settimio soprani accordion contino model

True, the accordion has oftentimes failed to gain acceptance as a 'serious' instrument in certain quarters - Robert Klein probably put it best on Child of the 50's when he described the accordion as 'groovy if you're in a prisoner-of-war camp, someplace where you don't have access to 'real' instruments' - but in the mid-20th century it was popular, and Contino was its most popular exponent in a period before electric guitars were played by anyone outside of the jazz field.īorn in Fresno, California, in 1930, Contino took up the accordion as a boy and began entering talent competitions during the mid-'40s, ultimately winning first prize during 1947 in a contest run by bandleader Horace Heidt. He put Contino under contract and featured him on his weekly radio show, The Horace Heidt Youth Opportunity Hour, where the teenager became a star. Contino's two most popular numbers were 'Lady of Spain' and 'Bumble Boogie.' The accordionist later sued Heidt to get out of his contract, and then organized his own band. During 19, he played to capacity houses at some of the choicest venues in the country, including the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, his earnings reaching 4,000 dollars a night. By 1950, there was a 'Dick Contino' model accordion in production from instrument maker Settimio Soprani, and that same year he signed a contract with RCA Victor.

Settimio soprani accordion contino model