Steve Rossi
Encyclopedia
Steve Rossi is an American
stand-up comedian
and actor.
degree in communication, arts and theater, Greek and Latin at Loyola Marymount University
, Los Angeles
and served as an officer in the United States Air Force
. The comedian was discovered by Mae West
who. with her manager Jerry Franks saw him in 1953 as the lead of The Student Prince
at the Civic Light Orchestra in Los Angeles.
Under his birth name, Rossi was signed to a nightclub show with West booked at Ciro's
in Los Angeles before moving the show to Las Vegas at the Sahara Hotel where his name was changed reportedly to not compete as much with Mae West's shorter name on the signage. According to Rossi Mae West picked "Steve" because she was dating actor Steve Cochran
at the time and had a manager by the name of Bernie Ross; adding an "I" to Ross to reflect Rossi's Italian heritage. West and Rossi toured in 1953 and 1954. Rossi wrote the musical numbers he performed in the show with West. Following the tour's end, Rossi concentrated on his musical career, recording music with his group, Steve Rossi and The Robinaires for Red Robin Records
.
In 1957, he formed the Allen & Rossi
comedy duo with Marty Allen playing the straight man and they made appearances in the 1950s and 1960s, including 44 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show
, releasing multiple comedy albums, starring in one feature film, The Last of the Secret Agents
, and also performing live in Las Vegas
. Rossi would also continue his singing career as a solo artist. He recorded for several labels in the 1960s and 1970s including ABC Records
' ABC-Paramount label, Red Bird Records
, Roulette Records
, and Columbia Records
. Following the breakup of Allen & Rossi in 1968, he teamed for less than three months with Joe E. Ross
in an act called "Rossi & Ross". The comedy team played once on Ed Sullivan and disbanded in January 1969. That same month, Rossi announced a pairing with comedian Slappy White
creating the comedy act, Rossi and White. The interracial comedy team released the album, "I Found Me a White Man--You Find Yourself One" on Roulette Records. Rossi later teamed with Sandy Hackett
, son of Buddy Hackett
.
Rossi and Allen reunited several times, including a film released in 1974 and stage performances together in 1984-5 and 1990-1994. Rossi presented a spoof of Washington D.C. called "Laffs, Sex & Politics" co-starring Hackett in 2000. Rossi appeared on The Howard Stern Show on Oct.10 1990 and also had a role in the Brad Pitt
movie The Mexican
(2001). In 2004, Rossi was inducted into the Show Business Legends Hall of Fame at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Steve Rossi's book, "Adult Stand-up Comedy For Wannabe Comedians: Hilarious Stand-up Routines, Jokes and Stories", was issued in 2006. In 2007, Rossi was part of a touring cabaret show titled, "5 Star Revue" with Gary Collins
, Mary Ann Mobley
, Ruta Lee
and Ronnie Schell
. In 2009, he appeared along with Schell in the Off-Broadway play Don't Leave it All to Your Children and performed his stand-up comedy act at Feinstein's in New York City.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
and actor.
Biography
Rossi gained a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in communication, arts and theater, Greek and Latin at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and served as an officer in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. The comedian was discovered by Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
who. with her manager Jerry Franks saw him in 1953 as the lead of The Student Prince
The Student Prince
The Student Prince is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Alt Heidelberg. The piece has elements of melodrama but lacks the swashbuckling style common to Romberg's other works...
at the Civic Light Orchestra in Los Angeles.
Under his birth name, Rossi was signed to a nightclub show with West booked at Ciro's
Ciro's
Ciro's was a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip, opened in January 1940, by entrepreneur William Wilkerson. Herman Hover took over management of Ciro's in 1942 until it closed its doors in 1957...
in Los Angeles before moving the show to Las Vegas at the Sahara Hotel where his name was changed reportedly to not compete as much with Mae West's shorter name on the signage. According to Rossi Mae West picked "Steve" because she was dating actor Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran was an American film, television, and stage actor, the son of a California lumberman. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1939...
at the time and had a manager by the name of Bernie Ross; adding an "I" to Ross to reflect Rossi's Italian heritage. West and Rossi toured in 1953 and 1954. Rossi wrote the musical numbers he performed in the show with West. Following the tour's end, Rossi concentrated on his musical career, recording music with his group, Steve Rossi and The Robinaires for Red Robin Records
Red Robin Records
Red Robin Records was a record label that began in 1951 as "Robin Records" in New York. Owner Bobby Robinson was unaware that another company was already using the name "Robin" and after about four releases was forced to change to "Red Robin" to avoid litigation. Robinson also opened Fury...
