Perry Como was signed to one record label for quite a long time. In fact he was with RCA longer then most singers have been alive. He was signed to the label in June of 1943 and in 1983 RCA held a dinner in his honor to celebrate his 40th year with the label and his 50th year in show business.
Round and Round wasn't his first #1 hit but on this day in music history, April 6, 1957, it was his first in the Rock and Roll era. He had 8 #1 hits between 1945 and 1954. The first time he sang Round and Round was on his television show and the audience loved it so much RCA released it as a single.
Perry was the 7th son of the 7th son. He was the first of Pietro and Lucia Como's 13 children to be born in the United States. He was born May 18, 1912 in Canonsburg, Pa. It was a mining town but Perry avoided work in the mines by becoming an apprentice Barber. Soon he had his own barbershop where folks could get a shave, haircut and a song. He earned $125 a week as a barber. While on vacation he auditioned for Freddy Carlone's band. He was offered the job that paid $28 a week. He took the job.
Later Perry married Roselle Belline on July 31, 1933. Four days later he went on tour with with the band. Three years later Perry was singing in Warren, Ohio. Bandleader Ted Weems heard him and offered him a job on the spot as his lead vocalist for $50 a week. Perry accepted the job.
In 1942 Weems broke up the band because of the war and Perry returned home to Canonsburg. He intended to return to being a Barber. He was about to sign for a new shop when General Artists Corp. told him they wanted to give him his own radio show. He talked it over with his wife and they decided that if it didn't work out he could still return to barbering. So he signed on to host the Chesterfield Supper Club. He was also given some nightclub bookings and signed to RCA Victor as a solo artist.
Soon his first single Goodbye Sue was released and on NBC the Chesterfield Supper Club was a hit. He received rave reviews for his appearance at the nightclubs in New York. 20th Century Fox signed him to a movie deal. He made his first appearance in Something For The Boys with Phil Silver and Carmen Miranda and Vivian Blaine. He began to have a string of hits. The ones he had before Round and Round include Till The End Of Time, Prisoner Of Love, Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes and a huge hit with Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom).
Soon the radio show moved to TV. Between NBC and a move to CBS his show was on TV from December 24, 1948 to June 12, 1963. Perry was so popular that the title soon changed to The Perry Como Show. When it went off the air Perry was still popular on TV as the host of the Kraft Music Hall Specials till 1967 and had his own Christmas specials for years. Always known as being laidback and relaxed, it was rumored that he took a nap till he had to go on the air. SCTV even did segment with Eugene Levy as a barely awake Perry singing during a TV show.
On May 12, 2001 after a long illness, Perry passed away in his sleep at his home in Florida. He was 88 years old.
Below is a video of Perry singing the song on his show. They show a new way they have to preform the song and it seems that everyone enjoys the new way.
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