in a skit from
Away We Go, 1967 Buddy Greco was born Armando Joseph Greco to an Italian-American family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Giuseppe "Joseph" Greco and Carmela Greco (born Piedimonte), who was originally from
Ripabottoni in
Molise, Italy. His mother introduced him to piano at age four. As a child he sang on the radio, and as a teen performed in nightclubs in Philadelphia. At age 16, he was hired by bandleader
Benny Goodman and spent four years touring internationally with the Goodman orchestra, playing piano, singing, and
arranging. In 1951, Greco started his recording career, signing with labels such as
Coral,
Kapp,
Epic, and
Reprise. In 1967, he hosted the CBS television series
Away We Go with comedian
George Carlin. Guests included
Buddy Rich and
Carmen McRae. He also appeared in the film
The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Also that year he released the single, "From Atlanta to Goodbye" bw "
Love is a Hurtin' Thing" on
Scepter Records. It was reviewed in the 20 September issue of
Cash Box. The reviewer said that the single could grab some teen attention and that there was some Top 40 potential.
Las Vegas and Palm Springs Greco met his fifth and last wife, Lezlie Anders, while she was performing in Las Vegas. Working as his supporting act, she met Greco on the stage of the
Desert Inn. After marrying, they worked and toured together. While living in Palm Springs, Greco opened a small club. The walls were decorated with pictures of Greco, the
Rat Pack, and other celebrity friends. He performed there often, and it became a popular place for celebrities to dine. After the club closed, he moved to England. While living in
Palm Desert, California, he continued to appear at his club in
Cathedral City, California, until it closed in August 2009. In 2004, he and Anders were headliners with
The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the
Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California.
Life in Britain Greco became acquainted with Great Britain in 1949. He spent many years performing in Britain's clubs. He moved to
Essex, keeping his Palm Springs, California, property as a vacation home. On New Year's Eve 2011, he made a guest appearance at
Hootenanny hosted by
Jools Holland, singing "
Fly Me to the Moon". In 2012, he toured the UK in smaller venues, including Thameside Theatre Stage, and The Broadway in Essex. Greco died on January 10, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 90. Greco had an album released by
Scepter which Tom Murray of the
Calgary Herald referred to 48 years later as "a strange and beautiful mutant of its time". The album was
Let the Sunshine In. It included the songs "
Let the Sunshine In", "Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon", "
You're My World", "
Spinning Wheel", "
Never Give You Up", and "
Like a Rolling Stone". ==Awards and honors==