A Tribute to Christmas with Perry Como

The Christmas season always evokes memories of famed singer Perry Como. As I have mentioned before Como had a home in one of my old stomping grounds, Saluda, North Carolina, and he was often seen by townspeople in the area getting his mail at the post office or dining with his wife at the Caro-Mi Restaurant.

For nearly fifty years, Christmas became synonymous with Perry Como, as his annual Christmas specials were a must-see for generations of Americans who fell in love with the Como style of crooning their favorite carols, hymns, and winter fun-songs. Como started this tradition all the way back in 1948 when he was host of a weekly television program. Even after the crooner was no longer hosting his own weekly program, the ABC network would still carry the famed 'Perry Como Christmas Specials' each year.

Often going on location to various parts of the world to tape these yearly specials, Como would treat his viewers to memorable holiday experiences of Christmas in Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Ireland, and other countries. One music critic once wrote in the New York Times, 'Christmas doesn't start for me until I hear Perry Como sing "Ave Maria" on television.' And when ABC decided to pull the plug on the annual specials in 1987, the Dallas Morning News wrote, 'If Perry Como is removed from Christmas, can Santa Claus be far behind?'

Born as Pierino Ronald Como in 1912, Perry worked for a barbershop as a teenager to earn extra money after school. Later he owned his own barbershop. The men of Como's hometown of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania were sometimes treated to a song as the popular barber cut their hair. The 'singing barber' would later audition for a traveling band that eventually landed him an enviable position as vocalist for the famed Ted Weems band.

When Weems' band disbanded in the early 1940s, NBC offered Como a position to appear as a regular along with female vocalist Jo Stafford on the old Chesterfield Supper Club radio program. Later the program moved to NBC television on Friday evenings with Como as the sole host.

It was at this time that the crooner began to amass a string of million-seller hits for RCA Records, including, 'Till the End of Time,' 'Temptation,' 'Hot Diggidy Dog Ziggidy Boom,' 'Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes,' 'Papa Loves Mambo,' 'Because,' and many more.

By the 1950s Como's weekly television program had been moved to compete with Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason on Sunday evenings. During those years Como would more often than not draw more viewers than Sullivan or Gleason. In fact, Como and Gleason had a ongoing friendly competition during which whoever would win the night's ratings would call the other on Monday to gloat.

For years Bing Crosby had been the host of radio's Kraft Music Hall. When Kraft decided to create a television counterpart to their popular radio show, they tapped Perry Como as host. Thus, from 1955 until 1963, viewers were treated to the hugely popular 'Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall.' It was here that Perry became known simply as 'Mr. C.'

Who can forget the segment of the show where Perry would sing a melancholic love ballad dressed in a trench coat while seated in front of a microphone? This memorable segment would be introduced by background singers who would plead softly and pensively, 'Sing for me, Mr. C, sing for me....just for me, Mr. C, just for me...'

The 50s brought even more million-sellers for Perry Como, including 'Round and Round,' 'Magic Moments,' and a song for which he won a Grammy in 1958, 'Catch a Falling Star.'

During the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 60s, easy-listening 'lounge-style' singers came a dime a dozen. It took something special to rise to the top of the pack. Perry Como had that something special. Many critics have written that his voice was undoubtedly the best among the singers from that era. He could belt out a crescendo with the best of them in a song like 'Temptation' and yet switch to a soft, smooth, and melancholic melody such as 'It's Impossible' with equal ease.

By the way, the song, 'It's Impossible,' became a million seller for Perry in 1970 when rock was king.

In fact, in an era in which rock and roll was taking over the airwaves and dominating the music scene, Como remained popular through it all. In the midst of the Beetles, the Stones, Credence Clearwater Revival, the Doobie Brothers, and Three Dog Night, along comes Como with 'And I Love You So,' which became a major top 40 hit in 1973 when Como was 60 years of age. This remarkable love ballad earned Como a Grammy nomination for best male vocal performance, and within the year Perry had earned a Gold Record with the song.

Como's success continued in the 1980s. His Christmas album of 1983 was certified Gold. This is the recording that contains some Como re-makes of previous Christmas hits, such as 'Ave Maria,' 'Chestnuts Roasting By an Open Fire,' and 'White Christmas.'

The album also contained a few new songs that Como introduced into the holiday music genre--'My Christmas Dream,' and 'Christ is Born,' which was penned by a Roman Catholic priest who was a friend of Perry.

This lovely melody is only outmatched by the touching lyrics and the heart-gripping Como voice...

'It is He, Christ Who Is Born Today,
Hear Him crying in the manger,
King of heaven, Son of God,
Allelujah, Allelujah....'

During the 1980s Como was honored by RCA Records for being one of only a handful of soloists who had sold 100 million records. During that same decade he was one of the Kennedy Center for the Arts honorees for lifetime achievement.

Como gave his last concert in Ireland in 1994. Already in his 80s and showing the wear and tear of age, he was yet treated like a King by the residents of the country. A parade was held in his honor. A sold-out arena gave a coronation-like ovation as the famed crooner made his way down the middle of the hall, led by a troop of smiling children. The President of Ireland, Mary Rowlinson, was in attendance that night.

The audience was appreciative of each song the beloved Mr. C. gave them that evening, but when Como sang, 'And I Love You So,' it was as if the old Como charm from his youth was re-ignited. His voice came alive on the chorus, 'And yes, I know how lonely life can be...' The audience gave him an ovation right in the middle of the song. It was as if the venerable crooner was back in 1973 singing that song again for the first time. The crowd's reaction only egged him on as he treated them to yet another chorus of the song, demonstrating that even in his 80s the old Como magic was still there.

Mr. Como died in his sleep at his home in Jupiter, Florida in 2001, at the age of 89.

The town of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania had erected a statue in his honor a few years previously.

I know that I am biased, but in my humble opinion there has never been a greater singer in American popular music. There has never been a nicer guy in 'the business.' To this day I still miss him, but especially when Christmas comes...