Dean Martin wanted to be known as “a damn competent entertainer, nothing special.” A  talented performer who was able to make people smile and have fun. In actuality, he was much more than that. He was a tremendous celebrity of his day, a magnificent legend, and his music and legacy will endure forever.

He loved to play golf and always put his family first. Some called him a womanizer, but he was anything but that. He, on the other hand, gave family and tradition a higher priority than anyone or anything else.

Following in his footsteps, Deana Martin frequently discusses her father’s life as a means to pay tribute to him. She said over the years that Dean was a great father and never missed dinner with his family. No matter how busy he was, he always found time for his kids.

According to Patti Gribow, who performed as Dean’s backup singer and dancer in the 1970s and 1980s, “Dean had a character of being bigger than life and being basically a womanizer, and he was not. He was just so adorable.”

When Dean was younger, he was a successful boxer. He competed under the name “Kid Crochet,” and it’s reported that of of his 36 battles, 25 of them were victories. No matter how skilled he was at fighting, he was a natural singer and performer.

During a performance in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean met legendary Jerry Lewis, who would go on to become his partner and best friend. It was a friendship like no other. The two enjoyed enormous success and rose to become one of the world’s most well-known teams.

In addition to working together on 17 films, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were frequent guests on “The Colgate Comedy Hour,” one of the most well-known shows on television at the time.

After ten years of working together, the two decided to split up despite being a well-known duo. Nobody was aware of the events that happened between the two pals who utilized their skills to rule the world at the time. They were both sorry they didn’t talk for nearly twenty years.

Jerry was allegedly a workaholic, but Dean didn’t think the world revolved entirely around his company. Some have hypothesized that Dean grew weary of playing romantic leads and believed Jerry was the star and he was only a supporting one.

When the two of them created a cover for Look Magazine in 1954, Dean was extremely upset when the magazine clipped his photo.

None of us will ever forget the unique nature of the two’s rekindled romance. Frank Sinatra specifically mentioned a buddy of his who wanted to come on stage during his appearance on The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. At that time Dean came in. They hugged and remained friends even after Dean passed away in 1995.

They exchanged words with one another. Both my father and Jerry loved each other very much. “I think Jerry would have loved to have been closed after that,” Deana Martin stated on Fox News in 2019. “But my father was…if he wasn’t working, he was playing golf.”

Deana revealed that her father wasn’t the easygoing man everyone thought he was.

He has an Italian father, she remarked while laughing. “He would reply, “These are the rules. You prepare your bed every morning, clean up after yourself, return home right away from school, finish your homework, and get to dinner on time. And that ends it. If you don’t want to obey their rules, there is a door. I’m nine, Dad! I’d say. Come on, he would say. The laws are the laws!”  Fox was informed by Deana that “We never wanted to let him down in any way.”

She also revealed that he wasn’t a huge drinker like many people thought. He didn’t drink a lot. ” It’s funny… after my gigs… People wonder how your father, who was constantly intoxicated, managed to produce such a collection of work. I respond, “Because he wasn’t. Nevertheless, he was a superb actor.”

Deana disclosed that Dean Martin had a nose job before he was well-known. The procedure’s funding came from an unnamed source.

“He was a modest man who showed the same respect to everyone. A  unique artist and performer who is cherished by millions.”  One among many who admired Dean was the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley.

“Elvis (Presley) regarded my dad with admiration. When we first met, Elvis Presley referred to my father as the King of Cool. I’ll never forget that,” Deana said.

In spite of receiving a lung cancer diagnosis in 1992, Dean Martin declined surgery. On Christmas Day, three years later, he passed away at the age of 78.

The lights of the Las Vegas Strip were turned off in his honor. His passing saddened millions of people.

Longtime buddy Frank Sinatra said of Dean: “Dean has been like the oxygen I breathe, always there, always around.  Rather than by blood, he was my brother by choice.”

Thank you for your songs, Dean Martin!