Anybody remember Tony Dalli?

[poppins 10]

Some very nice comments about my father, except from you, he will be 75 in a few days time and take it from me can still hit a note and looks 15 years younger! I would like to see many of todays so called "masters" do the same at 75 most of them are dead. As for my father treating his waiters like muck, well you havn't a clue what you are talking about so best keep quiet! I do agree though that the restaurant has fallen somewhat from grace but that is only because my father gave the waiters the restaurant as a present when he retired 12 year ago and watched as they ran it into the ground. So if you had seen him angry with them then I can assure you as his son, it was justified! My father never stops talking to us about his life in Yorkshire and its lovely hard working people who really took him and many more Italians under their wing and made them feel at home and occasionally he talks of people like you who tried to make his life a misery whilst in the UK, it can only be jealousy! Personally though, luckily you are in the minority and I have only met the nicest people from Yorkshire and especially Sheffield and they are the true reflection of the North.

 

For anyone who is interseted you can watch my father on youtube, just search "Toni Dalli" and you can see a fantastic rendition of Mattinata. Any more questions, I would be only too happy to answer as I can ask the man himself

 

Finally a big thankyou to Yorkshire for making my father the good and great man he is today!

 

Well I never , what a shocker to hear from one of his Children on the forum you never know who's reading the Sheffield Forum now, do you ?

 

Glad to hear Tony's doing ok, I never managed to see any of his concerts but he was a very popular man back then.

[Texas 10]

Yeah, and I got a free shot at the bus-stop. Hope he's doing good though, and singing his operatic heart out.

[fleetwood 10]

Well Mr Simondalli- It does'nt get any better than that and such nice comments about Sheffield and Yorkshire in general.

[Simondalli 10]

Maybe Floridablade is just upset because Toni was and I believe still is a massive fan of the Owls. I am told when he was on Italian TV he used up a de owls as his catchphrase. Also when Wednesday played Roma in the old Fairs cup in Rome Toni got the wrath of the crowd for cheering on the Owls.

As a child i saw him in panto at the Lyceum and my parents used to rave about his singing on the Working mens club circuit.

 

You are 100% right, he is a Wednesday fan and it did happen the way you said it in Rome. He was in the panto Dick Whitington

[Simondalli 10]

Simondalli,

 

Ask your dad if he was in Nether Edge because he had been to see the Italian contingent on Abbeydale Road, sometimes you have to pinch yourself to remind you that you are in Sheffield and not Italy.

 

I think that he used to come into Alexandre the tailors on Fargate in the 1960's but am not 100% certain, I know that I have met him though, this is going to bug me.

 

You lose two things when you turn 60, one is your memory but I'm buggered if I can remember the second.

 

My best wishes to him.

 

 

Apparently he had been to Nether Edge many times and remembers it well, although the tailors he is not sure about as he was married in October 1960 and left straight after for Rome to make a film about Mario Lanza, until 1964.

[fleetwood 10]

Apparently he had been to Nether Edge many times and remembers it well, although the tailors he is not sure about as he was married in October 1960 and left straight after for Rome to make a film about Mario Lanza, until 1964.

 

On a 'post' I made of a few weeks ago on this subject, I did get some of my facts wrong and consequently I corrected myself. I did say, I was led to believe he had gone to the States to take on Mario Lanza type roles. I was happy to read there was somewhat of a connection after all.

[little malc 10]

I am a great opera fan, and heard Toni at the Dial House club, the great impression was of ease of delivery without the aid of a mike, which most modern singers could never cope without. He was easily way above the current crop of tenors on the circuit, his was a voice that could easily have made a full time carear on the opera circuit.

Nice to know he is in good health and enjoying retirement, all the best to him.

[martin.b2@sk 10]

Hi there I would like to say hello o Toni or his sons.

I was understudy to Toni inthe George Formby show at the Queens theatre Blackpool

the year 1961/2

do you remember you had me singing and rehearsing early mornings which was one of

your little querks.

Toni I have fond memories of those years and still remember the words of song we used

to close the first half SALUD with glass of vino

 

all the best for the coming festive season to you and your family

 

Brian Martin

[Hetty 12]

My that name brings back some memories!! My late Mother was in Nether Edge hospital at the same time as Tony's Gran (if memory serves me well!) and he used to sing for the patients!!!

[bullerboY 10]

Hi Simondalli

I believe your dad used to live on Albert Rd in Heeley in the late fifties and was a friend of Jan Padzierski who owned the Meersbrook garage and who also went to live in Spain.He used to have his reg no on his car Ithink it was TD2 if my memory still works

[carne 10]

I remember Tony Dalli when I was a kid. He lived at my aunt's lodging house when he first came to Sheffield. It was over the Pizzuti's shop on Gibraltar St.She used to help lots of young Italian lads who came looking for work by giving them board and lodging. He started to be more well known when he won "Top Town" which was a talent spotting programme on TV.

 

did he go out with a girl called joan howard 1954 from broomgrove rd.

[carne 10]

Can anyone help I am trying to find out about the early sheffield years for Toni Dalli, where he lived who he was friendly with, which clubs he worked at . Anything really.Thanks