Sail on, Frankie Laine

[ejr]

From Cnn.com:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Frankie Laine, the big-voiced singer whose string of hits made him one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950s, died Tuesday. He was 93.

Laine died of heart failure at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Jimmy Marino, Laine's producer of more than a dozen years, told The Associated Press.

"He was one of the greatest singers around," Marino said. "He was one of the last Italian crooners type."

With songs such as "That's My Desire," "Mule Train," "Jezebel," "I Believe" and "That Lucky Old Sun," Laine was a regular feature of the Top Ten in the years just before rock 'n' roll ushered in a new era of popular music.

Somewhat younger listeners may remember him best for singing the theme to the television show "Rawhide," which ran from 1959 to 1966, and the theme for the 1974 movie "Blazing Saddles."


Sail on.............

[jimsig]

He rode a blazing saddle
He wore a shining star
His job to offer battle
To bad men near and far
He conquered fear and he conquered hate
He turned our night into day
He made his blazing saddle
A torch to light the way

When outlaws rule the West
And fear fills the land
A cry went up for a man with guts
To take the West in hand
They needed a man who was brave and true
With justice for all as his aim
Then out of the sun rode a man with a gun
And Bart was his name, yes Bart was his name

Sail On

[Wino you know]

My mother STILL has about two dozen of his records.
And I was a regular viewer of the show "Rawhide," not because of Frankie Laine singing the intro song, but there was some actor on that show who played the part of Rowdy Yates named "Clint" something who I became a fan of. After that show ended, I think he went on to make another movie or two.

Anyway, sail on, Mr. Laine.

[ejr]

My mother STILL has about two dozen of his records.
And I was a regular viewer of the show "Rawhide," not because of Frankie Laine singing the intro song, but there was some actor on that show who played the part of Rowdy Yates named "Clint" something who I became a fan of. After that show ended, I think he went on to make another movie or two.

Anyway, sail on, Mr. Laine.

I knew I could count on you to remember him

[Wino you know]

I knew I could count on you to remember him

Between both parents, while I was living at home, I listened to more Frankie Laine, Bobby Darin, Faron Young, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, Cole Porter, Andrews Sisters, Harlan Howard, Count Basie, Satchamo, Nat King Cole, et. al., than anything that was ever on TV.

But that's okay-when some of these people are my age, their kids & grandkids will all be saying "WHO THE HECK WAS JIMMY BUFFETT?"

(Unless they raise them properly, that is).

[Desdamona]

Heck... Mule Train was "my song" according to my mother.
It was #1 the week I was born. As long as Frankie was around,
I could never really get old.

Sail on, Mr. Laine! You have been part of my entire life and world.