He was one of those teen sensations of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s,
Young, handsome, with a smooth melodic voice, Bobby Curtola was already well-known in Canada in the early 1960’s.
In 1962 he broke through internationally with his hit songs “Fortune Teller” and ‘Aladdin’.
Born in Port Arthur, Ontario (later merged with Fort William to become what is now called Thunder Bay) Curtola’s death at age 73 was announced this weekend in a statement by his children.
In 1966 he became the first Canadian to have an album certified gold, eventually having 25 singles and 12 albums certified gold in Canada.
He began his career at age 16 with the release of his first single, Hand in Hand with You, in 1960. He also recorded jingles for one of the major cola companies.
Curtola continued singing his entire life, hosting a television series called Shake, Rock and Roll in the early 70’s. He moved on to become an attraction in Las Vegas in the 1980’s, and even performed on cruise ships in the 1990’s and as late as 2014.
In 1998 he was awarded the Order of Canada not only for his musical contributions but also recognizing his many charitable works especially in aid of children.
YouTube- Curtola- (1965) 3 Rows Over and Two seats down
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