‘Singer, actor, lover’: Vermont man looking for fame (and maybe romance) on a Philly billboard

A billboard featuring a man in fedora hat “looking for love” — written in capital letters — has appeared in Forgotten Bottom in the Grays Ferry neighborhood. The billboard lists his phone number, email, and a suggestion to Google his name.

But Albert Gilberti, the man pictured on the billboard, isn’t just after romance.

The 70-year-old Vermont resident is also looking for fame. Gilberti says he wants to share his singing talents on a local radio station or appear on a local TV talk show. “It’s a callout for me as a singer, as an actor, as a lover, whatever they want — but I’m also still seeking someone,” he said.

Gilberti’s $720 billboard, which identifies him as a “singer, actor, lover,” sits on a corner of Grays Ferry Avenue and 34th Street, just a block away from the viral “Dave is single” billboard by West Philly resident Dave Cline. Both Gilberti and Cline are clients of Liam Robb, sales rep for Lamar Advertising.

“It’s funny, I’m like the go-to billboard dating guy [now],” Robb said. “I do think Albert and Dave did it for publicity — well, Dave also did it as a joke. But I hope they get dates out of it as well.”

This isn’t the first time — or town — Gilberti has put up a billboard to promote himself and his dating life: Philly is the fifth. “I’m targeting the country,” he said. And according to Robb, Gilberti purchased his billboard in June before Cline, who signed for his in July, but it was unveiled after the West Philly man’s billboard went up.

Gilberti placed the first one in Sherman, Texas, in 2005. At the time, he thought it would be interesting to see how many people would respond to this type of callout — he was looking for a long-term relationship with a woman who was “sincere, loyal, down to earth, and likes music.”

Gilberti sees the billboards as a replacement for the personal ads that once ran in newspapers. He recalled that they were the best way to find a date in the 1980s. “I was the personal ad king from 1979,” said Gilberti, who met his ex-wife via an ad. “They were very effective, and they were good because it was down to earth.”

What began as an experiment turned into a quest to find a long-term partner that soon morphed into self-promotion for Gilberti, who also works as a promoter for comedians. “At first, it was to see how it would go, then to meet someone, and from there, the media picked up,” he said. “So, now it’s more for the media.”

The billboard has been spotted in Knoxville, Tenn., Sweetwater, Texas., Rutland, Vt., and Youngstown, Ohio., popping up as Gilberti moved from one city to the next. He decided Philly would be the next because “number one, it’s large, and number two, there’s a lot of media outlets,” he said.

While he’s not strictly looking for a relationship, Gilberti says that the billboard would only be a scam if he was after financial gain. Dating apps are the real scam, he says. “I can’t picture a scam being someone that is paying for something themselves and putting themselves out there if they have talent,” he said. “If you check me out and see the things I’ve done, you’re gonna say, ‘This guy’s got talent.’”

The billboard has been up for two weeks, and Gilberti plans to keep it up until its expiration date, Sept. 29 — or longer, if it gets more attention from media or potential dates. He envisions a Zoom date to start, and then a move for him to Philly or vice versa.

Gilberti says that he’s received roughly 10 responses so far, leading to an email exchange with one Philly-area woman.

“We texted back and forth, but I don’t think it’s gonna go anywhere,” he said.