Peter Nero, Pianist Who Led the Philly Pops for Decades, Dies at 89

Peter Nero, the pianist and jazz artist who spent years as the player-conductor of the Philly Pops, has died at age 89. He died Thursday, according to his daughter, Beverly Nero, who said the cause was natural and that he passed away at Home Care Assisted Living Facility in Eustis, Fla. Services will be private.

The Philly Pops said it was saddened by the news. In a statement, the orchestra said Nero had brought countless unforgettable moments to Philadelphia and that it had always drawn inspiration from his vision, talent and artistry.

Born Bernard Nierow on May 22, 1934, Nero first performed on the children's talent-show circuit in New York. His parents were not musical, he said, but they bought him a $1,100 piano, an expensive purchase at the time. "It was the only time they borrowed money," he recalled.

He attended New York's High School of Music and Art, now the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and studied part time at Juilliard on Saturdays. While earning a bachelor of arts degree at Brooklyn College, he also studied privately with the piano teachers Abram Chasins and Chasins' wife, Constance Keene.

His talent-show appearances in the 1950s drew the attention of Paul Whiteman, with whom he toured for several years. After leading his own trio at the Tropicana in Las Vegas, Nero returned to New York and was hired by Jilly's, a 52nd Street saloon frequented by Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason and a circle of musicians. Working for owner Jilly Rizzo, he sharpened his jazz skills.

In 1961 he signed with RCA to a 24-album deal spanning eight years, and he later moved to Columbia Records. In the 1970s, the single "Summer of '42" helped him reach $1 million in sales. Over his career he released more than 70 albums, and he worked with performers including Sinatra, Rod Stewart, Johnny Mathis and Mel Tormé.

Nero was known for building concerts that mixed pop, classical and jazz. "I enjoy showing how the lines blur," he told The Inquirer in 2007. He also said a program should combine familiar material with pieces that challenge listeners, because otherwise audiences "are going to get bored." At the Kimmel Center he often conducted the Philly Pops with one hand while playing the piano with the other.

Fellow musicians admired his playing. In an interview with Keyboard Magazine, Ray Charles said of him: "Peter Nero plays his buns off!"

Nero ended his tenure as Philly Pops director in 2013. At his final concert in Verizon Hall, the audience gave him a standing ovation before he played, and he gave his last directorial signal to close the evening.

The group, which has lately gone by the name No Name Pops, said its board, musicians and administration were saddened to lose their "musical hero." It recalled performances in front of Independence Hall, on the Art Museum steps, at the Academy of Music and in Verizon Hall, and pledged to honor his legacy.

Nero was married and divorced three times: to childhood sweetheart Marcia Dunner, with whom he had two children, Jedd and Beverly; to Peggy Altman, a flight attendant from Alabama; and to Rebecca Edie, a former Philly Pops pianist. He is survived by his daughter, his son, three grandchildren and his brother, Alan.