Ronnie Gaylord

Ronnie Gaylord (born Ronald Fredianelli; June 12, 1930, Detroit—January 25, 2004, Las Vegas) was an Italian-American musician, songwriter, pantomimer, and comedian best known as a member of the band The Gaylords and the music/comedy duo Gaylord and Holiday.<ref name=shane/><ref name=top>Template:Cite news</ref> Among their many hits are "Tell Me You're Mine", "From the Vine Came the Grape", and "The Little Shoemaker".<ref name=shane/><ref name=farnan>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=phillips/> He adopted the stage name Ronnie Gaylord in the 1950s after going by Ronnie Vincent for a brief period.<ref name=headline>Template:Cite news</ref>

Biography

Early life

Gaylord was born Ronald L. "Ronnie" Fredianelli on June 12, 1930, in Detroit to Joseph and Florence (née Antico) Fredianelli.<ref name=hartman>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=mother>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=quit/><ref name=bio>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=death/> His mother died of pulmonary tuberculosis in 1932; his father remarried Frances (née Graziana) in 1937.<ref name=mother/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gaylord is Italian on both sides:<ref name=shane>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=farnan/><ref name=whacky/> his father was born in Boveglio<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and his mother's parents were from Naples.<ref name=mother/>

Gaylord grew up in the same east side Detroit neighborhood as Bonaldo Bonaldi (later known as Burt Holiday),<ref name=morgan/><ref name=phillips/> purportedly his cousin,<ref name=kleiner>Template:Cite news</ref> and they both attended the University of Detroit Mercy to study pre-law.<ref name=whacky>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1947, while still students, Bonaldi and Gaylord (then still known as Fredianelli) formed a musical group called the Gay Lords with classmate Don Rea.<ref name=phillips/><ref name=private/> They performed on campus and in clubs around Detroit; a newspaper misprinted their name from the Gay Lords to the Gaylords, which they took on.<ref name=private/><ref name=phillips>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=morgan/> Gaylord finished two years of law school before quitting to tour with the band.<ref name=barnard>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=quit/>

Career

The first hit by the Gaylords was "Tell Me You're Mine" which hit #2 on the music charts upon its release in 1952.<ref name=bio/> The record sold more than 1.2 million copies and was a gold record.<ref name=masullo/><ref name=blend>Template:Cite news</ref> This was an Italian love song, "Per un Bacio d'Amore", with English lyrics written by the band and "an upbeat chorus".<ref name=masullo/> Singing popular Italian songs in English, and popular English songs in Italian, continued to be a part of the Gaylords' style throughout their career.<ref name=phillips/><ref name=blend/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Not long after, Gaylord was drafted into the Korean War; he finished basic at Camp Atterbury and was subsequently assigned to the Special Services.<ref name=shane/><ref name=hartman/><ref name=harveys/><ref name=death/> He sang with the military band, did a number of singing commercials, and continued to produce music as a solo artist for Mercury Records.<ref name=death/><ref name=hartman/><ref name=private/><ref name=whacky/> His hit song "Cuddle Me" was in the Billboard Top 20 Singles between March and May 1954.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=hartman/> He guest starred on the Army-sponsored radio show Club 31 and, in addition to "Cuddle Me", recorded "Coquette" and "Tell Me You Love Me Tonight".<ref name=private>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He was discharged from the military in 1958 and returned to the Gaylords, where he had been temporarily replaced by Billy Christ.<ref name=top/><ref name=kleiner/><ref name=death/> After a brief split between Gaylord and Holiday, they reunited and began rebuilding the band to its success before the war.<ref name=kleiner/><ref name=shane/><ref name=harveys/><ref name=hartman/> The following year, Bonaldi and Gaylord moved to Nevada together to work on the lounge circuit, a gig that was quite popular at the time.<ref name=kohn/><ref name=spencer>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=phillips/> In the 1960s, they began billing as both a music and comedy duo.<ref name=morgan/> Their sets variously included poking fun at the city (when they were traveling); taking up stereotypical Italian personas and putting them in improbable situations; and impressions of other musicians, including The Mills Brothers, Elvis Presley, and Sonny and Cher.<ref name=shane/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=masullo/><ref name=morgan>Template:Cite news</ref> Gaylord wrote "I'll Trade You Laughter For Love" for fellow lounge circuit performer Don Rickles, who eventually used the song as his "theme song".<ref name=phillips/> In 1966, they performed at Frank Sinatra's wedding to Mia Farrow.<ref name=sinatra>Template:Cite web</ref> Rea, who had been an accompanying part of the Gaylords for several years, officially left the band in 1975.<ref name=bio/>

