"How refreshing! A Dean Martin show that does justice to the music rather than just the look"-Rex Travallier
Dean Martin Tribute Show. A quality hour and fifteen minute show homage that spotlights the recordings of one of America’s most popular entertainers, Dean Martin. Chicago based crooner Frank Lamphere (not a Dean Martin impersonator in the usual sense) explores Dean Martin’s early years with songs such as: I'll Always Love You, That’s Amore (from the Martin & Lewis movie The Caddy) and You Belong To Me. There are the later 50’s hits like: Volare, Return To Me and Memories Are Made of This as well as some great songs that never were hits: Via Veneto, You Look So Familiar, and Rio Bravo from the film of the same name with John Wayne. Finally, Frank performs the Dean Martin successes of the 1960's. You’ll hear: The Door Is Still Open To My Heart, I Will, and Dean’s theme song Everybody Loves Somebody and many more.
Lamphere, who performs this show with an all star band has been a standout perfomer on the Midwest music scene for a number of years. His long list of credits include: numerous club dates, industrial shows, commercials, being the Friday night vocalist at the “5” star Peninsula Hotel, electrifying big crowds at Jilly’s Naperville when they opened in 2007 and regularly performs concerts in Milan, Italy.
Lamphere brings to this show, a great admiration for this classic music genre and especially for his favorite singer, Dean Martin. The show features Frank's razor sharp historical perspective, keen wit, and a natural vocal resemblance to Dean that many say, is one of the best around.
Below, rare video of the inimitable Dean Martin singing on television
Dean Martin Impersonator? Dean Martin Imitator?
An imitator or an impersonator like an illusionist, attempts to make an audience think they are experiencing a facsimile of the person they seek to impersonate. In the case of the Dean Martin mimics, imitators, and impersonators, it's the constantly present cigarette, the wavy hair Dino style wig, the off colored and out of date jokes, and the onstage persona of a staggering drunk. All of the above designed to hide the fact that they rarely are able to sing, even mediocrely. Many tribute artists you'll see on You Tube, painfully attempt notes well below their natural vocal register. Still many others reproduce Dean's unique and subtle vibrato as a little lamb out in the pasture making a baaaa... sound. This redundant imitation cheapens his great legacy and doesn't do justice to Dean Martin's depth of talent.
The real Dean Martin, was oozing with natural talent. As a singer, Dean posessed a magnificently beautiful voice. His romantic sometimes bordering on slurring tones eminated as the familiar baritone on such ballads as You Belong To Me and Where Can I Go Without You. According to historians, Dean had a way of phrasing that borrowed from both Bing Crosby and Harry Mills (Mills Brothers) but, that was uniquely his own. Further more, Dean had a seemingly carefree manner and modest attitude that conveyed to the audience "Hey, this ain't no big deal". There were few performers then and especially now who really are able to capture the subtle nuances, some of the intonation and overall essence of the voice that made Dino such beloved singer.
"Frank Lamphere Sings Dean Martin" is a unique musical event. Frank Lamphere has a knowledge and passion for the traditional pop and jazz music that is uncanny. This knowledge, passion and musical ability is translated into a superb musical revue. Both a tribute to the glorious music of the past and a modern concert. It may sound an like an exaggeration but Lamphere is able to perform hundreds of Dino tunes. Having a similar timbre to Dean's, undoubtedly developed from singing along to Dean's records as a kid, give Frank Lamphere's renditions of Dino's songs a realism not heard with other singers.
Frank sings several Dean Martin songs in this video
Frank Lamphere chats with Deana Martin at the Dean Martin Festival in Steubenville, Ohio. Click on the photo to go to Deana's website.
Relevant searches: Frank Lamphere, Dean Martin imitator, Dean Martin Impersonator, Dean Martin soundalike, singer, crooner, Chicago, Dean Martin festival, Deana Martin, Chicago crooner, Dean Martin tribute, Volare, Memories Are Made Of This, Dean Martin singer, Chicago Dean Martin, Milwaukee Dean Martin, St. Louis Dean Martin, Cleveland Dean Martin, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Bing Crosby, You Belong To Me, Where Can I Go Without You, Everybody Loves Somebody, Mambo Italiano,
Join Our Mailing List
