Peppino Di Capri

Peppino di Capri, fondly nicknamed “the Italian Buddy Holly,” played a key role in bringing the rock & roll sound of the 1950s to Italian audiences. For ten years he and his group Peppino & His Rockers released singles at an average rate of ten per year, achieving success with several pre-Beatles favorites that included “Malatia,” “Voce 'e Notte,” “Luba Caprese,” “Vicino 'o Mare,” “Parlami D'amore Mariu,” and “Speedy Gonzalez.” In the early sixties he popularized the twist through his chart single “St. Tropez Twist.” During the summer of 1965 he served as an opening act for the Beatles on their Italian tour. Although his career slowed in the late sixties, di Capri returned to prominence without delay. He reignited public interest through well-received appearances at Canzonissima ’70 and the Festival of Naples in 1970, then reached a commercial peak with the smash single “Champagne” in 1974. Having won the song competition at the Festival of San Remo in both 1973 and 1976, he remained a regular participant at the event for many subsequent years. In January 1996 he joined guitarist Fred Bongusto for another Italian tour. Born to a dealer in musical instruments who also ran a record shop, di Capri revealed exceptional musical gifts while still very young. By the age of four he was already performing on piano, and throughout much of his childhood he entertained American troops based in Naples. His initial song list drew heavily from American material; later, after forming a band with four friends, he incorporated fresh arrangements of traditional Neapolitan pieces and steadily gained notice. On the RAI program First Applause the ensemble introduced its interpretation of Johnny Ray’s “Cry.”