Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American traditional pop singer. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover of Eddy Arnold hit "You Don't Know Me" (1956) and "Have You Looked into Your Heart" (1964). Vale, who was of Italian descent, sang numerous songs in Italian, many of which were used in soundtracks of films by Martin Scorsese.
Early life
Vale was born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano in the Bronx, New York, to Italian immigrant parents and grew up in the Wakefield section of the Bronx, which at the time was composed mainly of Italian-American families. In high school, to earn money, Vale took a job shining shoes in a barbershop, singing while he worked. His boss, Vito Veneziano, liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy. Vale started singing in high school musicals and at a local nightclub. Still a teenager, he left school to work in a factory as an oiler alongside his father. Subsequently he would release "Two Purple Shadows", which did better, peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard singles charts. He would record well into the 1950s, with some other top 40 hits of his being "You Don't Know Me" (No. 14) and "Innamorata (Sweetheart)" (No. 30). Vale frequently sang the song at Yankee Stadium. Additionally, he owned the Florida minor-league team Daytona Beach Admirals. The latter single would be his last appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 93 in late 1966. His final top-ten Easy Listening single would be "Don't Tell My Heart to Stop Loving You" which reached No. 6 on the charts in early 1968.
Vale appeared often on television programs like The Ed Sullivan Show and Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Vale would consistently place albums on the Billboard 200 (then known as the Billboard Top LPs).
Jerry Vale worked in Las Vegas for the first time at the Sands Hotel, for a two-week gig. By that point Vale had been with the label for seventeen years and recorded twenty-four albums for it.
1972–2002: Later career and performances
thumb|left|Jerry Vale singing in 1976
In early 1972 Vale released a tribute album to the late popular singer Nat King Cole, which reached No. 200 in the U.S. Vale was praised for his "warm readings" of the melodies and "special touch" added to the songs made popular by Cole. Vale would continue recording albums up until 1974, as sales gradually declined and chart performance diminished.
Even though commercial success waned, Vale still remained a popular name in clubs and on television throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Vale reportedly suffered a stroke in 2002 and did not perform in his later years,
Personal life
In 1959, Vale married Rita Grapel, an actress. The two would have a son and a daughter,
Death
Jerry Vale died of natural causes in his sleep on May 18, 2014, at his home in Palm Desert, California.
In the 2016 Disney animated film Zootopia, there is a parody of Vale named Jerry Vole. In the film kids groove to the "torch-song stylings" of the pop star Gazelle, while their parents prefer "the velvety pipes" of Jerry Vole.
Honors
In 1998, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to Vale.
Discography
The list below shows the singer's studio albums and live albums only. His full discography, singles and other releases are described in a separate article. Vale placed 20 albums on the Billboard 200, ranking No. 36 among artists in total album placements between 1945 and 1972.