Alan Dale (July 9, 1925 - April 20, 2002), was one of the most celebrated singers of the mid 20th century. Dale hit the music scene at the age of 17 years old, as a big band vocalist, initially for the Carmen Cavallaro Orchestra, and later for Saxophonist and band leader, George Paxton. In 1947, shortly after going solo like many of the 'crooners' of the era, Alan's recording of the Italian classic, "Oh Marie", was a hit and sold nearly one million copies. The following year, Alan was voted 2nd place - just behind Frank Sinatra, in a famous radio poll dubbed, The Battle of the Baritones. 1948 continued to be a huge year for Alan as he became a television sensation with appearances on the musical quiz show, "Sing it Again", and eventually his own time slot on CBS. He also appeared on other popular variety shows of the era, including Jackie Gleason's, "Cavalcade of Stars". After a couple of big years on CBS, at the height of his young career, Dale's health declined, resulting in the fi rst of several hospitalizations. Unable to immediately continue with the pace of entertainment and media, he lost his television spot and several years of high points and low points followed as Dale's attitude towards show business became increasingly critical. He followed these setbacks with hugely successful recordings in the 1950s, and a starring role in the early rock 'n' roll fi lm, Don't Knock the Rock. Nevertheless, Dale's experiences with the darker side of show business continued to leave its mark, as discussed in his autobiography, "The Spyder and the Marionettes", and he further and further distanced himself from center stage.