About Frankie Carle
Frankie Carle (born Francis Nunzio Carlone, March 25, 1903 – March 7, 2001) was an American pianist and bandleader. As a very popular bandleader in the 1940s and 1950s, Carle was nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keyboard" for his piano skills. "Sunrise Serenade" was Carle's best-known composition, rising to No. 1 in the US in 1938 and selling more than one million copies. == Early life == Carle was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on March 25, 1903. The son of a factory worker who could not afford a piano, he practiced on a dummy keyboard devised by his uncle, pianist Nicholas Colangelo, until he found a broken-down instrument in a dance hall. In 1916, a teenage Carle began working with his uncle's band as well as a number of local bands in the Rhode Island area. To ease acceptance with the public, Carle did what many others with immigrant backgrounds did, he Americanized his name from Carlone to Carle. == Career == Carle started out working with a number of mainstream dance bands. His earliest known recordings and performances were with the Edwin J. McEnelly Orchestra from 1924-1929.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.