The Gaylords, an American singing trio consisting of Ronald L. Fredianelli, Bonaldo "Burt" Bonaldi, and Don Rea, were formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1949. Their name was decided upon after a chance encounter with Marcus Wren. In the 1950s, they gained popularity with Italian-flavored hits on the Mercury Records label, often featuring songs partly sung in Italian and partly in English. Fredianelli joined the U.S. Army in the 1950s and was replaced by Bill Christ. Their most successful release was "Tell Me You're Mine", which sold over one million copies by 1958 and reached Number 3 on the US chart. The group also recorded comedy/novelty material, such as "Love I You". Fredianelli rejoined Mercury in 1954 after his military service and recorded as a solo artist under the name Ronnie Gaylord, charting with the hit song "Cuddle Me". Bonaldi, Rea, and Christ continued recording as The Gaylords for Mercury until 1964. After their contract lapsed, Rea and Christ left the group. Fredianelli and Bonaldi continued to perform as Gaylord and Holiday; Bonaldi used the professional name of Burt Holiday and adopted it legally in 1976. The team stayed together until 2003, when Fredianelli's failing health prevented the group from carrying out further work.
