Guy Mitchell
| Guy Mitchell | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Albert George Cernik |
| Born | February 22, 1927 Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Died | July 1, 1999 (aged 72) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Genres | Big band, traditional pop |
| Years active | 1947–1960s |
| Labels | Decca, King, Columbia, Philips |
| Website | Official website |
Guy Mitchell, born Albert George Cernik (February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia. As an international recording star of the 1950s he achieved record sales in excess of 44 million units and this included six million-selling singles.
In the fall of 1957, Mitchell starred in his own ABC variety show, The Guy Mitchell Show. He also appeared as George Romack on the 1961 NBC western detective series Whispering Smith, with World War II hero Audie Murphy in the leading role.[1]
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Life and career [edit]
Born of Croatian immigrants, in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of eleven he was signed by Warner Brothers Pictures, to be groomed as a child star, and he also performed on the radio on Station KFWB in Los Angeles, California. After leaving school, he worked as a saddlemaker, but supplemented his income by singing whenever he could. At this point in his life, Dude Martin, who had a country music broadcast in San Francisco, noticed him and hired him to perform with his band.
He served in the United States Navy for two years, and after leaving the service became a singer with Carmen Cavallaro's big band. In 1947 he made recordings for Decca with Cavallaro's band, but had to leave due to food poisoning. He eventually went to New York City, and made records for King Records under the name Al Grant (one in particular, "Cabaret", appeared in the Variety magazine charts). He won on the radio show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in 1949 as a soloist.[2]
Mitch Miller, who was in charge of talent at Columbia Records, noticed Cernik in 1950, and he joined Columbia and got his new stage name at Miller's urging: Miller is supposed to have said, "my name is 'Mitchell' and you seem a nice 'guy', so we'll call you Guy Mitchell". Bob Merrill wrote a string of top hits for Mitchell.[3]
In the 1950s and 1960s he acted in movies as well as singing. He did movies with Teresa Brewer, Pat Crowley, and Rosemary Clooney (Red Garters). He acted in a 1961 episode of "Thriller', "Choose A Victim". He also sang in the Braemor Rooms, Churchtown, Dublin, Ireland.
His first hit was "My Heart Cries for You" (1951). Though he is a pre-rock pop singer, many of his songs have a decided rock beat to them, including "Heartaches by the Number", "Rock-a-Billy", "The Same Old Me" and his biggest hit, "Singing the Blues", which was number one for 10 weeks in 1956.
Personal life [edit]
He was married three times, first to Jackie Loughery, a former Miss USA, then to Elsa Sorensen, who had been a Miss Denmark. His third wife, Betty, survives him after 25 years of marriage.
Death [edit]
He died on July 1, 1999, aged 72, of complications from cancer surgery.
Tribute [edit]
In 2007, to commemorate his musical legacy and what would have been his 80th birthday, the English division of SonyBMG released The Essential Collection CD.
His song "Heartaches by the Number" was part of the soundtrack of the game Fallout: New Vegas.
Hit songs [edit]
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | UK[5] | US Country | U.S. R&B |
||
| 1950 | "My Heart Cries for You"(gold record) | 2 | |||
| "The Roving Kind" | 4 | ||||
| 1951 | "You're Just in Love"(with Rosemary Clooney) | 24 | |||
| "Sparrow in the Treetop" | 8 | ||||
| "Christopher Columbus" | 27 | ||||
| "Unless" | 17 | ||||
| "My Truly, Truly Fair"(gold record) | 2 | ||||
| "Belle Belle My Liberty Belle" | 9 | ||||
| "Sweetheart of Yesterday" | 23 | ||||
| "There's Always Room At Our House" | 20 | ||||
| "I Can't Help It" | 28 | ||||
| 1952 | "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania"(gold record) | 4 | |||
| "Day of Jubilo" | 26 | ||||
| "Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)" | 14 | 2 | |||
| "'Cause I Love You, That's a Why"(with Mindy Carson) | 24 | ||||
| 1953 | "She Wears Red Feathers" | 19 | 1 | ||
| "Tell Us Where the Good Times Are"(with Mindy Carson) | 23 | ||||
| "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie" | 2 | ||||
| "Look At That Girl" | 1 | ||||
| "Chicka Boom" | 4 | ||||
| "Cloud Lucky Seven" | 2 | ||||
| 1954 | "Sippin' soda" | 11 | |||
| "The Cuff of My Shirt" | 9 | ||||
| "A Dime and a Dollar" | 8 | ||||
| 1956 | "Ninety Nine Years" | 23 | |||
| "Singing the Blues" | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| "Crazy With Love" | 53 | ||||
| 1957 | "Knee Deep in the Blues" | 16 | 3 | ||
| "Take Me Back Baby" | 47 | ||||
| "Rock-a-Billy" | 10 | 1 | |||
| "In the Middle of a Dark Dark Night" | 25 | ||||
| "Sweet Stuff" | 83 | flip | |||
| "Call Rosie On the Phone" | 17 | ||||
| 1959 | "Heartaches by the Number" | 1 | 5 | 19 | |
| 1960 | "The Same Old Me" | 51 | |||
| "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You" | 45 | ||||
| 1961 | "Your Goodnight Kiss" | 106 | |||
| 1962 | "(I'd Like to Be In) Charlie's Shoes" | 110 | |||
| "Go Tiger Go" | 101 | ||||
| 1967 | "Traveling Shoes" | 51 | |||
| 1968 | "Alabam" | 61 | |||
| "Frisco Line" | 71 | ||||
Best known songs [edit]
- "My Heart Cries for You" (1950) [6]
- "The Roving Kind" (1951) [6]
- "My Truly, Truly Fair" (1951) [6]
- "Sparrow In The Treetop" (1951) [6]
- "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" (1952) [6]
- "She Wears Red Feathers" (1953) [6]
- "Belle, Belle, My Liberty Belle"
- "Feet Up (Pat Him On The Po-po)"
- "Heartaches By The Number" [6]
- "Knee Deep in the Blues"
- "Look At That Girl"
- "Ninety Nine Years (Dead or Alive)"
- "Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie"
- "Rock-a-Billy"
- "Same Old Me"
- "Singing the Blues"
- "The Roving Kind"
- "Cloud Lucky Seven"
- "Unless"
References [edit]
- ^ Cromelin, Richard (1999-07-03). "Guy Mitchell, Singer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
- ^ Obituary, New York Times, July 5, 1999.
- ^ The Independent; Obituary: Bob Merrill; February 20, 1998
- ^ Obituary, The Guardian, July 5, 1999.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 371–372. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Independent; Obituaries: Guy Mitchell 5 July 1999
External links [edit]
- All Music Guide
- Guy Mitchell trust website (Official Homepage)
- Guy Mitchell Appreciation Society site
- Guy Mitchell obituary
- Biography on "The Interlude Era" site
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