#55: Big Wide World by Teddy Randazzo
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: March 1963
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #10
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #51
YouTube: “Big Wide World”
Lyrics: “Big Wide World”
Teddy Randazzo was born in 1935 in Brooklyn (NY). He learned to play accordion, and around 1953 joined the Three Chuckles. The group was named after a candy bar. Randazzo became the lead singer and the group had a #20 hit with “Runaround” in 1954. The group had two more minor hits the following years. This brought Teddy Randazzo to the attention of rock ‘n roll DJ Alan Freed. He was cast in the teen flick Rock! Rock! Rock! in 1956. Other recording artists in the movie were Connie Francis, Chuck Berry, The Moonglows, The Flamingos, The Johnny Burnette Trio, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and LaVern Baker. Later that year he appeared in The Girl Can’t Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield. The movie featured songs performed by Ray Anthony, Julie London, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, The Platters, Gene Vincent, the Treniers, and Nino Tempo.