Stage name of American saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter and producer Antonino LoTempio. Initially also a child actor.
Born January 6, 1935, in Niagara Falls, New York, as Antonino Bart LoTempio. Later known as Anthony, then Nino.
Younger brother of April Stevens (born Carol Vincinette LoTempio), son of Anna LoTempio and Samuel Joseph LoTempio. The family relocated to Los Angeles in 1948.
Learned to play clarinet and tenor sax at a young age, and first appeared on stage with Benny Goodman at age 7. Was a child actor, appearing in the films The Red Pony and The Glenn Miller Story. Began professional career as an in-demand session sax player, with Don Costa at United Artists, Phil Spector at Philles, and then at Atlantic. Then he and April were signed to Atlantic's Atco subsidiary by Ahmet Ertegun, as Nino Tempo & April Stevens.
Charted with his sister as a singing duo 17 times on the U.S. charts, and won a Grammy Award in 1963 for best rock & roll recording for the song "Deep Purple."
A prolific and popular songwriter, he charted as a songwriter three times, hitting #41 in the U.K. with "A Woman's Story" by Marc Almond in 1986 (his sister April and Phil Spector co-writing). His sister sang his song "Teach Me Tiger," which though it was banned in many areas for its suggestive lyrics, still charted to #86 in the U.S. in 1959. Later formed his own band 5th Ave. Sax, in 1973, and was a voice actor in the 1980s.
