By KATHARINE FRIEDMAN
Correspondent
The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank has played as the host to many great artists, comedians and plays over its 81-year history.
But the Count Basie Theatre may never have had an entertainer quite like 21-year-old crooner Sal Valentinetti.
In Bethpage, New York, Valentinetti grew up with a close Italian family. His grandmother introduced him to music when he was 3 years old, and he listened to classic artists such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. The music was all he had to remember of her after she passed away.
Discovering his gift of singing, Valentinetti’s family encouraged him to get out in the world and share his talent. He auditioned for “American Idol” at the age of 18, but failed to make the live shows.
In the summer of 2016, Valentinetti auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” (AGT) with Sinatra’s “My Way.” With his voice and charisma he quickly won the hearts of the audience and the judges, specifically Heidi Klum, who used her golden buzzer to send him to the live shows of the competition. Valentinetti came in fifth place and returned for the show’s holiday special in December, singing “Santa Baby” with Klum.
Now known as Sal “The Voice,” he went to work putting out a tour working with fellow musician friends all under the age of 30. His latest stop was at the legendary Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, performing a sold-out show with classic songs such as “Come Fly with Me,” “Mambo” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and telling stories about his interesting family.
Valentinetti also announced upcoming projects, including an album and reality TV show about his career. For more information on Sal “The Voice,” visit salthevoiceny.com.
The Count Basie used the opportunity to promote upcoming shows, including legendary performer Rita Moreno on Feb. 19, “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical” on March 30 and Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway” on April 2. For more information on upcoming Count Basie shows and how to get tickets, check out countbasietheatre.org.