For a time, Mario Lanza was king of the world with both a successful singing and acting career. He had it all and due to what was called natural causes or to some, poor life choices, the man would not live past the age of thirty-eight. That being said, he burned bright during his short life and left behind not only a rich musical legacy, but influenced a new generation of opera singers who would become famous in their own right. For many, it was discovering and seeing the man upon the big screen where they would come to know him from. He might have started out as an operatic talent, but after transitioning to movies, it was there that he would become world-famous. Starring in only seven films, he would leave a permanent mark upon popular culture thanks to hit songs like Because You’re Mine, Be My Love and more. He would even go on to play a musical hero of his own in the form of the Great Caruso, another tenor who died at too early an age. Like many a man or woman, he was as fallible as the next and he would hit a few roadblocks during his professional career, but while he stumbled, he would never let them keep him down. While his career was a short, albeit a great one, it would have been wondrous to see what he would have accomplished if he had lived a much longer time. Though he may not be as widely remembered today as he used to be, there is no denying that he made a mark upon many and his music and his films remain as enjoyable now as they were when they first debuted.

Be My Love

Because You’re Mine

With a Song in My Heart

The Loveliest Night of the Year

Nessun Dorma

Sunday Night at The London Palladium