Singer who Frank Sinatra once said had ‘the best pipes in the business’ was known for hits including On the Street Where You Live

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Vic Damone has died at the age of 89.

The popular singer and actor was known for hits including You’re Breaking My Heart, On the Street Where You Live and An Affair to Remember from the 1957 movie of the same title, starring Cary Grant. Frank Sinatra once said Damone had “the greatest pipes in the business”.

Damone died on 11 February from complications of a respiratory illness. He had been living in a retirement home with his fifth wife, who died in November 2016.

As well as his singing career, Damone was also in a number of films. He played himself in 1951 Mickey Rooney vehicle The Strip and went on to act in other films in the same decade, including Rich, Young and Pretty, Athena and Deep in My Heart, alongside José Ferrer.

Throughout the 1960s, he also made frequent TV appearances, guesting on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Judy Garland Show. The decade also saw him reach the top of the charts with You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love).

In the 70s, he toured Las Vegas casinos and turned down a role in The Godfather because of concerns over a lack of screen time, and – according to Francis Ford Coppola – a fear of upsetting Sinatra and the mob.

His final album was released in 2002 and he gave his final performance in 2011. He was a close personal friend of Donald Trump and met his last wife at the Mar-a-Lago resort. He reportedly received a call from the president in the days before his death.

He is survived by six grandchildren.