Toni Arden

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Toni Arden
Born
Antoinette Ardizzone

(1924-02-15)February 15, 1924
Manhattan, New York City
DiedMay 29, 2012(2012-05-29) (aged 88)
Lake Worth, Florida
OccupationsActress, singer
Parents
  • Phillip Ardizzone
  • Sabina Ardizzone
RelativesJan Arden (brother)

Antoinette Ardizzone (February 15, 1924 – May 29, 2012)[1], known professionally as Toni Arden, was an American traditional pop singer. Often described as "a little girl with a big voice," Toni Arden enjoyed a long and productive career of recording and performing which began when she was a mere 15 years old and continued into the new millennium.[1]

Early life

Arden was born in New York City, the youngest of three children to Phillip Ardizzone, a singer from Milano with the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala and Sabina Ardizzone, originally from Palermo.[2] Her brother, Jan Arden, was also a singer.[3] The siblings teamed up for night club performances in the late 1950s.[4] Her parents met in Italy before emigrating to the United States, where they settled in Greenwich Village, New York City, to raise their family.[1] Arden grew up in a musical household.

Career

Arden was primarily known as a big band singer in the 1940s, singing with musicians such as Al Trace, Joe Reichman, Ray Bloch and Shep Fields. Vic Damone called her "the greatest girl singer in the world." Frank Sinatra called her "a singer's singer."[1]

Recording

She started recording as a soloist in 1946 for the minor National Records company. After her appearance on the early television talent series Doorway to Fame, Arden signed her first solo recording contract with a major record label, Columbia Records, in 1949 (Arden was arguably the only performer out of 20,000 over Doorway to Fame's two-year run on air to become relatively famous); at Columbia, she had several hits including "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (which reached No. 7 on the Billboard charts), "Too Young" (which reached No. 15), "Kiss of Fire" (which reached No. 14) and "I'm Yours" (which reached No. 24). CD compilations of these earlier recordings can be found on the Sepia Records label[5] and a two-CD set released by Jasmine Records.[6] Her recording of "Too Young" was used in the soundtrack of the 1952 Akira Kurosawa film Ikiru.[7]

In the mid-1950s she signed with Decca Records, where her biggest selling record (her only million-seller)[8] was "Padre" in 1958, which peaked at No. 13.[9] LP albums included Miss Toni Arden, Besame! Toni in Latin America, Sing a Song of Italy and Italian Gold.[10] She sang in both Italian and English.[11] The first two albums have been compiled on a second CD by the Sepia Records label.[12] She also recorded briefly for RCA Victor and Mercury Records. Her last album, released in 1981 titled My World is You (on GPRT Records), featured the compositions of Gladys Shelley.[1]

Radio

In 1952, Arden appeared in episode 55 of the Big Show with Tallulah Bankhead. In 1954, Arden recorded 13 radio programs for the US Marine Corps via electrical transcription. The Toni Arden Show was broadcast on participating local stations.[13] In 1956, she was featured on an episode of What's New in Music on CBS.[14]

Television

Arden made guest appearances on numerous television variety shows during the 1950s and early 1960s, primarily as a performer singing her popular songs. Arden appeared on The Bing Crosby Show,[1] The Music of George Gershwin,[15] This Is Show Business,[16] The Dick Clark Show,[17] and The Jimmy Dean Show.[18] She and her brother, Jan, sang two duets on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1949, 1952, and 1959.[19][20] She also appeared on television programs such as The Dinah Shore Show[21][1] and The Guy Lombardo Show[22] in 1955.[23] She also appeared on the Merv Griffin Show in 1962.

