Peter Nero, Grammy-winning pianist and ex-conductor of the Philly Pops, dies at 89
6 min readBy Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA: Peter Nero, a Grammy-winning pianist who interpreted pop songs by classical and jazz varieties and served because the Philly Pops’ conductor for greater than three many years, has died. Nero was 89.
Nero died Thursday at Home Care Assisted Living Facility in Eustis, Fla., in line with his daughter, Beverly Nero, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Services will probably be personal.
Nero coloured his renditions of pop songs — from Cole Porter and George Gershwin to the Beatles and Bob Dylan — with classical, swing, Broadway, blues and jazz melodies. He typically known as his sound “undefinable” and was not offended when others known as it “middle of the road.” (He as soon as advised a newspaper, “Middle of the road and doing great business.”)
Recruited by Philadelphia live performance promoter Moe Septee, Nero began the Philly Pops orchestra in 1979, the 12 months Arthur Fiedler died. Fiedler is credited with nearly inventing the fashionable model of the pops orchestra in Boston, and Nero hoped to rival it in recognition.
“I’d like to beat the pants off them,” Nero stated on the time.
Nero’s orchestra wasn’t as outstanding as Boston’s, nevertheless it did tout routine sellouts in Philadelphia, little question helped by Nero’s energetic enjoying fashion and heat stage presence.
In his work as each performer and conductor, Nero returned continuously to Broadway tunes, Hollywood themes and Gershwin, the topic of the Philly Pops’ first live performance. But he additionally dipped into Motown’s catalog and farther afield to bands corresponding to Procol Harum and an album dedicated to disco and ‘70s love songs.
In 1975, he lamented to The Washington Post: “I find it impossible to use a lot of the new material that’s coming out. There is some rock material in my repertoire … but a lot of rock groups are selling a sound, not music. You take the tune apart and there’s nothing there to work with.”
He led the Philly Pops till 2013, exiting his management function when the orchestra stated it might not afford him.
By his personal admission, Nero struggled early in his profession — beneath the identify Bernie Nerow — throughout stints in New York and Las Vegas. But he discovered his stride in his late 20s enjoying in New York’s membership circuit.
He was signed to RCA by Stan Greeson, who noticed a possible star and had him change his identify to Peter Nero. A gentle stream of early Nineteen Sixties membership reveals led to common radio and TV appearances and two dozen RCA albums over the span of a decade.
Nero earned Grammy Awards in 1961 for greatest new artist and in 1962 for greatest efficiency by an orchestra or instrumentalist for his file “The Colorful Peter Nero.”
A 1963 album, “Hail the Conquering Nero,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard pop album chart. It included variations of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and “Mack the Knife.”
He additionally charted with a model of “Theme from `The Summer of ’42,’” a track written by Michel Legrand for the 1971 film. Nero’s model hit No. 21 on the Billboard pop singles chart.
Nero additionally wrote the rating for the 1963 Jane Fonda movie “Sunday in New York” and made an look within the film.
Born Bernard Nierow in 1934, Nero was raised in Brooklyn. He began taking piano classes at age 7 and, by age 11, he was stated to have been in a position to play Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major from reminiscence. He later received a scholarship to take lessons at Juilliard, received a number of expertise contests and graduated from Brooklyn College.
When headlining, Nero disliked having a set checklist and would choose songs on the spot. The thought of blending types and genres carried over to the Philly Pops.
“My programs for the Philly Pops may open with ‘Die Meistersinger,’ then ‘Chariots of Fire,’ then Enesco’s Rumanian Rhapsodies, then a television theme,” Nero advised The New York Times in 1982. “I keep going back and forth, and the audience bought it from the beginning.”
PHILADELPHIA: Peter Nero, a Grammy-winning pianist who interpreted pop songs by classical and jazz varieties and served because the Philly Pops’ conductor for greater than three many years, has died. Nero was 89.
Nero died Thursday at Home Care Assisted Living Facility in Eustis, Fla., in line with his daughter, Beverly Nero, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Services will probably be personal.
Nero coloured his renditions of pop songs — from Cole Porter and George Gershwin to the Beatles and Bob Dylan — with classical, swing, Broadway, blues and jazz melodies. He typically known as his sound “undefinable” and was not offended when others known as it “middle of the road.” (He as soon as advised a newspaper, “Middle of the road and doing great business.”)googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );
Recruited by Philadelphia live performance promoter Moe Septee, Nero began the Philly Pops orchestra in 1979, the 12 months Arthur Fiedler died. Fiedler is credited with nearly inventing the fashionable model of the pops orchestra in Boston, and Nero hoped to rival it in recognition.
“I’d like to beat the pants off them,” Nero stated on the time.
Nero’s orchestra wasn’t as outstanding as Boston’s, nevertheless it did tout routine sellouts in Philadelphia, little question helped by Nero’s energetic enjoying fashion and heat stage presence.
In his work as each performer and conductor, Nero returned continuously to Broadway tunes, Hollywood themes and Gershwin, the topic of the Philly Pops’ first live performance. But he additionally dipped into Motown’s catalog and farther afield to bands corresponding to Procol Harum and an album dedicated to disco and ‘70s love songs.
In 1975, he lamented to The Washington Post: “I find it impossible to use a lot of the new material that’s coming out. There is some rock material in my repertoire … but a lot of rock groups are selling a sound, not music. You take the tune apart and there’s nothing there to work with.”
He led the Philly Pops till 2013, exiting his management function when the orchestra stated it might not afford him.
By his personal admission, Nero struggled early in his profession — beneath the identify Bernie Nerow — throughout stints in New York and Las Vegas. But he discovered his stride in his late 20s enjoying in New York’s membership circuit.
He was signed to RCA by Stan Greeson, who noticed a possible star and had him change his identify to Peter Nero. A gentle stream of early Nineteen Sixties membership reveals led to common radio and TV appearances and two dozen RCA albums over the span of a decade.
Nero earned Grammy Awards in 1961 for greatest new artist and in 1962 for greatest efficiency by an orchestra or instrumentalist for his file “The Colorful Peter Nero.”
A 1963 album, “Hail the Conquering Nero,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard pop album chart. It included variations of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and “Mack the Knife.”
He additionally charted with a model of “Theme from `The Summer of ’42,’” a track written by Michel Legrand for the 1971 film. Nero’s model hit No. 21 on the Billboard pop singles chart.
Nero additionally wrote the rating for the 1963 Jane Fonda movie “Sunday in New York” and made an look within the film.
Born Bernard Nierow in 1934, Nero was raised in Brooklyn. He began taking piano classes at age 7 and, by age 11, he was stated to have been in a position to play Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major from reminiscence. He later received a scholarship to take lessons at Juilliard, received a number of expertise contests and graduated from Brooklyn College.
When headlining, Nero disliked having a set checklist and would choose songs on the spot. The thought of blending types and genres carried over to the Philly Pops.
“My programs for the Philly Pops may open with ‘Die Meistersinger,’ then ‘Chariots of Fire,’ then Enesco’s Rumanian Rhapsodies, then a television theme,” Nero advised The New York Times in 1982. “I keep going back and forth, and the audience bought it from the beginning.”
