Tino Rossi – born Constantin Rossi on April 29, 1907, in Ajaccio, Corsica, France – was a cabaret pop singer and actor. Earning acclaim for his tenor voice, he would reportedly record over 2,000 songs during his career. Tino Rossi became interested in music at a young age, focusing on his music more than his schoolwork. Settling in Marseille, he worked odd jobs – valet, dishwasher, and doorman – while also performing for students at a bar called Le Terminus. He was discovered by Provençal bass-baritone Adrien Legros, who put him in touch with tour producer Louis Allione. Tino Rossi began performing in several clubs and was promoted as ‘The King of Charming Singers’, a label that followed him throughout his career. In 1932, he recorded a disc for his mother, which was heard by a representative from Parlophone Records. He was offered a deal and sent to Paris to record his first release. From that point on, his music career accelerated and he achieved great success with singles such as "La Sérénade de Tosellin", "J'ai rêvé d'une fleur", "L'Aubade du roi d'Ys", "Le Tango de Marilou”, and “Venice and Brittany”. He then moved over to Columbia Records and was sent out on tour with other great artists such as Lucienne Boyer, Damia, Pills and Tabet, Mireille, and Jean Sablon. Beginning in 1936, the sales of his records exploded thanks to a massive influx of his songs on the radio, which was a fairly new medium at the time. As his career took an international turn, he also turned to the acting in films such as Marinella, which was a hit in cinemas in 1936. His incredible popularity would survive the troubled period of the Second World War and endure over the years. Tino Rossi scored a massive French hit with "Petit Papa Noël", which he first released in 1948. The song would become a treasured traditional holiday anthem. Throughout his career, he remained a key figure in French song. Tino Rossi died on September 27, 1983, at the age of 76.
