Biography for
Tony Martin (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

25 December 1912, San Francisco, California, USA

Birth Name

Alvin Morris

Mini Biography

Born Alvin Morris, Tony Martin received a soprano saxophone on his tenth birthday. In his grammar school glee club, he became an instrumentalist and soprano pop singer. When in high school he then formed his first band called "The Red Peppers", eventually joining a local orchestra leader, Tom Gerun, as a reed instrument specialist, sitting along with a future band leader, Woody Herman.

In the mid-1930s, Martin left Gerun to go to Hollywood. which here he would go under his stage name, "Tony Martin". in 1937, Martin married Alice Faye. After divorce, he married Cyd Charisse in 1948 - a marriage which lasted sixty years.

Martin starred in hit movies such as Follow the Fleet (1936), The Farmer in the Dell (1936), Pigskin Parade (1936), The Holy Terror (1937), Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937), The Big Store (1941), Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), Casbah (1948), Clash by Night (1952), and Hit the Deck (1955).

IMDb Mini Biography By: rocknrollunderdawg

Spouse

Cyd Charisse	(15 May 1948 - 17 June 2008) (her death) 1 child
Alice Faye	(4 September 1937 - 1940) (divorced)

Trivia

Classic pop singer and occasional actor (Hit the Deck (1955), Here Come the Girls (1953), Casbah (1948)) whose career peaked in the 1950s. His biggest hit was "There's No Tomorrow" (RCA Victor, 1950), which was adapted from the traditional Neapolitan ballad "O Solo Mio" (Elvis Presley later had one of the biggest hits of his career by adapting the same song as "It's Now or Never"). Happily married for sixty years to actress/dancer Cyd Charisse.

Very early in his career, he was a sax player, under his real name of Al Morris, in an orchestra headed by Tom Gerun. Among the other orchestra members were unknowns (at the time) Woody Herman and singer Ginny Simms.

One son with his second wife, Cyd Charisse: Tony Martin Jr. He adopted Charisse's son Nicholas from her first marriage.

Son Tony Martin Jr. born on August 28, 1950.

His first hit record was "Now it Can Be Told" (1938), a song by Irving Berlin from the film Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938). It was sung on-screen by his then-wife Alice Faye.

There was a misunderstanding that led to his discharge from the Navy during WWII. He finished up the war in the Army, winning a Bronze Star as a noncombatant in the Far East.

He was awarded 4 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6331 Hollywood Boulevard, for Motion Pictures at 6436 Hollywood Boulevard; for Radio at 1760 Vine Street; and for Television at 1725 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Tony was at a Friar's Club Roast for Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz in November, 1958, when Harry Parke, having just completed his comedy routine and returning to his seat, collapsed into Milton Berle's lap. Berle, hoping to divert the audience from Harry's distress, urged Tony to sing something. His unfortunate song choice was "There's No Tomorrow." Parke died of a heart attack.