Sergio Franchi - Biographical Bits and Pieces

Biographical Bits and Pieces

• Columbia Pictures talked to Franchi as early as October, 1962; and by 1964 He had already received several offers to star in films. He refused several offers because he did not wish to portray either an Italian gangster or Mario Lanza. (He would have liked playing in a Western movie!).
• Sergio Franchi visited Elvis Presley on the set of Kissin' Cousins in 1964 and was made an "Honorable Colonel" by Colonel Tom Parker.
• After Franchi sang on his 1964 television special, Meredith Willson was so impressed by Franchi's interpretation of "Stella by Starlight" that he gave Franchi his framed copy of the original score presented to him (Willson) by Victor Young.
• In 1965 (July), Sergio Franchi was photographed in a celebrity/socialite spread for Town & Country (magazine).
• Sergio Franchi's recordings were heard regularly on FM Radio shows, e.g. "Rapsody."
• Sergio Franchi had creative gifts outside of his musical accomplishments (voice, piano, & guitar). His interests were always in the arts. He carried a sketch book with him on all of his travels, and in later life devoted himself to painting in watercolor in his private studio.
• Franchi was an avid collector of fine art, Victorian kitchen ware, and owned one of the finest rare pewter collections in the United States. He was photographed by Tony Vaccaro with his pewter collection for Look (American magazine) in 1969.

• Sergio Franchi's personal passion was collecting and restoring classic and antique automobiles. He was a long-time member of the Classic Car Club of America; won awards for his restoration work, and participated in many of their calvacades. His car collection was "extraordinary... 25 examples of fine British, American, and Italian makes..." After his death, his important collection aroused strong interest and competitive bidding at Christi's Exceptional Cars Auction in 2006.
• On April 17, 1968, Franchi sang The National Anthem for the Opening Day game (New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants) at Shea Stadium.
• Two of his appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show featured Franchi performances with famous male choirs. He sang Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the Welsh Rhos Male Voice Choir (from Rhosllannerchrugog) on June 9, 1968.
• Sergio Franchi met the Texas A&M Singing Cadets in December 1970 when they were both performing at the televised Miss Teenage America Pageant. They appear together shortly thereafter on The Ed Sullivan Show (January 21, 1971) singing "No Man is an Island" - later recorded and released as a single.
• 1976 was the year Sergio Franchi was hired to do television commercials for the Plymouth Volare and for Hills Brothers Coffee. He also signed to endorse Carpineto wines in print media because "Italy produces 90% of the grapes for wine."
• On October 10, 1977 Franchi served as Grand Marshall of the world's largest Italian-American celebration - New York City's Columbus Day Parade.
• The February 1982 issue of the prime Italian-American journal, Attenzione, featured a photograph of Sergio Franchi on the cover.
• As of 1987, Sergio Franchi still held the record for the biggest one-week attendance draw at the North Shore Music Theater.
• The lobby walls of the Westbury Music Fair are hung with memorabilia from many famous performers. Among them, an 8X10 glossy photo of Sergio Franchi, and the annotated score of his big hit "Malafemmena."
• After his death, and as of 2002, more than a dozen couples have chosen to be married at Franchi's private chapel on the grounds of his Stonington estate. Some of them met at his Memorial Concerts.
• Sergio Franchi's great-grandnephew participated in the 2011 Memorial Concert playing tunes for visitors on Franchi's Steinway piano.