The Resume

(January 17, 1930-April 19, 2017)
Born in Fresno, California
Accordionist
Recorded ‘Lady of Spain,’ ‘Yours’ and ‘Pledge My Love’
Appeared 48 times on The Ed Sullivan Show

Why he might be annoying:

He described his film ‘Daddy-O’ (later lampooned on MSTK) as ‘a class Z picture.’
He went AWOL from the Army barracks at Fort Ord (April 13, 1951), and was eventually fined $10,000 and sentenced to six months in prison for draft evasion.
He tried unsuccessfully to relaunch his career as a Vic Damone-style singer.
He filed for bankruptcy (1957).

Why he might not be annoying:

Space-Age Pop called him ‘probably the best-looking guy to ever play accordion for a living.’
He got his big break when he won the Youth Opportunity Talent Show sponsored by bandleader Horace Heidt (1946).
After serving his sentence for draft evasion, he fought in the Korean War and received a pardon from President Harry S. Truman.
He inspired the James Ellroy novella ‘Dick Contino’s Blues.’

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• AC/DC
• Accordionists
• Bankruptcy
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 64]
• College Drop Outs
• Dicks and Johnsons
• Ed Sullivan Show Guests
• I Covered a Beatles Song
• I Died in 2017 (Ranked: 87)
• I'm So Hip, I Had Mine Replaced
• Look at My Album Cover
• Lounge Lizards
• My Movie Was Featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000
• Profiles 38751-38951 (Ranked: 38844)
• Received a Presidential Pardon
• Served in the Korean War
• We Died on the Same Day (Ranked: 20170419)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 92.86% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 14 Votes: 57.14% Annoying