A life-size bronze statue of legendary entertainer Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio) was dedicated this summer in Little Italy. It now stands in front of Nonna, an Italian restaurant owned by Frankie’s long-time friend Joe Busalacchi. You can learn a little more about this statue at the Team Frankie Laine blog here.
Frankie Lane lived the latter part of his life in San Diego’s Point Loma community and frequently visited Little Italy.
The popular singer scored many big hits in the United States and internationally. Some of his best known songs include That’s My Desire, That Lucky Old Sun, Mule Train, Jezebel, High Noon, Save Your Sorrow, I Believe, Cool Water and Rawhide. Western movie theme songs he recorded include 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles. His rock, jazz, folk and blues recordings made him one of the most popular entertainers in the 1940’s and 1950’s. His hits continued right into the 1970’s.
A small plaque can be found on the outside wall of Nonna next to the bronze sculpture. A larger plaque, depicting Frankie Laine with uplifted arms, is also nearby.
I took a photo of the larger plaque six years ago, when it was located elsewhere on India Street, and I transcribed the words written on it here.
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Frankie Laine told the story of the Blazing Saddles theme. When he sung it, he didn’t realize the movie was a send-up of westerns. His dramatic take on the song made it perfect, but he admitted to being embarrassed at the tone of the movie. He said, “I thought I was doing a song for another High Noon, and I gave it my best dramatic reading … When I saw wacky things happening on the screen, like a guy punching a horse, I sunk down into my seat with embarrassment.”
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I didn’t know that!
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When I think of Lane, the Mule Train song always leaps into my head. –Curt
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