Nick Perito

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American composer (1924–2005)

title: "Nick Perito" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-male-composers", "2005-deaths", "1924-births", "juilliard-school-alumni", "musicians-from-denver", "american-music-arrangers", "songwriters-from-colorado", "university-of-denver-alumni", "writers-from-california", "writers-from-denver", "american-male-conductors-(music)", "orchestra-leaders", "deaths-from-pulmonary-fibrosis", "20th-century-american-composers", "20th-century-american-conductors-(music)", "20th-century-american-male-musicians", "american-male-songwriters", "20th-century-american-songwriters"] description: "American composer (1924–2005)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Perito" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American composer (1924–2005) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameNick Perito
imageNick perito.JPG
altNick Perito
captionNick Perito as the conductor for Perry Como's last performance, 1994.
image_size200px
birth_nameNicholas Perito
birth_date
birth_placeDenver, Colorado
death_date
death_placeHollywood, California
occupationcomposer
arranger
bandleader
performer
instrumentaccordion
piano
years_active1940s–2004
associated_actsPerry Como
Ferrante and Teicher
::

| name = Nick Perito | image = Nick perito.JPG | alt = Nick Perito | caption = Nick Perito as the conductor for Perry Como's last performance, 1994. | image_size = 200px | birth_name = Nicholas Perito | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = Denver, Colorado | origin = | death_date = | death_place = Hollywood, California | genre = | occupation = composer arranger bandleader performer | instrument = accordion piano | years_active = 1940s–2004 | label = | associated_acts = Perry Como Ferrante and Teicher | url =

Nicholas Perito (April 7, 1924 – August 4, 2005) was an American Hollywood composer and arranger and, for 40 years, the closest collaborator of singer Perry Como.

Life

Early years

Born in Denver, Perito's start in music was at an early age, when he received an accordion as a gift from his parents. Both his uncle and brother encouraged his learning by gifts of sheet music; as he mastered one song, he would then be given a new one as an incentive. Perito started performing at parties at a young age and received a scholarship to the Lamont School of Music, studying at the University of Denver.

Being drafted in 1943 took him to New York, where he served as an Army medic in World War II; he also played piano and did musical arrangements for the Army band. The band musicians were given passes on weekends if there were no military engagements for them and were allowed to pick up jobs during this time. Perito remained in New York after World War II, entering the Juilliard School of Music and graduating from the college in 1949.

Career

Perito went home to Denver to marry his high school sweetheart, Judy Stone, and worked at Denver's KOA with his own weekday radio program in 1946. The couple then settled in New York, where he worked as a songwriter, Perito also had his own band that had a permanent spot at Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant, owned by the boxer. His first association with Perry Como came through Como's arranger, Ray Charles, in the early 1950s. Como had recorded a novelty song, "Hoop-De-Doo", and Perito was hired to accompany him on accordion for television performances of the song.

In 1963, Como's musical conductor, Mitchell Ayres, wanted to hire some new arrangers for Como's television show; Ray Charles recommended Perito to Ayres. When Ayres left to take a job as the conductor of The Hollywood Palace, Perito became the singer's music director and conductor. Perito continued to work with the singer through his very last performance: Como's Irish Christmas special in 1994. When Mitchell Ayres was killed in a traffic accident in 1969, former Como show producer Nick Vanoff, who was now with The Hollywood Palace, suggested Perito as Ayres' replacement.

Perito's other credits include the Kennedy Center Honors, where he again worked with Vanoff. He was also the musical director for the American Film Institute awards, as well as The Don Knotts Show, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby television specials. Perito wrote the music for the 1968 film, Don't Just Stand There! with Robert Wagner and Mary Tyler Moore. In the same year, Perito played the accordion on the only solo vocal album of his friend and associate, Ray Charles, Memories of a Middle-Aged Movie Fan. Perito was also an influential arranger of background music for Muzak in the late 1960s and early 70s.

He became the musical director for Bob Hope in 1993, and worked with Hope's wife, Dolores, when she decided to pick up her singing career after 60 years. Perito played accordion for actor Paul Sorvino's PBS musical special in 1996. Perito, along with musicians Dick Grove and Allyn Ferguson, was a founder and partner in the Grove School of Music in Van Nuys, California. The school was accredited in 1979 but could no longer afford to keep its doors open by 1991.

Honors

His work earned Perito a dozen Emmy nominations. a year before his death of pulmonary fibrosis in Hollywood.

Works

;As composer:

;As conductor, arranger, director or producer:

  • Many.

References

References

  1. (3 August 2005). "Composer Nick Perito dead at 81". United Press International.
  2. {{AllMusic. Jason. Ankeny
  3. "The Como Team". Perry Como Appreciation Society.
  4. Bruno, Otto. "Nick Perito Interview". OttoBruno.org.
  5. (10 August 1946). "Too Short For a Head". Billboard.
  6. (2009). "Perry Como: A Biography and Complete Career Record". McFarland.
  7. (1997). "Dorothy Dandridge: An Intimate Biography". Holloway House.
  8. (5 June 1948). "Music--As Written". Billboard.
  9. (16 October 1961). "E. Mathews to UA A.&R. Post". Billboard.
  10. "Irish Christmas". Internet Movie Database.
  11. (26 May 2001). "Perry Como, Easy-Listening Pioneer, Passes On". Billboard.
  12. (16 August 2005). "Nick Perito Obituary". Variety.
  13. Popa, Christopher. "Mitchell Ayres-Scratchin' the Surface". Big Band Library.
  14. "Nick Vanoff". IMDB.
  15. (1968). "Don't Just Stand There". IMDB.
  16. (1968). "Memories of a Middle-Aged Movie Fan". Atco Records.
  17. Lanza, Joseph. (2004). "Elevator music: a surreal history of Muzak, easy-listening, and other moodsong". University of Michigan Press.
  18. (10 November 1973). "Inside Track". Billboard.
  19. DiCostanzo, Frank. (15 November 1997). "Drive Shifts To High Gear To Reach Military, Over-50 Crowd With Dolores Hope Album". Billboard.
  20. Sheffield, Skip. (26 July 1996). "Actor Paul Sorvino Loves to Sing". The News.
  21. Stewart, Zan. (15 March 1991). "Music School Turns Ear Toward Teamwork, Professionalism". LA Times.
  22. Arkush, Michael. (6 August 1991). "The Grove School May Close : Van Nuys: The music institute needs to raise at least $300,000. An agreement to sell it to a Florida academy falls through". LA Times.
  23. See {{AllMusic

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american-male-composers2005-deaths1924-birthsjuilliard-school-alumnimusicians-from-denveramerican-music-arrangerssongwriters-from-coloradouniversity-of-denver-alumniwriters-from-californiawriters-from-denveramerican-male-conductors-(music)orchestra-leadersdeaths-from-pulmonary-fibrosis20th-century-american-composers20th-century-american-conductors-(music)20th-century-american-male-musiciansamerican-male-songwriters20th-century-american-songwriters