12 Facts About Russ Columbo

Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolfo Colombo, known as Russ Columbo, was an American baritone, songwriter, violinist, and actor.

Russ Columbo's family moved to Los Angeles when he was 16, and he attended Belmont High School there.

Russ Columbo left high school at age 17 to study violin under Calmon Luboviski and travel with various bands around the country.

At the time of his death, Russ Columbo had just completed work on the film Wake Up and Dream; he was on his way to stardom when his life was cut short.

Russ Columbo performed seven vocals while with Arnheim as a member of the string section, six for Okeh Records and only one for Victor on June 18,1930, a few months before Bing Crosby joined the band along with Al Rinker and Harry Barris as "The Rhythm Boys".

Russ Columbo ran a nightclub for a while, the Club Pyramid, but gave it up when his manager told him he had star potential.

Not long after arriving in New York, Russ Columbo met actress Dorothy Dell at an audition for the Ziegfeld Follies and began seeing her.

Russ Columbo disliked the label, but it caught on with the general public.

On Sunday, September 2,1934, Russ Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by a longtime friend, photographer Lansing Brown Jr.

Russ Columbo's death was ruled an accident and Brown was exonerated from blame.

Russ Columbo's mother was hospitalized in serious condition from a heart attack at the time of the accident; the news was withheld from her by his brothers and sisters for the remaining 10 years of her life.

Russ Columbo is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.