Question 1

Did Dean Martin write his own songs?

Accepted Answer

No, not as a rule. Dean Martin was a performer and interpreter who built his career on standards and pop songs written by professional songwriters, not on original compositions of his own. His signature hits, including 'That's Amore,' 'Everybody Loves Somebody,' and 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head,' all came from outside writers.

Question 2

Who wrote 'Everybody Loves Somebody'?

Accepted Answer

Irving Taylor and pianist Ken Lane wrote 'Everybody Loves Somebody' in 1947, well before Martin recorded it. Lane, who was playing piano on Martin's Dream with Dean sessions in 1964, suggested his own older tune when the session came up a song short. Martin's 1964 Reprise recording knocked the Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night' off number one and later became the theme of The Dean Martin Show.

Question 3

What is Dean Martin's real name?

Accepted Answer

Dino Paul Crocetti. He was born June 7, 1917 in Steubenville, Ohio, to Italian immigrant parents, and grew up speaking Italian at home before learning English around age five.

Question 4

Was Dean Martin part of the Rat Pack?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Martin was a core member of the Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., along with Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. The group performed together in Las Vegas and appeared together in films such as Ocean's 11.

Question 5

Who wrote 'Ain't That a Kick in the Head'?

Accepted Answer

Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the music and Sammy Cahn wrote the lyrics. The pair wrote it specifically for the 1960 film Ocean's 11, and Martin recorded it that year in a big band arrangement conducted by Nelson Riddle.

Question 6

Did Dean Martin write 'That's Amore'?

Accepted Answer

No. 'That's Amore' was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Jack Brooks for the 1953 Martin and Lewis film The Caddy. Martin's recording reached number two on the Billboard charts and served as his first signature song, before 'Everybody Loves Somebody' eclipsed it a decade later.

Question 7

Did Dean Martin write any of his own material?

Accepted Answer

There is no evidence in his recorded output of Martin working as a credited songwriter. He is remembered as a vocal stylist and entertainer, not as a writer, and his catalog is built almost entirely on other people's songs.

Question 8

What was Dean Martin's biggest hit?

Accepted Answer

'Everybody Loves Somebody' is generally considered his biggest and most enduring hit. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1964, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and became the theme song of The Dean Martin Show.

Question 9

Why is Dean Martin called the King of Cool?

Accepted Answer

The nickname stuck to his effortless, self-mocking stage persona and his easygoing charisma as a singer, actor, and Rat Pack host in Las Vegas and on television. He did nothing to discourage the label, and it became attached to him for the rest of his career.

Question 10

Did Dean Martin perform with Jerry Lewis before his solo singing career?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Martin and Lewis were a comedy duo from 1946 to 1956, working nightclubs, radio, television, and film before an acrimonious split. Martin then built a solo career as a singer and actor, which is where his best-known recordings came from.