A few days ago, a major star in the vocal world passed away. I wasn’t entirely surprised that it got little coverage here, because the artist has not been as visible as she once was. But at one time, Caterina Valente was all over television, clubs, and Las Vegas casinos, and she was stunning - a wonderful singer who could sing in many languages, a talented guitarist and dancer. Artists such as Mel Torme raved about her.
She came from a performing family - both her Italian mother and father were performers (her mother played thirty-three instruments and once headlined at the legendary Palace Theatre in New York). Caterina was born in France, and she and her brother joined the act. The family were deported to Italy during the war, but made it back to France and lived there for the duration.
By the early ‘50s, she was married and performed with her juggler husband as part of a circus tour. She recorded several songs accompanying herself on several instruments, and they were heard by German bandleader Kurt Edelhagen, who asked her to join as vocalist. She declined, and this turned out to be a wise decision. She made several recordings in Germany, and several sold in large numbers. She appeared in her first movie in 1954.
In 1955, she appeared on The Colgate Comedy Hour, a live TV show broadcast in the U.S. She was soon appearing in major clubs in New York and continued to have hit records in Germany.
By 1960, she was seen and heard all over the world, and made several guest appearances on U.S. television during the next several years.
Here she is with Ella Fitzgerald:
Here’s a medley of Malaguena and The Breeze and I, perhaps the biggest record she made.
Here is a clip from a German T.V. show with Dave Grusin at the piano very early in his career.
She made an album and toured with the Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Thad Jones. Here is an appearance she made on German television. Thad of course did the arrangement.
Perhaps the most famous clip of Valente took place during the Dean Martin T.V. show. Martin hosted a fabulous weekly program filled with guest stars for many years. Like Jackie Gleason, he didn’t like to rehearse, so performances were spontaneous and often very funny given his crazy sense of humor. Valente’s website states that this clip has gotten over 17 million hits on YouTube, and I believe it. The last part of the arrangement is a reference to Frank Sinatra’s recording of “Strangers in the Night,” by that time a joke in that Sinatra hated the song and the record, and ironically it was his biggest seller. Here is Caterina Valente in all her glory, singing and accompanying herself on the guitar, and clowning with Martin.
She was 93 years old.
That's why I cover such artists. They are not as well known as they should be. She made a lot of recordings and T.V. appearances found on YouTube.
Holy S**t! I only barely knew about her. Amazing in all the ways you said, and she can really move. Holy S**t.