Dean’s son perished in a mountain range, along with his crewman when their fighter jet went down in dense cloud cover. What’s really strange about the location of this tragedy is the fact that his friend and fellow Rat Pack member, Frank Sinatra lost his mother in similar circumstances in the same area.
She was 82 years old when it happened. After this horrible incident, Dean and his ex-wife Jeanne were reunited in mourning.
The Fight
The feud between Martin and Lewis was infamous and long-lasting. It stretched for two decades until the death of Martin’s son, Dean Martin Jr. His son was piloting a fighter jet for the National Guard when the plane crashed and ended his life.
Although Lewis had not spoken to his former friend for about 20 years, he did show up at the funeral to show his respect. The two bonded once again and were semi-friends again until Martin passed away.
Vegas’ Tribute to the Singer
Dean Martin was a huge part of Las Vegas and vice versa. Thus, they have honored his passing in a number of different ways. On the evening that it happened, the city dimmed the lights along the strip.
Then, there’s the actual Dean Martin tribute show, Dean Lives, which stars Drew Anthony as the late actor and musician. Other entertainers who are portrayed in the show include Marilyn Monroe, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson, and Peggy Lee.
You Want Me To Do What?
Crying on cue is a talent that some actors are lucky enough to have and have developed. Unfortunately for Martin, he wasn’t necessarily one of them, at least not when he was first starting out. He reportedly had a tough time playing the drunk sheriff in Rio Bravo, since that wasn’t yet one of the talents that he had stashed away in his toolbelt in the early days of his career.
Still, the film would go on to be a major hit and score a Golden Globe and two additional nominations.
Kids can be Cruel
Early on when Dean was growing up as a child of Italian American immigrants, he would get bullied for not speaking in the same way the other kids at his elementary school did.
His broken English and thick Italian accent often resulted in him getting picked on by the other children. Because of that, he tried to keep to himself during the school day.