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Anybody remember Tony Dalli?

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I was waiting for a bus up Nether Edge one time, and this guy, he was waiting also, started singing in Italian. I was like trying not to notice, it was difficult because there was only the Italian guy and myself. I didn't know what he was singing, and I hate opera anyhow, but he was good. He wasn't p****d or anything, he was just singing, opera. Well, the bus came and I never saw him again, that is, until a couple of months later.

So I was down in the City Hall, talking to this girl, she says 'That's Tony Dalli,' I turned around and sure enough it was the opera guy.

Later, I heard that he worked in the rolling mills or somewhere, and had made a record.

I would just like to point out that Italians do this thing. They are worse than the Welsh for singing at the drop of a hat and embarrasing the crap out of more miserable buggers like myself.

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I can remember when i was a youngster in the early 60s having a record by Tony Dalli it was called Catarie.It was all in Italian couldnt understand a word of what he was singing but the tune was good.Imust say though he had a lovely voice even if i didnt appreciate it then as it was starting of the Beatles era and nobody else mattered

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I remember him starring in a pantomime at the Lyceum, years ago. Can't remember what it was though.

 

 

Me again. Just been told it was 'Mother Goose'.

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I was waiting for a bus up Nether Edge one time, and this guy, he was waiting also, started singing in Italian. I was like trying not to notice, it was difficult because there was only the Italian guy and myself. I didn't know what he was singing, and I hate opera anyhow, but he was good. He wasn't p****d or anything, he was just singing, opera. Well, the bus came and I never saw him again, that is, until a couple of months later.

So I was down in the City Hall, talking to this girl, she says 'That's Tony Dalli,' I turned around and sure enough it was the opera guy.

Later, I heard that he worked in the rolling mills or somewhere, and had made a record.

I would just like to point out that Italians do this thing. They are worse than the Welsh for singing at the drop of a hat and embarrasing the crap out of more miserable buggers like myself.

 

A very popular singer who packed out local workingmens clubs in the 1950s

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I have it on good authority that Toni Dalli worked at the Hallamshire Rolling Mills in Neepsend, would have been around about 1964 ish.

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Heres my take on Tony Dalli, he was a huge talent on the clubs in his day. He might not have been Italian at all, he might have been Hungarian or of some other Eastern European origin, I know his name might suggest otherwise but it could have been a stage name. Given the political situation in that part of Europe at that time, a lot of refugees were coming into Britain. It was my understanding that he was a chargehand in a cutlery factory where the workers were mostly female. The next part seems farfetched I know. He was spotted by some big time talent scout and was sent to the States to fill the void left by Mario Lanza's death, apparently he was young, good looking and he could sing and the time was right. Maybe there's an element of truth to some or all of this story, perhaps someone could elaborate more.

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I have it on good authority that Toni Dalli worked at the Hallamshire Rolling Mills in Neepsend, would have been around about 1964 ish.

 

He did work at the Hallamshire Steel & File Co., I think he worked in the heat treatment part on Wallace Road.

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Heres my take on Tony Dalli, he was a huge talent on the clubs in his day. He might not have been Italian at all, he might have been Hungarian or of some other Eastern European origin, I know his name might suggest otherwise but it could have been a stage name. Given the political situation in that part of Europe at that time, a lot of refugees were coming into Britain. It was my understanding that he was a chargehand in a cutlery factory where the workers were mostly female. The next part seems farfetched I know. He was spotted by some big time talent scout and was sent to the States to fill the void left by Mario Lanza's death, apparently he was young, good looking and he could sing and the time was right. Maybe there's an element of truth to some or all of this story, perhaps someone could elaborate more.

 

there is no actual truth in that story sorry he never worked with a load of females he worked in a rolling mill not many women in the rolling mills he was never spotted by some big time talent scout. AND he worked all the clubs in sheffield for many years. His break came the same as most peoples he sent demos to the record companies and after many many demos one got accepted

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Hi RICKY36 I stand corrected , Toni Dalli was certainly Italian, I clicked on his website, however he did hit the bigtime, although it seems unclear by what avenue, was it through the States? or through Britian? Obviously being a great talent in both parts of the world has got to help. My reference to him taking the place of 'Mario Lanza', I heard the same story floating around in the sixities about Ronnie Carroll being a replacement for 'Nat King Cole' when he passed away, although that would have been harder nut to crack given 'Nats' amazing piano artistry.

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We used to live on Milnrow Road at Parson Cross and I was walking with my Dad towards Margetson Crescent, when my Dad suddenly saw this chap and started talking in Italian to him. My dad had been stationed in Italy in the RAF during the war. It turned out the chap he was talking to was Toni Dalli. That was in the early 1950's.

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About 4 years ago i was working at a print firm in Rotherham. One day the managing director was showing a gentleman around the factory. i didnt know it at the time but this man was Toni Dali. It turns out the director had met Toni on holiday in Marbella and when Toni discovered where he came from, they became friends. A deal was struck with Toni to publish his biography which is available on his web site. I must admit i had never heard of him but on telling my aunt and uncle the story they said he was a terrific singer, very popular around sheffield and south yorkshire and was a big hit on the club circuit before America came calling. He made a point of talking to me on his tour of the factory and he seemed a genuinely nice man and i was very impressed by him. If anyone gets to read the biography it gives a very good portrait of sheffield in the fifties and will bring back a lot of memories of that time to a lot of people. his photographs are full of the big stars of hollywood that he associated with and makes fascinating reading. I hope he is fit and well he seems one of life's nice guys.

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