Telly Savalas

TELLY SAVALAS
 
 
Telly Savalas  (January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994) was a Greek-American film and television actor and singer, whose career spanned four decades.  Perhaps best known for playing the title role in the 1970’s crime drama Kojak, Savalas was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

 

 

Then there are the celebrities (mostly movie and TV stars) who decide that the country just has to hear them sing.  While I have never been able to bring myself to purchase a record by one of the Star Trek duo – William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy – I actually own one by Telly Savalas, Telly.  This album includes a spoken-word version of the Bread song “If” (written by David Gates), which got to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the UK charts in 1975.  The album is not as bad as it could be, and Telly Savalas actually released at least two more albums and topped the Billboard country charts with his version of Don Williams’ “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend”. 

 

(March 2013)