Introduction
Sir Tom Jon es with Carlo Martini.
I often receive messages from fans or managers asking me to feature their favourite ETA on SIDEBURNS Magazine. It very satisfying to honour these requests whenever possible. Every ETA, whether they are an Ultimate, a headliner, a promising young ETA, or a seasoned performer, has an interesting story to tell. Some, like Carlo Martini, have many.
Carlo Franco Martini, one of an estimated 85,000 ETAs worldwide, was unknown to me until I received an email from his manager and girlfriend, Debra Poirier. I was awestruck by the photo that Debra sent of Elvis Presley taken at West Palm Beach, Florida in 1977, and by the many names she dropped that connected Carlo to Elvis’s world of friends and family. I received several photos from Debra of Carlo with well-known show biz people to accompany the stories. I wish to thank Debra Poirier for introducing to SB Mag readers, and me, to singer, actor, author, and ETA, Carlo Franco Martini. (All photos used in this article are credited to Carlo Martini, via Debra Poirier). C.M.
Some of the many articles written about Carlo Martini, aka “The Italian Elvis”.
Bio
Carlo Franco Martini, ETA and More
Chuck Norris (right), the famous Karate instructor and actor, with Carlo Martini.
Carlo Franco Martini is a very talented person. Not only is Carlo a singer, he is also an actor. He started his career as an ETA in New Jersey when he was about twenty years old. He still does tributes to Elvis, but no longer in the jumpsuits. As an actor, Carlo has participated in several movies, mostly Westerns, in the USA, and in Italy, working with Italian film director, Mariano Laurenti. His movie credits include: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, filmed in Coast Azur France, Billy the Kid, Showdown in Lincoln County, and The Last American Gunslinger.
Sam Thompson, Elvis’s body guard, with Carlo Martini.
During his youth, Carlo met Elvis Presley in Germany. And on February 13th, 1977, Carlo gave Elvis a plaque of friendship when he was in West Palm Beach, Florida. Sam Thompson, one of Elvis’s bodyguards with whom Carlo spoke when he called the Sheridan Hotel where Elvis was staying, told Carlo that Elvis liked the gift. Elvis was eating dinner before he went back on stage, so Sam relayed Elvis’s message to Carlo thanking him for the gift. Sam also told Carlo that the plaque was packed in Elvis’s luggage and travelled with him to many concerts. Carlo can be seen by the door in the background of the b&w photo that was taken at the West Palm Beach Sheraton Hotel on February 13th, 1977, as Elvis was heading to the seating area to sign autographs. The plaque that Carlo gave to Elvis is in the trophy room in Graceland, alongside all the other gifts that Elvis received.
Elvis’s Aunt Lorraine with Carlo Martini. Photo Credit: Carlo Martini.
In his lifetime, Carlo met Elvis’s first cousin, Harold Loyd*, Elvis’s uncle, Uncle Vester, Elvis’s aunt, Lorraine Smith, Gene Mason, who was part of Elvis’s high school football team. Gene, who was also a great friend of Elvis, had in his possession many items from Elvis, including a guitar. Through Gene Mason, Carlo was introduced to Buddy Montesi*, who was the owner of the ranch that Elvis bought. Carlo says he felt that he had known them all for a long time, just like friends, and they adopted him as a kind of a nephew; and because Carlo did not have an aunt of his own, Elvis’s aunt told Carlo, “You can call me Aunt Lorraine.”
Carlo had the opportunity of performing in front of some Elvis’s family, and in 1978 , he was almost hired to work on Elvis’s ranch. Around the same time, Carlo performed in the evenings at some local venues in the Memphis area, and later on in other US cities.
The real Ann-Margret with ETA Carlo Martini.
While he was performing in Miami Beach, Florida, Carlo heard that Ann-Margret was appearing was right next door. The real Ann-Margret! So on his break, Carlo, dressed in his jumpsuit, ran next door to meet her. Ann-Margret invited him backstage and told him he reminded her of someone she knew that was very dear to her heart. She, of course, was speaking about Elvis. Carlo had to get back to his own show, but he had just enough time to stop by a store and get the same gift for Ann-Margret that he had given Elvis—a friendship plaque.
Carlo has many more interesting stories to tell, just like those above; so he has written a book about his life. A brief outline follows:
Carlo Martini's love of music began in childhood. He had music in his mind and in his heart every moment as far back as he can remember. When he was little, he liked to go to the movies and dream. The singers and actors became his idols. He set out on a path, not only to be a singer and actor himself, but also to personally meet as many of those idols as possible. This book is the story of his success in fulfilling his dream.
Carlo Martini’s journey“The Journey of Carlo Martini”, published July 14, 2015, in North Carolina by Grateful Steps, may be purchased through: www.gratefulsteps.org or micki@gratefulsteps.org, www.barnesandnoble.com, or Carlo’s manager, Debra Poirier, at dpselleck@gmail.com.
Photos
Pictured in the above photos:
Top left: Uncle Vester, Elvis's Uncle, with Carlo Martini. The golf cart they are sitting on is in a museum in Memphis, TN.
Top right: Author of Elvis: A Boy from Tupelo to a Man from Memphis, Blanche Jordan Scott*, Carlo Martini, and Gene Mason, a great friend of Elvis who was on Elvis's football team in Humes High School, TN.
Second row left: Sam Thompson, Elvis’s body guard, with Carlo Martini.
Second row right: Chuck Norris’s brother, Aaron Norris, with Carlo.
Third row left: Carlo poses in front of the gates at Graceland with Harold Loyd, Elvis’s cousin.
Third row right: A close up photo of Carlo with Harold Loyd.
Fourth row left: Jimmy Velvet, Elvis’s friend, at one time, owned the largest Elvis memorabilia collection in the world. More information can be found at http://www.elvisinfonet.com/velvet.html. Photo courtesy of Elvis Info Net.
Fourth row right: Carlo Martini with Jimmy Velvet. Photo Credit: Carlo Martini.
Fifth row left: Carlo Martini on stage in 1980 with The Godfather Part II (1974) actor, Danny Aiello.
Fifth row right: Elvis Tribute Artist, Carlo Martini.
Bottom left: A photo of The Stamps with Gary Buck (first on the left), courtesy http://www.absolutelygospel.com.
Bottom right: Gary “Buck “ Buckles of The Stamps and his brother, Larry, with Carlo Martini.
*Much appreciation to Lori-Anne Crewe for researching the author and name of the book.
Videos
Contact Info
Further information about Carlo Martini and his interesting career can be found through the following links:
ETA, singer, actor, and author, Carlo Martini.
Carlo in Graceland
The following photos of Carlo Martini are of his trip to Graceland in November, 2018. Photos courtesy Facebook.
Grazie, Carlo!
Thank you, Carlo, for your interesting stories. And thank you, Debra, for the background information and photos you sent. I really enjoyed learning about Carlo’s history while editing this post. Best regards, Carolyn MacArthur, Editor, SIDEBURNS Magazine. (All photos used in this article were provided by Carlo Martini and Debra Poirier.)
Editor’s Notes:
*Robert Harold Loyd, a first cousin to Elvis Presley, was the stalwart gatekeeper at Graceland who co-authored the book “The Graceland Gates” about his experiences with the fans. Harold Loyd, as he was referred to in Carlo’s bio, was an employee at Graceland for 32 years, beginning in 1961. He died on January 21, 2002 of heart disease at the Methodist Healthcare-Central in Memphis at the age of 73.
*In 1967, Elvis Elvis bought a 163-acre ranch in Mississippi just across the Tennessee state line from Graceland. I could not find the name of the previous owner of “Circle G” in any of my research.