A Q&A with singer Emil Stucchio

It was “sandy” room only on the evening of Aug. 16 when the timeless Emil Stucchio and the Classics performed at Hewlett Point Beach. Stucchio, who has lived on Hewlett Point Avenue in Bay Park since 1964, says that after 51 years in the business, he is working now more than ever. He and his wife of almost 50 years, Jeannie, raised three children, Natalie, Nadine and Anthony, and they have six grandchildren.

“Till Then” became a huge hit for The Classics a propelled them to stardom. Now, Stucchio, along with Al Contrera (originally with “The Mystics,” who recorded “Hushabye,”) and Theresa McClean, make up “Emil Stucchio and the Classics.“ The group trio also appeared at Eisenhower Park last weekend with The Brooklyn Bridge. They are booked through 2013.

Emil and Jeannie sat down with The Herald before his Hewlett Point Beach and Eisenhower Park concerts. This is his story:

Herald: When and where did you start singing?
Emil Stucchio: In Brooklyn. It was 1959, I was 16 years old. Four of us started singing on street corners in Brooklyn — me, Tony Victor, Johnny Gambale and Jamie Troy. We sang at local record hops. Manager Jim Gribble got us an audition. We weren’t the best, and they called us the “four pretty boys” — but they wanted a young group that they could mold. We recorded an original song, “Cinderella,” which was a marginal hit. In 1963 we recorded “Till Then,” which was an old standard by The Mill Brothers ... it was a big hit, and we started touring … in those days, you know you made it when you played Palisades Park [in New Jersey]!
 
H: How did you feel about becoming famous at such a young age?
ES: I remember the day that “Till Then” hit the charts — Jan. 25, 1963 — because it was the day before my father’s 50th birthday. The New York radios stations had listeners rate the records, and we won. But remember, I was already married with a baby.
 
H: Have you been singing since then?