The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Perry Como

Unless you're a die-hard Perry Como fan, the first songs that may come to one's mind when they hear his name are probably "Papa Loves Mambo," or "Hot Diggity Dog (Ziggity Boom)," the former being popularized again in both "Back to the Future Part II" and "Oceans 11," decades after it was recorded. What some

Unless you're a die-hard Perry Como fan, the first songs that may come to one's mind when they hear his name are probably "Papa Loves Mambo," or "Hot Diggity Dog (Ziggity Boom)," the former being popularized again in both "Back to the Future Part II" and "Oceans 11," decades after it was recorded. What some fail to realize, however, is that the Pennsylvania-born crooner is so much more than his gimmicky hits. As The Saturday Evening Post so perfectly puts it, "the greatest enemy of Como's legacy has been, paradoxically, his greatest successes."

So, how did Como feel about these catchy tunes? According to "Roadkill on the Three-chord Highway," the singer would refer to his biggest hits as "[pieces] of crap," explaining, "I'd tell the A&R [artists and repertoire] man, 'I can't sing that garbage.'" But, sure enough, Como had no choice, as it was those songs that made him the most money. 

In his later years, it appears that the "It's Impossible" crooner started taking control of what he wanted to sing, avoiding the "novelty" tracks. Admitting to the Orlando Sentinel that he was "embarrassed" to have the songs attached to his name, Como revealed, "No, I don't sing any of those songs in my show. I reserve the right to say no."

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