.
In 1957, he formed the Allen & Rossi
Allen & Rossi
Allen & Rossi was a comedy team composed of Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, active from 1957 until 1968. They appeared on over 700 television shows including 44 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, including three of the four Ed Sullivan episodes on which The Beatles appeared...
comedy duo with Marty Allen playing the straight man and they made appearances in the 1950s and 1960s, including 44 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, releasing multiple comedy albums, starring in one feature film, The Last of the Secret Agents
The Last of the Secret Agents
The Last of the Secret Agents? is a 1966 film that spoofs the spy film genre starring the then-popular comedy team of Allen & Rossi.-Plot:...
, and also performing live in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Rossi would also continue his singing career as a solo artist. He recorded for several labels in the 1960s and 1970s including ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
' ABC-Paramount label, Red Bird Records
Red Bird Records
Red Bird Records was a record label started by American pop music songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller in 1964. Though often thought of as a "girl-group" label, female-led acts made up only 40% of the artist roster on Red Bird and its associated labels...
, Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
, and Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Following the breakup of Allen & Rossi in 1968, he teamed for less than three months with Joe E. Ross
Joe E. Ross
Joe E. Ross was an American actor known for his trademark "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation, which he used in many of his roles. He starred in such TV sitcoms as The Phil Silvers Show and Car 54, Where Are You?.-Career:...
in an act called "Rossi & Ross". The comedy team played once on Ed Sullivan and disbanded in January 1969. That same month, Rossi announced a pairing with comedian Slappy White
Slappy White
Slappy White was an American comedian and actor. He worked with Redd Foxx on the Chitlin' circuit of stand-up comedy during the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared on the television shows Sanford and Son, That's My Mama, Blossom, and Cybill and in the films Mr...
creating the comedy act, Rossi and White. The interracial comedy team released the album, "I Found Me a White Man--You Find Yourself One" on Roulette Records. Rossi later teamed with Sandy Hackett
Sandy Hackett
Sandy Hackett is the son of the famous actor/comedian Buddy Hackett.* Writer/Producer/Creator/Performer in the 'Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show' currently performing six nights a week at the Riviera Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip and in venues all around the U.S...
, son of Buddy Hackett
Buddy Hackett
Buddy Hackett was an American comedian and actor.-Early life:Hackett was born in Brooklyn, New York, New York, the son of a Jewish upholsterer. He grew up on 54th and 14th Ave in Borough Park, Brooklyn, across from Public School 103...
.
Rossi and Allen reunited several times, including a film released in 1974 and stage performances together in 1984-5 and 1990-1994. Rossi presented a spoof of Washington D.C. called "Laffs, Sex & Politics" co-starring Hackett in 2000. Rossi appeared on The Howard Stern Show on Oct.10 1990 and also had a role in the Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
movie The Mexican
The Mexican
The Mexican is a 2001 American romantic comedy film directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, with a plot that is an unusual mixture of romantic comedy and road movie....
(2001). In 2004, Rossi was inducted into the Show Business Legends Hall of Fame at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. Steve Rossi's book, "Adult Stand-up Comedy For Wannabe Comedians: Hilarious Stand-up Routines, Jokes and Stories", was issued in 2006. In 2007, Rossi was part of a touring cabaret show titled, "5 Star Revue" with Gary Collins
Gary Collins
Gary James Collins is a retired American football end and punter who played for the Cleveland Browns from 1962 to 1971....
, Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley
Mary Ann Mobley is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality.-Career:After serving her reign as Miss America 1959, Mobley embarked on a career in both film and television...
, Ruta Lee
Ruta Lee
Ruta Lee is a Canadian actress and dancer who appeared as one of the brides in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers...
and Ronnie Schell
Ronnie Schell
Ronald Ralph "Ronnie" Schell is an American actor, stand-up comedian and cartoon voice actor . Early in his career he appeared as himself as a contestant on You Bet Your Life opposite Groucho Marx, demonstrating a comic barrage of jive talk.-Life and career:Schell was born in Richmond, California...
. In 2009, he appeared along with Schell in the Off-Broadway play Don't Leave it All to Your Children and performed his stand-up comedy act at Feinstein's in New York City.