Bing Crosby and Dean Martin
Irish / Italian Medley

Martin was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio, to an Italian father, Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti and an Italian-American mother, Angela Crocetti. His father, a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, in Abruzzo, and his maternal grandparents’ origins are believed to be also from Abruzzo.  Dean’s first language was an Abruzzese dialect of Italian, and he did not speak English until he started school at the age of 5.

Dino Paul Crocetti (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) known famously as Dean Martin, was an American singer, actor, comedian and producer. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

He and Jerry Lewis formed the immensely popular comedy duo Martin and Lewis, with Martin serving as the straight man to Lewis’ slapstick hijinks. A member of the “Rat Pack“, Martin went on to become a star of concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings, motion pictures and television.

Martin was the host of the variety programs The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs “Memories Are Made of This“, “That’s Amore“, “Everybody Loves Somebody“, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You“, “Sway“, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?“, and “Volare“.

In 1948, American polls declared Bing Crosby the “most admired man alive”, ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.

Bing Crosby  was the fourth of seven children: His mother was a second generation Irish-American. His father was of English descent; some of his ancestors had emigrated to America in the 17th century, and included Mayflower passenger William Brewster.

Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby (/ˈkrɒzbi/; May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor. The first multimedia star, Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1931 to 1954.

His early career coincided with recording innovations that allowed him to develop an intimate singing style that influenced many male singers who followed him, including Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine said that he was “the person who had done the most for the morale of overseas servicemen” during World War II. In 1948, American polls declared him the “most admired man alive”, ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Also in 1948, Music Digest estimated that his recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music.

Dean Martin & Bing Crosby

The recordings of songs by Italian and Irish Americans in the Library of Congress’ collection include popular songs, regional folk songs and hybrid Italian and Irish American fare.

Italians who came to the United States during or shortly after the first World War I, brought with them songs related to that conflict, such as “Addio, Mama,” sung by Louis Brangone, which is the song of a soldier saying farewell to his family as he departs for the front in 1914 and “La Piave,” a song performed by Mario Olmeda about the Battle of the Piave River that took place on June 15—23, 1918, a turning point in the war.

Italian Americans also enjoyed singing socially, during festivals, in cafes and restaurants and in their homes. The Library of Congress possesses field recordings captured by the folk music collector Sidney Robertson Cowell in Concord, Martinez, Pittsburg, and Woodside, CA in the 1930s of emigrants singing unaccompanied songs in Italian and Sicilian dialects as well as photographs and commentaries.

When the Irish stepped off ships by the tens of thousands during the great waves of Irish immigration to America, they brought with them little more than the clothes on their backs, empty stomachs, and a special gift for song.  In fact, the Irish are known for their inspiring music perhaps as much as anything else.

For centuries, Irish songs have been the centerpiece of the traditional Gaelic social gathering, known as the ceili, where families entertain each other by playing Gaelic folk music and dancing.  As the Irish in America maintained these Irish musical traditions over the last couple of centuries, their great Irish music gradually trickled out of the Irish pubs and Irish dance halls to take hold in American popular culture.

Many Irish American songs were among the most popular of their day, and some are still sung today on St. Patrick’s Day or during Irish gatherings.  The following is a list of famous Irish American songs from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  You can click on each to listen.

Italian and Irish Medley

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