Grandpa was really cool. He was a gifted singer, actor, and voice artist who made a name for himself on Broadway in the orginal production of Kiss Me, Kate (1949), replacing Alfred Drake as Petrucchio.  He then made a splash in Hollywood after being discovered by David O. Selznik and starring opposite the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Angela Lansbury, Lucille Ball, and Glynis Johns to name a few.  He raised my dad and his brother on a ranch in Chatsworth California. He loved Arabian horses, sailboats, motorcycles (especially his Honda gold wing, (for whom he was the voice for many years) traveling, and signing.  And man, could he sing!  He had a beautiful, melodious Baritone that brought him back to Broadway many times over the span of his career.  While in LA, he worked with some of the most widely known talent directors producers, and became a man with a reputation for strong work ethic, an incredible physique and dedication to fitness, a grittiness and realness to his acting that was unique for its time, a quick wit and a biting sense of humor.

 

I was lucky to get to know him as I grew up. He was an awesome grandpa to me and my sister.  I didn't know him as a celebrity. He was just the gruff, funny, strong, bald old man who wore tank tops and like to tussle and poke fun at us good naturedly.  We would drive to dinners with him while he belted out show times and loudly cursed at bad drivers.  As I got older, I started to understand better who he was.  I interviewed him and it opened my eyes to the extraordinary life he led.  He inspired me to fully pursue acting and singing, and eventually move to NYC to try to make it as a performer.  He sadly passed in 2005, just one year after I moved, but in 2013 I booked my first Broadway show as Karl the giant in Big Fish the musical and discovered (thanks to Brad Oscar) that our show would be opening in the same theater that Grandpa performed Wildcat with Lucille Ball in 1960.

 

I owe so much to Grandpa, and I wish he was still around.  I like to think I made the old man proud.