Italian singer, pianist and actor Peppino di Capri was born as Giuseppe Faiella on 27th July 1939 on the island of Capri, is widowed and has 3 sons.
At just 4 years old, he performed for the first time by playing the piano in front of several American troops who at the time were serving in Capri during the war. He started taking piano lessons 2 years later and as a teenager, together with a friend, performed in local nightclubs and nearby Ischia and showed interest in rock music. Once, they sang two tracks on a TV programme and even managed to win a price for their performance.
In 1958, Peppino created the group ‘The Capri Boys’ who interpreted cover versions as well as new songs in various clubs. One evening, a record company executive who happened to be in the venue they were performing at, offered them a record contract and the following month the band travelled to Milan to record 10 songs. Meanwhile, the band’s name was changed to ‘Peppino di Capri and his Rockers’.
The songs were released and proved very successful and the group’s popularity increased. At the end of the 50s, Peppino had his first 33rpm released and at the beginning of the 60s, he acted in some musicals as well as in a movie, plus releasing 2 albums and several 45 rpm. His songs were a mixture of Neapolitan, mambo, cha cha cha and twist music.
Peppino participated in numerous music festivals and events, amongst which he competed 15 times in the yearly San Remo Music Festival, winning twice with the songs ‘Un grande amore e’ niente piu' and 'Non lo faccio piu‘. In 1991, he represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest with the track ‘Comme e’ ddoce ‘o mare’, finishing in 7th place.
During his long career, Di Capri released a total of 151 albums and over 130 singles. Earlier this year, he received the ‘Citta` di San Remo’ career award. Some of his biggest hits include ‘Roberta’, ‘Champagne’ and ‘St Tropez Twist’.
*Image: no infringement intended. Source: biografieonline.it