In the 1960s and 1970s, Gaylord appeared on a number of variety shows while the genre was at its peak, most of the time with Holiday but at times on his own.<ref name=masullo>Template:Cite news</ref> These appearances include The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,<ref name=farnan/> The Hollywood Palace,<ref name=harveys/> Moving Wheels,<ref name=shane/> The Johnny Carson Show,<ref name=harveys/> Headline Hunters,<ref name=headline/> Melodies and Money,<ref name=masullo/> The Flip Wilson Show,<ref name=kohn>Template:Cite news</ref> Jukebox Jury,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and The Ford Show.<ref name=barnard/> In 1965, the two were working on a pilot for their own TV show, but it never came to fruition.<ref name=harveys>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1985, they created Famiglia, described by Holiday as "an Italian Fiddler on the Roof", written by Gaylord.<ref name=masullo/> The film was eventually converted into a musical for stage.<ref name=pinchot>Template:Cite web</ref> It follows the lives of a three-generation Italian family, starring Gaylord as the middle generation; Holiday as his father; and Gaylord's son Tony as his son.<ref name=pinchot/> His wife Terry and son Ron Jr. also appear.<ref name=pinchot/>

In addition to playing guitar, violin, bass, banjo, and mandolin, Gaylord was a talented songwriter who wrote a number of hits,<ref name=shane/><ref name=death/> including "Cuddle Me" (performed by Gaylord);<ref name=copyright>Template:Cite book</ref> "Oh, Am I Lonely?" (performed by Gaylord);<ref name=copyright/> "I'll Trade You Laughter For Love" (performed by Don Rickles);<ref name=phillips/> "I Will Never Pass This Way Again" (performed by Glen Campbell),<ref name=pinchot/> and "Wondering!" (performed by The Gaylords).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gaylord continued performing until the end; his last gig was in Michigan just four months before his death in January 2004.<ref name=hartman/>

Personal life

Gaylord stayed in the Las Vegas/Reno area from the time he and Holiday moved there in 1959 until his death.<ref name=masullo/><ref name=kohn/><ref name=barnard/><ref name=morgan/> He had two children, Ronald Jr. (1956-2022) and Melissa, with his first wife, Teena,<ref name=quit>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and three, Christopher (1967-2025), Anthony, and Tiffany, with his second wife, Terry (1942-2023), who he was with for 35 years.<ref name=kohn/><ref name=hartman/><ref name=sinatra/>

Four of five children are or were involved in show business.<ref name=pinchot/> Tony was the guitarist for Third Eye Blind until 2010<ref name=death/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and previously played with heavy metal band Apocrypha and cover band Loveshack;<ref name=hartman/><ref name=pinchot/> Tiffany sang at Texas Station with Loveshack and at MGM Grand Las Vegas with Venus;<ref name=death/> Ron Jr. filled his father's role in Gaylord and Holiday;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=bio/> and Chris is a musician.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chris died of cancer in April 2025; Melissa, his eldest daughter, is a teacher.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was also survived by his grandchildren Jaime Fredianelli-Lessig<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Joseph Fredianelli, and great-grandchildren Jared Phillips and Kaylee Lessig.<ref name=hartman/>

When not performing, Gaylord enjoyed painting, sketching, sculpting, and collecting cars.<ref name=hartman/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gaylord died on January 25, 2004, in his Las Vegas home following an eight-year battle with cancer.<ref name=spencer/><ref name=death>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=hartman/> He hid his diagnosis from everyone, including his wife Terry and partner Burt, for as long as he could so he could continue performing.<ref name=hartman/>