Frankie Laine, 1950s pop singer
Frankie Laine, the big-voiced singer whose string of hits made him one of the most popular entertainers in the 1950s, died yesterday. Mr. Laine died of heart failure at Mercy Hospital in San Diego. With songs such as "That's My Desire," "Mule Train," "Jezebel," "I Believe" and "That Lucky Old Sun," Mr. Laine was a regular feature of the Top 10 in the years just before rock 'n' roll ushered in a new era of popular music. Somewhat younger listeners might remember him best for singing the theme to the television show Rawhide, which ran from 1959 to 1966, and the theme for the 1974 movie Blazing Saddles.