Quote

My parents, the effect that [Frank Sinatra] had on the Italian community, in terms of all our friends at the house were multicultural. We weren't just Italians. My dad's close friend was a black gentleman - this was back in the early 50s when Tony Bennett was reprimanded for having lunch, when he was in the military, with a black man.

Robert Davi

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Robert Davi
Age: 73
Born: 1951
Born: June 26
Actor
Film Actor
Film Director
Film Producer
Jazz Musician
Singer
Television Actor
Voice Actor
Back
Parents
Weren
Italians
Men
Military
Dad
Sinatra
Parent
Effect
Multicultural
Term
Terms
Tony
Community
Early
Frank
Friends
Close
Italian
Black
Effects
Lunch
House
Friend
Gentleman
Bennett

More quotes by Robert Davi

Image
His [Frank Sinatra] voice defined not only a certain period of time, but America and what America meant to the world. Sinatra grew up, as my grandparents did, when being Italian was very, very prejudice against, but they didn't let it bring them down or use it as an excuse.
Robert Davi
Image
I sing My Way, I say this to the whole country, Well, the President of Estonia sent me a message. He heard about it because of what's happening in Russia right now and the power grab that [Vladimir] Putin has.
Robert Davi
Image
Concurrently, while I was in school, while I was winning awards for acting, I was winning awards for singing, in high school. One of the reasons why I decided to continue on with the acting was the opera world is fraught with a very long process, and I did love the acting, as well. The acting took off sooner, and then you get involved with that.
Robert Davi
Image
You have your children and it's hard to even hold it in - emotionally.
Robert Davi
Image
Quincy [Jones] is one of the greatest world figures, of all-time. I mean he's up there with Muhammad Ali, as far as I'm concerned. His humanitarian work, his contribution to the world and music - he's really an amazing man. Even political divides don't affect his humanity. So, to me, that was extremely meaningful.
Robert Davi
Image
It didn't feel organic and [Tito] Gobbi was one of the artists that was able to, along with Maria Callas, incorporate not just the sound, but the emotion, the technique of the singing.
Robert Davi
Image
I think back, when I saw The Great Gatsby, the film, my grandfather probably helped supply all the alcohol to all these Southampton parties, back then.
Robert Davi
Image
In an Italian household, there were two figures for me growing up - you had the Pope and you had Frank Sinatra, and, of course, Tony Bennett. And not necessarily in that order.
Robert Davi
Image
I was born in the 50s, my mom was pregnant in the 50s, [Frank] Sinatra had that big come back around then, From Here to Eternity.
Robert Davi
Image
There was something in the bel canto, not just opera, but a certain style of Italian singing that I responded to deeply.
Robert Davi
Image
I had a different upbringing - my dad worked three jobs. You know, it wasn't as easy as they had it.
Robert Davi
Image
I just sang, recently, for the Prime Minister of Bangladesh - the 34th most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes Magazine. The United Nations had an event where her son got an award and they put me on this special program on competitiveness and sustainability, and we're talking about doing a world tour of me and the music.
Robert Davi
Image
You have to have a certain kind of celebrity to pull something that big together, but I had a whole thing called The Spirit of Man that I wanted to do worldwide concerts in celebration for the spirit of man. So, as I move forward, that would be the kind of thing that I have.
Robert Davi
Image
I studied with Stella Adler and I didn't like the representational aspect of most opera singers. Most of the opera singers had not a false, but over theatrical way of presenting.
Robert Davi
Image
That's what [Frank] Sinatra did. He was the first artist to come out in a major way against anti-Semitism and racial bigotry. And those are huge things back in the 50s and 60s and 70s - and he was doing this in the 40s.
Robert Davi
Image
The music and the message, to me, is something that is imperative and that's what drives me know.
Robert Davi
Image
I had a little bit of a vocal strain at a certain period of time that made me lay off the singing, and while I was lying off the singing, I was pursuing the acting.
Robert Davi