Buddy Greco
A smoky-voiced stylist who brought jazz club cool to pop charts and Las Vegas stages for over six decades.
1926–2017 (age 91)·American singer and pianist·Birthday: August 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Buddy Greco didn't just sing songs; he inhabited them. With a piano under his fingers and a cigarette-and-whiskey vocal tone, he carved a unique path from big band sideman to headlining solo act. Discovered by Benny Goodman, Greco quickly developed a reputation for transforming standards into personal statements, his phrasing intimate and swinging. His breakthrough hit, a finger-snapping take on 'The Lady Is a Tramp,' captured his effortless charm and sold over a million copies. He became a fixture in Las Vegas and on television, his style a sophisticated counterpoint to the rising rock and roll tide. Greco never stopped performing, maintaining a relentless international touring schedule into his late eighties, his voice growing richer with time, a testament to a life lived in three-quarter time.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Buddy was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Buddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Buddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2017Died at 91
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Sold over one million copies of his signature single, 'The Lady Is a Tramp.'
- Recorded more than sixty albums, spanning jazz, pop, and big band genres.
- Conducted the London Symphony Orchestra in a series of acclaimed performances.
- Performed for Queen Elizabeth II and shared a historic bill with the Beatles in 1963.
Did You Know?
He was offered the role of the piano player in the film 'The Godfather' but turned it down.
His recording of 'Around the World' was used as the theme for the Michael Palin travel series of the same name.
He was married six times, including to actress Dani Crayne.
“I'm not a jazz singer. I'm a singer who sings jazz.”
