In less than two years, Angelo Babbaro has gone from singing in his car to singing in one of the biggest venues in the Mahoning Valley.
Babbaro will sing the songs of Frank Sinatra backed by the Carmen Mico Orchestra in a Valentine’s Day concert at Stambaugh Auditorium.
His fascination with ‘‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’’ dates back as long as he can remember.
‘‘As a kid I fell in love with the sound of Sinatra,’’ Babbaro said. ‘‘I listened to him over and over. I started reading books about him, and I was kind of subconsciously studying him. I started to learn more about the parts of the sounds, how he created them and what they were created for. All of the intricacies.’’
That knowledge was put to use singing in the shower or in the car or while doing yardwork until a year-and-a-half ago, he said, when he got up the nerve to book some recording time at Peppermint Studio in Youngstown.
‘‘I had no expectations,’’ he said. ‘‘I was walking into a world that was totally unknown to me. Talk about being outside of your comfort zone.’’
Encouraging words from Peppermint owner Gary Rhamy kept Babbaro coming back and led to his first Valentine’s Day concert last year at Ford Family Recital Hall.
As he was last year, Babbaro will be performing again with the Carmen Mico Orchestra.
‘‘Carmen has been my band from the outset,’’ Babbaro said. ‘‘He’s really taken me under his wing. He has more than 50 years experience, and his tutelage really sped up my learning process.’’
Next week’s concert will focus on Sinatra music from ‘‘the Capitol years,’’ the songs he recorded for Capitol Records from 1953 to the early ‘60s.
‘‘I feel that’s when his voice was at its peak,’’ he said. ‘‘It all seemed to gel, from the songs picked to the arrangements to the conductor.’’
Babbaro has performed at some other venues, including an appearance at the Las Vegas Country Club, but singing with a 17-piece orchestra limits the venues where he can play.
Financial planning will remain his primary profession, but singing is his love.
‘‘It’s my hobby that I’ve done out of pure passion for the last 20-plus years.’’
