Description
Before Elvis and The Beatles - there was Mario Lanza. A true superstar whose legend continues today. Trained for a career in opera, Lanza became the first true crossover artist when MGM made him a matinee idol during the 1950s with box office hits such as The Toast of New Orleans and The Great Caruso, which became the highest grossing film of the global box office in 1951. With his unique blend of both classical and popular music, Lanza filled venues all over the world and his recordings of The Loveliest Night of the Year, Beloved and his signature ballad, Be My Love sold in their millions. But within 10 years, the star that glowed so brightly burned itself out - and Lanza’s sudden death in 1959 at the age of 38 was the first tragic death of the modern pop and rock era.