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65 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, June 11, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Britt Festival Medford Cruise Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 10, 2005 ‘Singing doctor’ Tony Blandino dies of ALS Longtime local chiropractor was best known for his crooning By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Known locally as the "Singing Doctor," Joseph "Tony" Blandino sang his way into the hearts of Jackson County residents during the 27 years he practiced as a chiropractor in the valley. The Medford resident died Tuesday at the age of 65 after a five-year struggle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. "He sang in the shower, he sang taking us to school in the morning," remembers his daughter, Portland resident Maria Blandino. "He even sang to his patients." Joe Brett, operations manager at Rogue Valley Television Channel 30 who helped produce shows with Blandino in the 1990s, said, "He had a kind of Dean Martin look — he had those kind of songs. He was a crooner." Blandino was know for singing tunes such as "That Old Black Magic," "I’ve Got You Under My Skin," and "Pennies from Heaven." Advertisement In addition to entertaining, Blandino was a prominent local chiropractor who had emigrated from Nicaragua in 1947 with his mother, Maria Amanda Blandino, and brother, Ernaldo Jose Blandino. As a young actor, he appeared in the 1964 movie "Looking for Love" with Connie Francis. Besides the singing, Maria Blandino remembers two things her father did that stand out in her mind. He opened his clinic after hours to treat migrant workers free of charge. Then, in the early 1990s he went around to various clinics in the area, collecting medical supplies, taking them to a remote island off Nicaragua that had been heavily damaged by a hurricane. He stayed there for two months helping to rebuild a clinic. "Once he set his mind to something, you couldn’t hold him back," she said. Her father even delivered her at the Jacksonville clinic because they didn’t have enough time to get to the hospital. But most of all she remembers his generosity. "He had a big heart," she said. Ruch resident Martha Blandino, wife of Ernaldo Blandino, first met her brother-in-law in 1963, fondly remembering the way he like to sing. "He sang all the time," she said. "He was out mowing his lawn and singing." Even though her brother-in-law showed promise as a movie actor with his handsome features and jet-black hair, she said he wanted a more secure life, preferring the people and surroundings of Jackson County. "He loved the valley and the people in the valley," she said. She said her brother-in-law also served in three branches of the armed forces and was a presidential honor guard. He also had three medical degrees. He is survived by his wife, Vicki Blandino; his daughters, Maria Blandino, Angelina Blandino and Patricia Capretto; his son, David Blandino; and a brother, Ernaldo. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s