Joe Pica (September 19, 1923 – December 13, 1973), nicknamed "The Wizard of the Keys," was a popular United States East Coast pianist and lounge singer who flourished in the 1950s."Joseph Pica," 153-14-2379
U.S. Social Security Death Index
/ref>"Joe Pica, Entertainer,"
''St. Petersburg Times'' / ''Pinellas Times'', December 15, 1973, p. 6

Life and work

A native of New Jersey, Joseph Pica was the son of James Pica, a tailor, who had immigrated from Italy in 1899, and his wife Safira, who had been born in the U.S. but was of Italian descent. Joseph was the youngest of four siblings. He may have graduated from Abington Avenue Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey, and attended

Barringer High School Barringer Academy of the Arts & Humanities (formerly Barringer High School and Newark High School), is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United ...

, also in Newark. According to one source, "At the age of nine he presented two successful classical concerts but in his early teens he switched from classical to pop style." For thirteen years, Pica had his own radio show on

WAAT Waat is a village in the northeastern part of South Sudan. It is located in Nyirol County, Jonglei State Jonglei State is a state of South Sudan with Bor as its centre of government and the biggest city. Jonglei state comprises nine counties ...

in Newark. To promote '' The Jolson Story'' (1946), a theater owner in Newark hired Pica to play Jolson songs on the radio for three weeks prior to the film's debut. Free tickets were given to those who could guess the names of the songs. In the 1950s, Pica recorded more than a dozen singles and at least one album, all issued by either Original Records or Bergen Records in

Little Ferry, New Jersey Little Ferry is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 10,626,Anchor Records in Newark.William R. Daniels, comp., ''The American 45 and 78 RPM Record Dating Guide, 1940-1959'', Westport: Greenwood, 1985, pp. 9, 20, 106. Note: Unless otherwise noted, all release dates are taken or inferred from this source. Four of his records made the Music Vendor pop charts, 1954-58. In about 1960, by that time married to Eva, Pica moved to Florida, where he played piano at the Crystal Lounge in Clearwater before becoming the owner of Joe Pica Red Carpet Steak House and Lounge."Joseph Russato,"
“Wizard of the Keys,” ''The Other Side'', vol 27, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 1991, pp. 46-47. (includes photo of Pica) He died in 1973, shortly after his 50th birthday. Joe Pica the pianist is sometimes confused with Joe Picca (1919–1979) who had an accordion shop in Bound Brook, New Jersey, and composed piano

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

solos.

Personal recollections of Pica

Discography

Singles

* "Back in the Good Old Days" / "Springtime in the Rockies" (with Shorty Warren and the Arlene Wright Trio) (78 rpm, Trope 5154, c. 1951) * "Go Home, Little Girl, Go Home" (with The Song Spinners) / "Memories" (45 rpm, Anchor 45-A-6, August 1952) *" Margie" / "

When I Grow Too Old to Dream "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" is a popular song with music by Sigmund Romberg and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, published in 1934. The song was introduced by Evelyn Laye and Ramon Novarro in the film ''The Night Is Young'' (1935). It has sin ...

" (45 rpm, Anchor 45-A-18, 1953) * " Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" / "

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...

" (Instrumental) (45 rpm, Original OR-511, c. 1954) * " The Music Goes 'Round and Around" / "

Chinatown, My Chinatown "Chinatown, My Chinatown" is a popular song written by William Jerome (words) and Jean Schwartz (music) in 1906 and later interpolated into the musical ''Up and Down Broadway'' (1910).Ruhlmann, ''Breaking Records''p. 31 The song has been record ...

" (Instrumental) (45 rpm, Original OR-512, February 1955) * "I Learned a Lesson I'll Never Forget" / "Doodle Doo Doo" (with the Balladairs Group) (45 rpm, Original OR-518, 1955) * "Down in the Old School Yard" / "

Oh, How I Miss You Tonight "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" is a popular song, published in 1925, written by Benny Davis, Joe Burke, and Mark Fisher. Popular recordings of the song in 1925 were by Ben Selvin, Benson Orchestra of Chicago, Lewis James and Irving Kaufman. Othe ...

" (45 rpm, Bergen 103, c. 1956) * "Don't Cry Little Girl, Don't Cry" / "

The Woodpecker Song "The Woodpecker Song" (''Reginella Campagnola'') is originally an Italian song. The music was written by Eldo Di Lazzaro in 1939, while the Italian lyrics were written by Bruno Cherubini (pseudonym "C. Bruno"). The English lyrics were written by H ...

" (Instrumental)(45 rpm, Original OR-532, November 1956) * "Old Oaken Bucket" / " I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (45 rpm, Anchor 148, November 1958)Galen Gart, ''ARLD: The American Record Label Directory and Dating Guide, 1940-1959'', Milford, NH: Big Nickel Publications, 1989, p. 8. * "When Your Hair Has Turned to Silver" / "

You Belong to My Heart "You Belong to My Heart" is the name of an English-language version of the Mexican Bolero song "Solamente una vez" (''Only Once'', in English). This song was composed by Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara and originally performed by singer Ana Marí ...

" (45 rpm, Anchor 150, c. 1958) * "Down in the Old School Yard" / "

" (45 rpm, Anchor 152, c. 1958) * " Somebody Stole My Girl" / "

" (45 rpm, Anchor 155, c. 1959) * "Rocka Rolla Old Pianola" / " You Are My Sunshine" (45 rpm, Anchor 156, c. 1959) * "Maybe" (Instrumental) / " Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Instrumental) (45 rpm, Anchor 157, c. 1959) * "Rock a Rolla the Old Pianola" / "Brother Bill" (Original Records?)

Album

* ''Pica on Pianola'' (33 rpm, Original LP-01) rack listing: "Somebody Stole My Gal" / "(The Gang that Sang) Heart of My Heart" / "Oh How I Miss You Tonight">Somebody_Stole_My_Gal.html" ;"title="rack listing: "Somebody Stole My Gal">rack listing: "Somebody Stole My Gal" / "(The Gang that Sang) Heart of My Heart" / "Oh How I Miss You Tonight" / "I Want a Girl" / "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" / "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" / "Maybe" / "Sweet Sue, Just You"]

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pica, Joe 1923 births 1973 deaths American people of Italian descent Barringer High School alumni Musicians from Newark, New Jersey 20th-century American pianists American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians