Family

Arden's father, Phillip Ardizzone, was a singer with the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala. Her brother, Jan Arden, was also a singer. The siblings teamed up for night club performances in the late 1950s.

Career

Early years

Arden became a big band singer in the 1940s, singing with Al Trace, Joe Reichman, Ray Bloch and Shep Fields.

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 the only performer out of 20,000 over Doorway to Fame's two-year run on air to actually become famous); at Columbia, she had several hits including "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (which reached #7 on the Billboard charts), "Too Young" (which reached #15), "Kiss of Fire" (which reached #14) and "I'm Yours" (which reached #24). CD compilations of these earlier recordings can be found on the Sepia Records label and a two-CD set released by Jasmine Records

In the mid-1950s she moved to Decca Records, where her biggest selling record (her only million-seller) was "Padre" in 1958. LP albums included "Miss Toni Arden," "Besame!", "Sing a Song of Italy" and "Italian Gold." She sang in both Italian and English. The first two albums have been compiled on a second CD by the Sepia Records label. She also recorded briefly for RCA Victor and Mercury Records. Her last album My World is You (GPRT Records) features the compositions of Gladys Shelley.

Radio

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. In 1956, she was featured on an episode of What's New in Music on CBS.

Television

Arden appeared on The Music of George Gershwin, This Is Show Business, Dick Clark's program, and The Jimmy Dean Show. She and her brother, Jan, sang two duets on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1959.

Death

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

[ Source: Wikipedia ]