Charlie Blum Pays Tribute to Sinatra

When Charlie Blum takes the stage Sunday afternoon at 3:00 PM at the Marco Players Theatre to perform Sinatra’s Great American Songbook, he will know whereof he speaks.

Blum knows what top rate entertainment looks like. He's been a heavy hitter in the entertainment business at the highest level for over 40 years. In addition to Sinatra, Blum’s worked with a list of one name celebrities that includes Michael, Cher, Seinfeld, Madonna, Liberace, Ringo, and Aretha. For 28 years Blum was President/CEO and talent buyer for Chicagoland’s premier concert facility, the Star Plaza Theatre.

He’s also made a name for himself on stage. The Chicago Tribune raved about him in a 1999 review, saying “Blum’s swing singing was so polished and persuasive that one regrets he works as an entertainment executive. At the very least, he ought to book himself to play his theater.”

These days Blum loves living the Marco Island lifestyle. Why wouldn’t he? His luxurious tip lot home has an upstairs loft dedicated to memorabilia from his dream career in the music industry. Personal mementos from Johnny Cash, James Brown and B.B. King reside alongside photographs of Blum with luminaries like President Bill Clinton and Neil Armstrong.

Now the energetic and affable Blum is ready to dedicate his encore career to Marco Island. Sunday’s Sinatra show is just the beginning. 

“The show this Sunday is about an hour or so of music,” Blum said. "All of the songs are standards of Sinatra, but also mixed in with some Bobby Darin and Dean Martin. And I’ll intersperse some stories from being in the business. We talk about some of the songs. The arrangers. People who wrote the songs. Just giving people an opportunity to step back in time and remember these songs and the orchestration surrounding them. They will really have a good time and have a trip down memory lane in an intimate setting.”

Blum finds the laid-back lifestyle on Marco Island satisfying. He enjoys working with the island’s creative people as much as he does the more famous names in the entertainment field.

 “I enjoy it just as much, if not more so,” Blum said, "because it’s something I get to do. It’s just a lot of fun. I love living here on Marco Island. I’m looking forward to working with people like Beverly Dahlstrom and her team at the Marco Players Theater, and Hyla Crane over at the Marco Island Center for the Arts. They do such a great job of thinking outside the box, and they have a passion for the arts - as I do. So, anything I can do to help them along the way, I’m grateful to be a part of the process.”

"Beverly and her team have done a tremendous job in thinking outside the box and coming up with ideas to keep the theatre afloat and keep everybody entertained and provide some quality product,” Blum said. “I’m honored to be asked to do this show. I’m grateful to be selected to be one of those performers.”

Tickets for Sinatra’s Great American Songbook, performed by Charlie Blum, are available online at themarcoplayers.com. Or call 239-642-7270.