Filmography

  • Carnival in April (1953 short film, performer: "I'll Remember April", "I'm Shooting High")[25]
  • Senior Prom (1958, singer)[26]

Discography

  • 1955 Shep Fields and his Orchestra with Toni Arden (Royale, 18142)
  • 1958 Miss Toni Arden (Decca Records, DL 8651)
  • 1958 Sing a Song of Italy (Decca Records, DL 8765)
  • 1959 Besame! Toni in Latin America (Decca Records, DL 8875)
  • 1959 The Exciting Toni Arden (Harmony, HL 7212)
  • 1963 Italian Gold (Decca Records, DL 4375)
  • 1964 Stars for Defense (Office of Civil Defense)
  • 1968 The Life of Christ (Manor Records, MRS 201)
  • 2004 Al Trace and his Musicians featuring Toni Arden (Circle Records, CCD-109)
  • 2005 I Can Dream, Can't I? (Jasmine Records, JASCD 644)
  • 2005 This Is Toni Arden (Sepia Records, SEPIA 1050)
  • 2012 Besame! (Sepia Records, SEPIA 1188)
  • 2021 The Toni Arden Collection 1944-61 (Acrobat Music, ADDCD3375)
  • Toni Arden In American Love Songs (Tiara Records, TST 525)
  • The Bing Crosby Show (Redmond Nostalgia, CD-172)

Compilation albums

  • 1957 Meet the Girls (Halo, 50254), "Two Loves" , "Let's Be Sweethearts Again"
  • 1959 The Girl Friends (Harmony, HL 7148), "A Little Love a Little Kiss", "I Can Dream, Can't I?"
  • America's Sweethearts featuring Kitty Kallen, Toni Arden, Fran Warren (Viking, VK 019)
  • The Girl Friends (American Radio Transcription Library, A.R.T. 118), "All of Me"
  • American Vocal Parade II (Philips, B 07643 R), "F'r Instance"
  • Music from Latin America (Decca Records, DL 38078), "Medley: La Paloma, La Golondrina"
  • Buitoni Presents Souvenir of Italy (Decca Records, DL 38291), "Medley: Vieni su - Vicini u mare - Drigo's Serenade", "Fa la nana bambin"

Death

She died at her home in Lake Worth, Florida, on May 29, 2012 at the age of 88.[27][1]

References

  1. Boppinbob (2015-02-15). "FROM THE VAULTS: Toni Arden born 15 February 1924". FROM THE VAULTS. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  2. Sasso, Joey (November 13, 1950). "Meet Youthful Toni Arden". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. p. 13. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. "TV Questions and Answers". News-Journal. August 24, 1969. p. 8-D. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. Eigen, Jack (March 7, 1959). "Jack Eigen speaking ..." Chicago Daily Tribune.
  5. "THIS IS TONI ARDEN (SEPIA 1050)". Sepiarecords.com. 2005-06-06. Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  6. "Toni ARDEN - I Can Dream, Can't I?". Jasmine-records.co.uk. 2005-10-21. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  7. "Ikiru". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  8. Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 97. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  9. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 42.
  10. "Toni Arden". Saxonyrecordcompany.com. Retrieved 2012-02-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. "Toni Arden-tly Sings". Northwest Arkansas Times. Northwest Arkansas Times. April 19, 1963. p. 7. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. "TONI ARDEN – BESAME, TONI ARDEN IN LATIN AMERICA (SEPIA 1188)". Sepiarecords.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-29. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  13. "Toni Arden Will Be Heard Here". The Daily Mail. The Daily Mail. May 1, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. "Distinguished Cast On KYFO Today; Excitement Surrounded SWC Session". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 20, 1956. p. Page 4, Sec. VI. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. Lester, John (May 17, 1956). "Radio and Television". The Gazette and Daily. The Gazette and Daily. p. 27. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. "TV Key". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. April 11, 1953. p. 14. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  17. "Viewing Screens". The Pocono Record. The Pocono Record. June 14, 1958. p. 11. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  18. Alber, David O. (October 26, 1958). "TV Quiz". Waco Tribune-Herald. Waco Tribune-Herald. p. 43. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  19. "Jane Russell Guests On Sullivan Show". The Daily Capital News. The Daily Capital News. August 8, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  20. "Toni Arden – A hidden treasure re-discovered". stianeriksen. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  21. "Toni Arden – A hidden treasure re-discovered". stianeriksen. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  22. kenqwe04 (2025-04-26). Guy Lombardo Show - guest Toni Arden (original - see description). Retrieved 2026-04-28 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. "Toni Arden". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  24. "Sunny Side of the Street". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  25. "Carnival in April". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
  26. "Senior Prom". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 2026-04-29.
  27. "Area Deaths". The Palm Beach Post. June 2, 2012.