Book

On the back cover of my 2005 book, Reaching for a Star, about my friendship with Frankie Laine (and my life and music career), I have two special quotations that I would like to share. The first is from Frankie Laine. He chose to recall our first meeting in 1985. The second is from former actress and singer/dancer Lucy Marlow. She and I became telephone buddies when I was doing research for the Laine documentary Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer. I was enamored by this special lady. During one of our phone conversations, she even sang to me over the phone!

“I remember that gangling young man who rode a bus from somewhere in Iowa to San Diego to meet me. I put him up at the YMCA for the night. He spent the next day with me. He stayed another night and took the bus back home. The kid had guts to come all that way to see me. He turned out to be a very nice human being and a great fan.” —Frankie Laine

“I became a fan of Frankie Laine in junior high school upon hearing his rendition of ‘That’s My Desire.’ Little did I know that, in ten short years, he would allow me to star with him in the Blake Edwards Columbia movie He Laughed Last. He was generous to a fault! In regard to super fans, if you have Craig Cronbaugh as one, you need no others!” —Lucy Marlow, former movie and television actress, starred with Frankie Laine in the Columbia movies Bring Your Smile Along and He Laughed Last

Remembering Frankie Laine

This is a program that I assembled a few years ago beginning in 2013. I presented this program for three years. I offered this program at senior citizen venues. Seniors and “baby-boomers” enjoyed my presentation about our favorite singer. I had produced a video regarding my program, which features clips of Frankie Laine throughout his career. I even appear with Frankie in the video! To watch the video, please click on this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5oVeC2180E

I assembled material for Remembering Frankie Laine on both CDs and DVDs from my Laine Library. Each segment had been carefully planned, so I could play a song or show a video in a sequential and chronological manner. It took quite a bit of work to plan each program. I would also haul various items from my collection to have on display. I had movie posters, framed autographed records, newspaper articles, albums, photographs, books, and my disc briefcase containing my CDs and DVDs. These were piled into the back of my PT Cruiser for each presentation.

This presentation was very rewarding. I loved sharing my collection and my knowledge of this great singer’s career with senior citizens and fellow boomers. Most of all, I knew I was keeping Frankie’s name and wonderful singing voice alive in the hearts and minds of at least a few people.

(I have included my agenda for Remembering Frankie Laine.) Remembering Frankie Laine Syllabus