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Guy Mitchell

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Guy Mitchell
Background information
Birth nameAlbert George Cernik
Born(1927-02-22)February 22, 1927
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 1999(1999-07-01) (aged 72)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
GenresBig band, traditional pop, rock and roll, country
Years active1947–1999
LabelsDecca, King, Columbia, Philips
WebsiteOfficial website

Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles.

In the fall of 1957, Mitchell starred in ABC's The Guy Mitchell Show. He 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]

Life and career

Born of Yugoslavian immigrants in Detroit, Michigan, at age 11 he was signed by Warner Brothers Pictures, to be a child star, and performed on the radio on KFWB in Los Angeles, California. After leaving school, he worked as a saddlemaker, supplementing his income by singing. Dude Martin, who had a country music broadcast in San Francisco, hired him for his band.

Mitchell served in the United States Navy for two years in World War II, then sang with Carmen Cavallaro's big band. In 1947 he recorded for Decca with Cavallaro's band, but left due to food poisoning. He went next to New York City and made records for King Records as Al Grant (one, "Cabaret", appeared in the Variety charts). He won on the radio show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in 1949 as a soloist.[2]

Mitch Miller, in charge of talent at Columbia Records, noticed Cernik in 1950. He joined Columbia and took his new stage name at Miller's urging: Miller supposedly said, "my name is 'Mitchell' and you seem a nice 'guy', so we'll call you Guy Mitchell." Bob Merrill wrote hits for Mitchell.[3] In the 1950s and 1960s Mitchell acted in such movies as Those Redheads From Seattle (1953) and Red Garters (1954). He appeared in "Choose a Victim", a 1961 episode of Thriller.

His first hit was "My Heart Cries for You" (1951). He ventured into rock with songs 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.[4]

Personal life

He 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, survived him after 25 years of marriage.

Death

Mitchell died on July 1, 1999, aged 72, at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada of complications from cancer surgery.[citation needed]

Tribute

In 2007, to commemorate 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 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas.[5]

