THE DAY FRANKIE LAINE'S LEGACY CAME TO IOWA
Craig Cronbaugh and Frankie Laine—1998
FOR DECADES, singer Frankie Laine was one of the biggest stars in American entertainment.
His booming voice sold millions of records worldwide. He scored hits with songs like “Mule Train,” “Jezebel,” “High Noon” and “I Believe.” Television audiences knew him as the voice behind the theme songs to Rawhide and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. During a career that spanned more than half a century, Laine earned 21 gold records and became one of the most successful recording artists of his era.
Today, a remarkable portion of that history resides in Iowa.
Earlier this year, Des Moines music historian and longtime Frankie Laine collector Craig Cronbaugh received an unexpected invitation from Marcia LoVecchio, Frankie Laine’s widow. Rather than mailing a few keepsakes for Cronbaugh’s extensive Frankie Laine archive, she proposed something far more extraordinary.
Why not come to San Diego and take as much of Frankie’s collection as you can carry?
Cronbaugh and his wife, Marlene, accepted the invitation and traveled to Laine’s longtime home overlooking San Diego Harbor. What they found exceeded anything they could have imagined.
Waiting for them were hundreds of boxes filled with memorabilia, recordings, photographs, documents, awards and personal belongings accumulated during Laine’s remarkable career.
The collection included gold records, fan-club materials, rare recordings, scrapbooks, correspondence and countless artifacts documenting more than fifty years of American entertainment history.
Among the most surprising discoveries were personal letters from notable figures including actress Betty White, singer Pat Boone, bandleader Mitch Miller and actor Clint Eastwood. There were autographed photographs from television personalities and entertainers, original scripts from Laine’s acting appearances, rare recordings dating to the earliest years of his career and dozens of scrapbooks chronicling his rise from nightclub performer to international star.
Some of the items offered a glimpse into Laine’s public life. Others revealed the private man behind the fame.
There were family photographs, personal correspondence and even articles of clothing once worn by the singer. Original orchestra scores used in recording sessions were preserved alongside awards, proclamations and certificates honoring his achievements. One box after another yielded new surprises.
Perhaps most remarkable were several gold record plaques that had once hung in Laine’s own home.
One of them commemorates “Mule Train,” the 1949 hit that helped propel Laine to national stardom. The plaque itself carries a fascinating history. At one point it belonged to novelist Joseph Wambaugh, who had received it directly from Laine after telling the singer it was the first record his parents ever bought for him. Following Wambaugh’s death, the plaque eventually found its way back to Laine’s family and now resides in Cronbaugh’s collection.
What began as a visit to reconnect with old friends became something much larger.
By the time the Cronbaughs departed San Diego in a rented U-Haul truck, they were transporting what can be considered the most comprehensive private collection of Frankie Laine memorabilia anywhere in the world.
Yet the significance of the collection extends beyond one performer.
Taken together, the materials provide a unique window into the golden age of American popular music, radio, television and entertainment. They document not only the career of Frankie Laine, but also the era in which he became a household name.
Cronbaugh says his long-term goal is to ensure that the collection ultimately finds a permanent home in a respected archive where future historians, researchers and music enthusiasts can study and appreciate it.
For now, however, an extraordinary chapter of American music history has found an unlikely temporary home in Iowa.
And thanks to the trust placed in one devoted collector, Frankie Laine’s story continues to be preserved for future generations.
PHOTOS OF CRAIG & MARLENE’S ADVENTURE
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GUARDING A LEGEND: CREATING THE FRANKIE LAINE LIBRARY
By Craig Cronbaugh
For many years, friends and fellow collectors told me I probably owned the world’s largest private library devoted to the remarkable career of Frankie Laine. I thought that was something special. Then, in March 2026, something happened that I never could have imagined.
Frankie’s widow, Marcia, presented me with one of the greatest gifts of my lifetime.
My wife, Marlene, and I flew to San Diego to spend two unforgettable days with Marcia in the home she had shared with Frankie. Walking through those familiar rooms was emotional enough, but what awaited us was beyond anything I had dreamed possible. Since Frankie’s passing in 2007, Marcia had lovingly preserved his personal memorabilia in the Laine home. Now, she wanted it to have a new home—with me.
