathedral City, California.
Honors:
In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Vale.

Source: wikipedia.org