Perry Como Found His 'Little Piece of Heaven' in Jupiter

For generations, the name Perry Como brings back the sound of a smoother, simpler era.

With songs such as Magic Moments, Catch a Falling Star and It’s Impossible, Como became one of America's most recognizable entertainers. His relaxed singing style and famously easygoing personality made him a fixture in American homes for decades.

But there was another place where Como felt very much at home: Jupiter, Florida.

The legendary crooner lived for years in Jupiter Inlet Colony, the tiny waterfront community at the southern tip of Jupiter Island. He was also among the community's early property purchasers, according to the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

And Como apparently had the perfect description for the place he loved.

He called the Jupiter area “a little piece of heaven.”

From the spotlight to the Jupiter waterfront

For a performer whose career put him in front of millions of people, life in Jupiter offered something entirely different.

It offered quiet.

By the 1970s, Como and his wife, Roselle, had made Jupiter their full-time home. Away from television studios, concert halls and celebrity life, Como could spend his days doing the things he genuinely enjoyed.

Fishing was one of them.

Como was known for spending time on his boat, and accounts of his later life describe fishing and golf as regular parts of his Florida routine. In a 1974 interview, Como spoke about being able to spend much of the day out on the boat.

That laid-back lifestyle seems remarkably fitting for the entertainer audiences knew simply as “Mr. C.”

The relaxed man America saw on television wasn't just playing a character. In Jupiter, that easygoing lifestyle became part of his everyday life.

A famous neighbor who preferred being a neighbor

Como's connection to the area also produced the kind of stories that become part of local folklore.

One involves Pinder's Seafood in Jupiter.

Years later, the seafood market recalled Como arriving wearing sunglasses and a large hat, apparently hoping to go unnoticed. While an employee was filleting a pompano for him, Como began offering some advice on how it should be done.

The employee reportedly responded that he wouldn't tell Como how to sing if Como didn't tell him how to fillet a pompano.

It's a small story, but perhaps that's exactly why it feels so appropriate.

Here was one of America's biggest entertainers, standing in a Jupiter seafood market talking about how to prepare a fish.

Part of Jupiter's history

Como's connection to Jupiter lasted for decades.

His career had taken him from a Pennsylvania barbershop to radio, records, television and concert stages around the world. He became one of the defining voices of mid-century American popular music and sold millions of records along the way.

Yet Jupiter became the place where he could step away from all of that.

Como was still speaking from his Jupiter home in interviews late in his career, and the community remained his home until his death in May 2001.

More than two decades later, his connection to the area remains part of local history.

For today's residents, it's easy to think of Jupiter as a community that has attracted generations of famous athletes, musicians and entertainers.

Perry Como was here long before many of them.

He was among Jupiter Inlet Colony's early property owners, found a quieter life along its waters and stayed for decades.

Perhaps that's what makes his description of the area so enduring.

Long before Jupiter became nationally known as a destination for celebrities and professional athletes, one of America's most beloved singers had already discovered something special here.

To Perry Como, Jupiter wasn't simply another place to live.

It was “a little piece of heaven.”