Peppino di Capri: The Story of a Boy Who Loved Music (Told Simply)

Before We Start

• Peppino di Capri was a singer, piano player, and actor from Italy.
• He won the famous Italian music contest called Sanremo two times.
• He passed away on July 11, 2026, at the age of 86.
• This article is based on his last interview, done in summer 2025 by journalist Michela Proietti for the newspaper Corriere. They reprinted it after he died.

Important: Peppino had a special gift called absolute pitch — this means he could listen to a song just one time and then play it perfectly on the piano. That was his "secret weapon"!

A Big Birthday Party

Peppino celebrated his 86th birthday at his home on the island of Capri.

• His children organized a nice evening with their friends.
• At first he worried nobody would come, but 200 people showed up!
• He tried to sing along, but everyone was a bit off-key. He said it was still fun and happy.

When asked if it feels good to have such a big birthday, he joked: "It was nicer when the number was smaller!"

His Early Days: A Boy Who Built Things

Peppino’s first memory was from when he was 12 years old:

1. He built a real-size boat inside his bedroom.
2. He later made it float on water.
3. To get the boat out, he had to push it through the window because the door was too small.

At school, he also made a Santa Claus figure with wires that could open and give gifts to other classes.

Callout: Peppino said he wasn’t a genius, just a bit "different" (eccentric). He wasn’t the best student. His father used to talk to his teachers every Monday, even though Peppino thought his dad didn’t care.

A Complicated Dad

A movie about his life (Champagne – Peppino di Capri) showed that his father, Bernardo, was strict and old-fashioned.

• They used formal language (like saying "you" formally in Italian).
• When Peppino won Sanremo, he called his dad first. His dad just said "eh" (like "so what?").
• This made Peppino both shy and sometimes bold.

One sad moment: his father burned his piano for firewood! But later, seeing Peppino was sad, he bought a new one.

How He Became a Singer (By Accident!)

Peppino didn’t plan to be a singer. Here’s how it happened:

1. The regular singer at the club where he played piano got sick.
2. Peppino, feeling both shy and brave, said: "I can try!"
3. He sang a song by Johnnie Ray and people liked it.

His family was not rich, but they paid for piano lessons so he could get a job. However, his German piano teacher kicked him out when she learned he played in nightclubs.

His Special Music Gift and First Songs

• Peppino had absolute pitch (explained earlier).
• He said: "I just needed to hear a song once to play it back."

His first song was inspired by vacationers on Capri: Vicino ‘o mare (meaning "Near the sea"). He wrote it for two sisters he liked.

His first big hit was Nun è peccato (written by a friend named Ugo Calise). He played it the same night he learned it and it reached number 3 on the music charts (the list of most popular songs).

The Big Break and Name Change

• While playing with his band "The Rockers" on the island of Ischia, music bosses from Milan noticed him.
• A famous singer named Mina (then called Baby Gate) was also there; they were both called to record.
• To buy his first record in Rome, he wore a big coat to hide, but the shopkeeper recognized him and said the disc would be number one.

His real last name was Faiella. A man named Mario Cenci changed it to "di Capri" (meaning "of Capri") because "Faiella" sounded like a word for bad luck.

Playing for Famous People

Peppino once played piano for Jacqueline Kennedy (a former US First Lady). She was very nice and always smiling. A man named Onassis (her later husband) stared at him with big sunglasses. Peppino thought he was a show-off and asked his uncle (the club owner) to remove him, but his uncle said Onassis bought six bottles of champagne, so Peppino should keep playing. They later invited Peppino to their yacht called Christina.

If he hadn’t been a singer, Peppino said he’d have done engineering — he even wanted to invent the cellphone!

Money, Wives, and Kids

With his first earnings, he helped his parents and opened Capri’s first disco called "Splash". His first wife Roberta managed it; his sister played records.

• Roberta: ex-model, charismatic (today she’d be an "influencer" — someone famous online). They had a son Igor during a brief reunion after divorce.
• Giuliana: his second wife, a biologist, recently passed away. They had two sons, Dario and Edoardo.
• He wrote a famous song called Roberta (originally Lo sai) and woke her to tell her.
• The shiny lamé jacket for men? Roberta’s idea, but Giuliana later destroyed those jackets.

Important: Peppino said he was an easy-going father, not good with words, but loved his kids (he got emotional talking about this).

The movie also showed Roberta liked gambling: the night’s concert money sometimes went to casinos, and she threw parties with roasted pig flown in by helicopter — something Mariah Carey might do today.

Friends and Fellow Artists

Peppino’s friends included:

• Renato Zero (close friend)
• Al Bano (tries to take him to sing in Russia)
• Capri pals who wrote Capri Song with famous lyricist Mogol
• He admired Lucio Dalla (who played Caruso for him early to check pronunciation, making him cry)
• He liked Gianna Nannini’s concerts
• About young rapper Geolier: "Very talented, but he’s a rapper" (someone who rhymes in songs). Fedez complimented him at Sanremo.

His View on Life and Beyond

• He believed maybe he’d take a "tour" in Purgatory (a waiting place in some religions) after death.
• He had no regrets: "I always did things with conviction. I am a fulfilled man."

(The original newspaper article also offered a podcast version of this interview you could listen to.)

Summary

Peppino di Capri was a beloved Italian singer with a magical ear for music. From building boats as a kid to winning Sanremo twice, he lived a full life filled with catchy songs, famous friends, and a big family. He passed away in 2026, but his story shows that even shy kids with a piano can become stars.

FAQ

Q1: What does "absolute pitch" mean?
A: It means you can hear a song once and then play it perfectly without needing the written music. Peppino had this gift.

Q2: Why wasn’t he called Peppino Faiella?
A: Someone thought "Faiella" sounded like bad luck, so they renamed him after his hometown Capri.

Q3: What was his first big hit?
A: Nun è peccato, a song he played the very night he learned it, reaching number 3 on the charts.

Q4: Did he really play for Jacqueline Kennedy?
A: Yes! He played at a club and later was invited to her yacht.

Q5: Did he have any regrets?
A: No, he said he always did what he believed in and was happy with his life.