Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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NERO, Peter

(b Peter Bernard Nierow, 22 May '34, NYC) Pop pianist. Played with Paul Whiteman, symphony orchestras; gigged in Manhattan late '50s until discovered by RCA, whose promotion machine at that time could still make a star. His piano was infl. by the likes of Oscar Peterson, but in the end he could not escape a cocktail-bar image. 20 chart LPs '61-72 incl. Hail The Conquering Nero '63 (his biggest at no. 5); others were called Songs You Won't Forget, Career Girls, The Screen Scene, Nero Goes "Pops' (with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra), etc; he changed labels to Columbia and came out with I've Gotta Be Me. Summer Of '42 '71 was one of his best sellers; the movie theme title track was his only hit single. He gave up on the pop world and made trio set Peter Nero Now mid-'70s for Concord Jazz, later Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington..