Song in their hearts


BY PAM HARBAUGH
FLORIDA TODAY
February 11, 2009 12:00 PM

You can't have Valentine's Day without a romantic song or two. It's against the rules.

So to help you find the right song to help woo your sweetie, FLORIDA TODAY asked people in the know for ideas that will fill your heart with romance.

First, we turn to the king of romantic songs, Johnny Mathis. He performs 8 p.m. Saturday at the King Center. One of his lifelong fans, Frances Johnson of Orlando, plans to attend the concert with her husband, Boyd. The two will celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.

She said romantic songs, especially those by Mathis, have been important in keeping the marital fires burning. Pressed to name her favorites, she said, "Any of them are." But she especially loves "Wonderful, Wonderful," "The 12th of Never" and "Chances Are."


Part of the never-ending appeal of romantic songs is how they make you think of the person you love or long for, said Carol Zuffoletti of Indialantic.

When she and her husband, Vic, were living in Hawaii in the early 1960s, Elvis Presley had been there to film the movie "Blue Hawaii." Its hit song, "Can't Help Falling in Love," became their song.

"Every time I hear it I get this feeling," she said. "Oh, I'm starting to cry."

Of course, you can't think romantic songs without thinking Frank Sinatra.

Tom Heitman, who will perform his Frank Sinatra Encore at a sold-out Space Coast Pops concert at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, said performing romantic songs was a big reason "Old Blue Eyes" connected so well with listeners in his early career.


"I think it was a pretty romantic time," Heitman said. "It was late '30s, early '40s and all through the war."

Heitman said Sinatra had many romance songs, like one of his first hits, "I'll Never Smile Again," which he did with Harry James Orchestra.

"It was like his first big hit, really," he said. "I think I'll be doing it in the concert. Since it's Valentine's Day, I think I'm doing 'Funny Valentine.' The lyrics are great. He doesn't necessarily think that this person is the most beautiful or has the most sex appeal, but he really, really loves her. . . . it has nothing to do with superficial things."

Melanie Shaklee of Viera said the most romantic song she knows is "You Needed Me" by Anne Murray. "My husband had it played at a restaurant on one of our anniversaries, and it touched my heart," she said.

And don't play Whitney Houston's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" unless you want Renata Notarnicola to get emotional.

The song was popular at a significant break up in her life.

"At one time, I knew someone I guess I loved and it as impossible," said Notarnicola, owner of Renata's Salon in Indialantic. "I had to leave him behind."

She still thinks of him when she hears the song, she said.

"There's so many of them," said Palm Bay resident Mark Alvarez.

But it didn't take long for him to break into Mel Carter's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me."


"I had a big crush on a girl I wanted to take to prom," he said. "The song came on and I wanted to dance with her, but she said, 'I'm taken.' As bad as that rejection was, I've always treasured that song."

Contact Harbaugh at 242-3717 or pharbaugh@floridatoday.com