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He's a Musical Legend in Cape May County

By Jacob Schaad Jr. WILDWOOD - He has performed in Korea and Cape Canaveral, on opera stages in New York City and Pittsourgh. His associates have been world famous, names like Mario Lanza, Giovanni Martinelli, Sergio Franchi and Lucia Albanese. Happiness, however, for 57-year-old Sal Barbo is in Cape May County. It is to him and many fans what the borsch circuit in the Catskills is to others. In 15 summers the tneor has sung before thousands of fans in concerts in this county, far removed from the glamour of his past. One night he is at the Cape May Convention Hall trying to outdo with his high "C” the loud fireworks outside. On a Sunday afternoon he performs on an outdoor stage at the County Park, competing with the sounds of romping children. On another night he is at the bandshell at Sea Isle City, the roar of the ocean in the

background.

. Simply put, Sal Barbo is a musical legend in Cape May County. He has a cadre of aficionados who follow him the length and width ol the county and who listen religiously to his two

Sunday night radio shows, one on opera and the other, curiously, on

Frank Sinatra.

A SOUTH PHILADELPHIAN who also lives in Wildwood, Barbo embarked on a singing career at the age of 23, relatively late for a singer with operatic goals. His father was an opera fan and whetted his interest in music by playing Enrico Caruso and John McCormack records on his wind up

Victrola.

Barbo began studying with vocal coaches Carl Suppa, currently his accompanist and still his coach; Grace Welsh Piper and Giovanni Martinelli, world famous tenor who appeared at the Metropolitan Opera House from 1913 to 1946. Soon he became the soloist at St. Peter's and Paul's Cathedral in Philadelphia and began singing in secondary roles

wilh the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Rittenhouse Opera Companies. By the time he was 25 Barbo was playing the leading roles of Pinkerton in "Madame Butterfly," Mario in “Tosca" and

Rudolfo in "La Boheme." After World War II, Barbo went

on the road with the U.S.O., performing at hospitls and Army bases. He spent a month in Korea during that war, entertaining

troops from the backs of trucks. and whatever improvised stages could be arranged. ABOUT Ik YEARS AGO Barbo established residence in Wildwood and three years later he gave his first concert in the county. It was all operatic then and he has subsequently changed the format to lighter music including Broadway show tunes, mainly because he believes audiences relate better to that type of music. Barbo often can be an emotional singer. His offerings of “My Buddy and "The Lord’s Prayer" bring tears to his eyes. He emphasizes that the tears are not show business effects.” “Every time I sing ‘My Buddy' I think of a very dear friend and a

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fine tenor, Jerrv Pume, who died," Barbo said. “You're not supposed to let your heart rule your head when you sing, but I feel deeply about my loss and it affects me when I sing that song. You can't be phonv with that sort of thing. It only comes from your heart. Barbo's association with the great began early. He was a friend of the late'Mafio Lanza, also a South Philadelphia p'roduct. and spent time with him on the Wildwood beach. He also was a friend of Lanza’s mother, Mary, and he sang at Memorial services for her. He sang with world famous Italian soprano Lucia Albanese at the Academy of

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