This page is in tribute to my father

Tony Romano

Tony Romano has been called 'an American troubadour.'  He was one of four original members of the Bob Hope troupe, entertaining the troops during WW2. With Bob Hope, Frances Langford and Jerry Colonna, Romano played guitar and sang on USO tours through Europe, North Africa, and the South Pacific, entertaining millions of G.I.'s throughout the world. TONY ROMANO (1915 – 2005)

Tony Romano's incredible career as a guitarist, actor, singer, arranger and composer began at the tender age of 9. Performing in the late 1920’s he became a star of the popular AL PEARCE RADIO SHOW and stayed so for many years. His journey has led to a unique body of work with the greatest creative artists of the 20th Century.

Romano Hope Sinatra

So much has changed since the 'war to end all wars'.  I decided to reprint this letter.  It expresses things that my father saw on a daily basis so well.  It is from a serviceman in Sicily:

Dear Mom and Dad,

  My third social function since I left Fort Sam Houston was a huge success.  On this occasion, Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Jack Pepper and Tony Romano put on a show for us that we’ll never forget.  It was not officially announced, that I know of, but the word spread like wildfire, “Bob Hope is in town.”  When I arrived there was a tremendous mob.  More than any football game I ever saw.  We have had many arguments as to the number of thousands present.  Everyone agrees that fifteen is conservative.  All of a sudden Bob Hope came in riding in a command car (sedan) followed by two more.  We had been listening to recordings of good American music by Glenn Miller, Harry James, and all the boys.  There were few who could stay still.  Bob came on the grandstand dressed as a man on the street, baggy trousers, an ordinary coat, and an open-neck collar.  Nothing fancy at all.  His nose was really sunburned and caught the brunt of a lot of his own jokes.  He started his patter and all of us laughed until tears were just streaming down and we couldn’t see a darned thing.  He has been playing Army camps a lot and has picked up the lingo.  He can tell you all about lister bags, atabrine tablets, and armor artificers.  That made his comments much funnier to us.  He was speaking our language. 

Then he brought out Jack Pepper and Tony Romano, a real artist who could put more into a guitar and get more out of it than any man I’ve ever seen.  When this happened we were almost sure Frances Langford had not come.  And there were many disappointed people around.  And all of a sudden Bob said, “Here’s Frances Langford!”  There was a din you would not believe.  She was stunningly dressed, though simply.  It was good to see a clean, neat American girl who spoke our language and thought like we do.  She sang and she sang from the very bottom of her heart.  It could not have been otherwise.  First it was “You Made Me Love You.”  Then, “Tangerine” and then “Night and Day’”  The songs were mixed with patter between Hope and her, clever and funny as you can imagine.  We thought it was all over and Bob Hope asked her back to sing “Embraceable You.”  Every one of those thousands of men then went home to their wives and sweethearts. 

It was almost more than a man could stand.  That was inspired singing that touched every flea-bitten roughneck in the crowd.  There was not a sound and there was not a movement.  It was so good it didn’t draw much applause.  We were too stupid to keep up a clamor so that she’d come back.  But, the amazing part of it was that Frances Langford was just a woman with a voice, a marvelous, rich, but delicate voice.  And every man took it for what it was worth, not from

the standpoint of Frances Langford but from the standpoint of what it meant to him in his memories.  She will never know what that did to us.  We have been deprived of home, of our loved ones, and civilization for some time.  For a few seconds we were back in our natural surroundings and completely happy.  I could not have been closer to Mary had she been right there holding my hand.  I was surprised to look up and see that it was Walter Sexauer on my right rather than Mary.  It was a rude awakening.  And it was doubly hard to come the the realization that we are still in Sicily, that there is a war going on, and there’s not a darned thing we can do about it.  I really feel that the survival of the world is certain, due to man’s ability to reconstruct in his mind those things which are pleasant and dear to him.  It is a fine lesson to learn but we have to learn it over and over again to keep the degree of appreciation in tune with the value of those things we love.

Letter from Lieutenant John D. Saint, Jr. to his parents from Bob Hope and Tony Romano's Collection

I grew up listening to my father playing his guitar and singing the great songs of Cole Porter and George Gershwin.  And, oh, he also sang the cello parts.... as a matter of record, I remember many times when he would not sing at all in a club if I couldn't be there....

Even at four or five years old the club owner had to let me stay or risk losing my father singing for the night.  Needless to say, I sat on a lot of bar stools when I was no bigger than a minute.

Star of Al Pearce's Gang

Radio Stars on Parade