Singles discography

Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated 		Chart positions Album
US CB UK[6] US Country US
R&B 		AU
1950 "My Heart Cries For You" (Gold record) / 2 1 Guy's Greatest Hits
"The Roving Kind" 4 2
1951 "You're Just In Love"
b/w "Marrying For Love"
Both sides with Rosemary Clooney 		24 Non-album tracks
"The House of Singing Bamboo" (with Rosemary Clooney) / 3
"The Place Where I Worship" (with Rosemary Clooney) 6
"Sparrow In The Treetop" / 8 3 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Christopher Columbus" 27
"A Beggar In Love" / 6 Non-album tracks
"Unless" 17 3
"My Truly, Truly Fair" (Gold record)
b/w "Who Knows Love" (Non-album track) 		2 1 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Belle Belle My Liberty Belle" / 9 4
"Sweetheart Of Yesterday" 23 12 Non-album tracks
"There's Always Room At Our House" / 20 8
"I Can't Help It" 28
1952 "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" (Gold record)
b/w "The Doll With A Sawdust Heart" (Non-album track) 		4 2 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Wimmin'"
b/w "We Won't Live In A Castle" 		17 Non-album tracks
"A Little Kiss Goodnight"
b/w "Gentle Johnny"
Both sides with Doris Day
"The Day Of Jubilo"
b/w "You'll Never Be Mine" 		26 4
"Feet Up (Pat Him on the Po-Po)"
b/w "Jenny Kissed Me" (Non-album track) 		14 18 2 2 Guy's Greatest Hits
"'Cause I Love You, That's A-Why"
b/w "Train Of Love"
Both sides with Mindy Carson 		24 25 8 Non-album tracks
"Why Should I Go Home"
b/w "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle"
1953 "She Wears Red Feathers" / 19 14 1 5 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Pretty Little Black Eyed Susie" 2 17 Non-album tracks
"I Want You For A Sunbeam"
b/w "So Am I"
Both sides with Mindy Carson
"Wise Man Or Fool"
b/w "Walkin' and Wond'rin"
"Tell Us Where The Good Times Are"
b/w "There's Nothing As Sweet As My Baby"
Both sides with Mindy Carson 		23
"Look At That Girl"
b/w "Hannah Lee" 		1
"Chicka Boom" / 16 4 14
"Cloud Lucky Seven" 2 19
"Sippin' Soda" / 11 5
"Strollin' Blues" 18
1954 "The Cuff Of My Shirt"
b/w "Got A Hole In My Sweater" 		9
"A Dime and A Dollar"
b/w "Tear Down The Mountains" 		8
"There Was Once A Man"
b/w "My Heaven and Earth"
"I Met The Cutest Little Eyeful (At The Eiffel Tower)"
b/w "Gee, But You Gotta Come Home"
1955 "Nobody Home"
b/w "Zoo Baby"
"Man Overboard"
b/w "(Otto Drives Me Crazy) Otto's Gotta Go"
"Too Late"
b/w "Let Us Be Sweethearts Over Again"
1956 "Ninety Nine Years (Dead Or Alive)"
b/w "Perfume, Candy and Flowers" 		23 19 26
"When Blinky Blows" / 22
"Belonging" 25
"Give Me A Carriage With Eight White Horses"
b/w "I Used To Yate Ya" 		42
"Finders Keepers"
b/w "I'd Like To Say A Few Words About Texas"
"Singing The Blues" / 1 1 1 4 1 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Crazy With Love" 53 42 Non-album track
1957 "Knee Deep In The Blues" / 16 15 3 13 Guy's Greatest Hits
"Take Me Back Baby" 47 38 30 Non-album track
"Rock-A-Billy"
b/w "Hoot Owl" (Non-album track) 		10 13 1 10 Guy's Greatest Hits
"In The Middle Of A Dark Dark Night" / 25 49 Non-album tracks
"Sweet Stuff" 83 51 flip
"Call Rosie On The Phone"
b/w "Cure For The Blues" 		17
1958 "The Lord Made A Peanut"
b/w "(I'm Walkin' Down A) One Way Street" 		56
"C'mon Let's Go"
b/w "The Unbeliever" 		71
"Till We're Engaged"
b/w "Hey, Madame"
"Honey Brown Eyes"
b/w "Hangin' Around" 		92
1959 "Butterfly Doll"
b/w "Let It Shine, Let It Shine" 		87
"Half As Much"
b/w "Guilty Heart"
"Pride O'Dixie"
b/w "Alias Jesse James"
"I'm Gonna Leave You Now" (with The Easy Riders)
b/w "Loosen Up Lucy"
"Heartaches By The Number"
b/w "Two" 		1 1 5 19 3
1960 "The Same Old Me"
b/w "Build My Gallows High" (from Songs Of The Open Spaces 10" LP) 		51 103
"My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You"
b/w "Silver Moon Upon The Golden Sands" 		45 106 63 Sunshine Guitar
"Sunshine Guitar"
b/w "Ridin' Around In The Rain"
1961 "Your Goodnight Kiss"
b/w "Follow Me" 		106 100 Non-album tracks
"Divorce"
b/w "I'll Just Pretend"
1962 "Charlie's Shoes"
b/w "Rusty Old Halo" 		110 143
"Go Tiger Go"
b/w "If You Ever Go Away (I'll Go Out and Eat Some Worms)" 		101 123
1963 "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You"
b/w "Blue Violet"
1966 "The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me"
b/w "If I Had My Life To Live Over"
1967 "Traveling Shoes"
b/w "Every Night Is A Lifetime" 		51 Traveling Shoes
1968 "Alabam"
b/w "Irene Good-Bye" 		61
"Frisco Line"
b/w "Singing The Blues" (from Traveling Shoes) 		71 Singin' Up A Storm
1969 "Get It Over"
b/w "Just Wish You'd Maybe Change Your Mind"
1970 "Singing The Blues"
b/w "Heartaches By The Number" (from Heartaches By The Number) 		Traveling Shoes

Best known songs

Re-recorded songs

In February 1982 he re-recorded 20 of his popular songs with new musical backings (in stereo) at the Audio Media Studio in Nashville, Tennessee for Bulldog Records (No. BDL 2041 in the UK). The album was entitled "20 Golden Pieces of Guy Mitchell" (not to be confused with "20 Golden Greats" by Mitchell released in 1979). The songs on the album are:-

References

  1. ^ Cromelin, Richard (July 3, 1999). "Guy Mitchell, Singer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  2. ^ Obituary, New York Times, July 5, 1999.
  3. ^ Obituary for Bob Merrill, The Independent; February 20, 1998.
  4. ^ Obituary, The Guardian, July 5, 1999.
  5. ^ Profile, discogs.com; accessed February 27, 2016.
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 371–372. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Obituary: Guy Mitchell, The Independent, July 5, 1999.
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