I Just Happened To Be There: Making Music With The Stars

Rating:
Summary: A Veritable Who's Who of Show Business!
Review: Nick Perito has accompanied, arranged, composed and conducted many of the world's most famous singers and entertainers. His career in television has earned him twelve Emmy nominations. This book offers an affectionate glimpse of his upbringing as the son of Italian immigrants and recounts his successful career in the colorful and unpredictable world of show business.

For well over 30 years, Nick Perito was Perry Como's exclusive music director on TV, concerts, and records. Nick was once known as "the king of Christmas music"; for several years in the 1970's, he was music director for the Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Andy Williams Christmas TV specials.

Nick arranged, composed, and conducted the music for several of Bing Crosby's television shows, including three of his Christmas specials. At the dawn of the 1970's, thinking the song needed an update, Bing himself personally asked Nick to write a new arrangement of White Christmas for him, and that arrangement was used on all of the Crosby family TV specials from 1971-77.

A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Nick has done concert, TV, and recording work with the likes of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bob & Dolores Hope, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme, Dorothy Dandridge, Shirley Bassey, and numerous others.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading behind the scenes stories about the true legends of show business. What they were really like, in and out of the spotlight. The era when stars were stars, and their talents shined brightly. It reads like a giant "who's who" of show business for the last 50 or 60 years. Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Elvis has crossed paths with Nick Perito! You won't be disappointed.


Rating:
Summary: A Class about Class
Review: This book is a peek into Italian culture as well as a sharing of the experiences of working with the greatest stars. With dignity and without offending anyone, it is very clear as to which Stars Nick no longer wished to work with. Nick is above trying to sensationalize slamming celebrities to help sell a book. Nick does not hide his compassion for some of the stars that had exceptional struggles as well as success.

Being an Italian American, the book helped me better understand some of my beliefs and traditions. A mixture of the Catholic faith, Italian culture, and family values somehow seem to be so similar through out the United States in all the various "little Italy" communities from the East to the West coast. It is a culture that produced outstanding artists that were enjoyed by not only people of all walks of life, but also survives generations.

This was the culture of Perry Como, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra to name the first few that come to mind. Consider that Nick not only worked with these legends but also Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Sammy Davis Jr. It is amazing that one man could touch and help make such beautiful music with so many truly great legends. Thanks for sharing.


Rating:
Summary: What a wasted opportunity
Review: What a dreadful waste of time this book is. It must have been sponsored by the Disney Channel or Hallmark cards. It is soo sugary and sweet I had a headache after reading it....and needed to bite into a lemon!!!!! It tells you nothing the PR man had not revealed about anyone. Everyone Mr. Perito knew and met was so "nice"......it seems as if he did not want to offend anyone...and in doing that has wasted his and everyones time!!!! An absolute wasted opportunity....a ghostwriter may have helped but I sadly think not!!!