Al Martino (born Jasper Cini; October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009) was an American singer and actor. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as “one of the great Italian American pop crooners”, and also became well known as an actor, particularly for his role as singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.

After serving with the U.S. Navy in World War II, Cini began his singing career.

He adopted the stage name Al Martino and began singing in local nightclubs. In 1948, he moved to New York City, and in 1951 his first release was issued by the Jubilee label. The following year, he won first place on a talent scouts television program with a performance of Como’s hit “If”.

This led to a recording contract where he recorded “Here in My Heart”. The song spent three weeks at No. 1 on the US pop charts in June 1952, earning Martino a gold disc, and later in the year, also reached the top of the UK charts and earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 1963, he had his biggest U.S. chart success with “I Love You Because”.

Al Martino Backing Tracks – Here In My Heart … Spanish Eyes … Wanted

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