Her handyman, Ron, had already carefully packed everything into boxes, ready to be loaded into a rented U-Haul truck. Before long, Marlene and I were beginning the 1,800-mile journey back to Iowa, transporting not just boxes, but irreplaceable pieces of music history.
Before we left, I made Marcia a promise.
One day, when I am no longer able to care for this extraordinary collection, it will not disappear into storage or be scattered among collectors. Instead, it will be donated to a permanent music archive where future musicians, historians, students and Frankie Laine fans can study, appreciate and enjoy it for generations to come. I am delighted to say I have already located that possible future home—the Archive of Contemporary Music (ARC) in New York City.
Back home, the real adventure began.
My existing Frankie Laine collection room had suddenly become far too small. It was clear that this historic collection deserved a much grander setting. We selected a larger bedroom downstairs, transforming it into what would become the new Frankie Laine Library.
That was easier said than done.
For weeks, Marlene and I worked side by side. Every shelf in the old library had to be emptied before we could wrestle two massive display cabinets into their new location. The former library was repainted, redecorated and converted into a cozy guest bedroom, while the new room slowly took shape.
Then came the endless parade of boxes.
Each item had to be carefully cataloged before finding its permanent home. Every photograph, every award, every scrapbook, every letter, every recording, every treasured keepsake deserved careful attention. The center of the new room quickly disappeared beneath stacks of boxes waiting to be unpacked.
One of my first purchases was a beautiful lighted glass display cabinet. It arrived in hundreds of pieces, and I spent an entire afternoon assembling it one panel, screw and shelf at a time. Once completed, the fun really began.
I carefully searched through the boxes for Frankie’s awards and trophies. One by one, they found their place under the soft glow of the cabinet lights. Suddenly, it wasn’t just furniture—it had become a museum-quality display honoring one of America’s greatest entertainers.
Then I discovered another delightful surprise.
Over the years, Frankie had received dozens of little mule figurines from devoted fans, inspired by his million-selling 1949 recording of “Mule Train.” I remembered seeing many of those same figurines proudly displayed during my visits with Frankie years ago. Now they would become part of the library as well. Their whimsical personalities made me smile as memories of Frankie came flooding back.
Of course, one display cabinet wasn’t enough.
A second glass cabinet soon joined the first, providing the perfect home for additional awards and Frankie’s charming herd of mule figurines.
Even then, I still needed more room.
After carefully measuring every wall, Marlene and I headed to a furniture store and selected six storage cabinets. Five of them arrived as flat-packed boxes waiting to test my patience. After nearly a week of assembling cabinet after cabinet, we finally had them positioned around the room, transforming empty walls into a true research library.
Then came the moment of truth.
Would everything fit?
As I unpacked box after box, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had underestimated the amount of space I would need. Three or four boxes disappeared into cabinets each day, but there always seemed to be more waiting. I was convinced I would eventually run out of room.
Remarkably, by the end of the third day, the very last box was empty.
Everything fit.
I stood back and looked around the room.
It was finished.
From the day we arrived in San Diego on March 9 until July 17, the Frankie Laine Library had been completely transformed. What had begun as a dream had become a reality beyond anything I had ever imagined.
Friends and family who have toured the library were amazed. Many simply stand quietly, taking it all in before saying, “I can’t believe this is all here.”
Neither can I.
This collection is far more than shelves filled with memorabilia. It is the story of an extraordinary artist whose music touched millions of lives around the world. It is also a promise fulfilled—a promise to preserve Frankie’s remarkable legacy so it will continue to educate, inspire and bring joy to future generations.
People often describe a difficult project as a “labor of love.” Never have those words rung truer than they do today. Every mile we drove, every cabinet I assembled, every box I unpacked and every treasured item I cataloged was done with gratitude, admiration and love.
The Frankie Laine Library is no longer simply my collection.
It is Frankie’s legacy.
BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS OF FRANKIE LAINE LIBRARY
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BEFORE
AFTER
