Two American singers of Italian descents, Teddy Randazzo and Timi Yuro, thrilled Filipino fans at the Araneta Coliseum on June 15, 1962.
The Araneta concert was a return engagement for Teddy, who popularized The Way of the Clown, Teenage Señorita, One More Chance and Lies.
It was the maiden appearance of Timi, whose hits included Hurt and I Apologize.
The team-up of Teddy and Timi was well-received by their local fans who were familiar with their songs.
Some of Teddy’s tunes were recorded by such musical giants as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, himself of Italian ancestry.
In later years, Teddy divided his time between Florida and Hawaii. He was a big name in Hawaii, his album Honolulu City Lights was ranked in 2004 ‘the best of all time.’ He died at 68 in Florida, survived by his wife and seven children, including Teddy Randazzo Jr.
In 1967, Timi appeared in a Filipino film with Dolphy and Panchito, Buhay Marino. She also guested in several local TV programs, among them Student Canteen. It was at this time that she was impressed by a young Filipina singer, Nora Aunor. Timi offered Nora a musical scholarship in the US, but at that time Nora was on her way to superstardom.
Timi made a big name in The Netherlands with a string of hits. She returned to the US in the ‘80s. She was diagnosed with throat cancer in the ‘90s and died at 63 in 2004 in Las Vegas. RKC