Peppino D'Agostino

Self-taught musician Peppino D'Agostino was born in Italy in the mid-'50s. After seeing his cousin play the guitar, he became obsessed and convinced his mother to buy him a cheap guitar. After only a few lessons, D'Agostino decided that he could teach himself and began learning Italian pop and flamenco songs. By the age of 18, he was reading music and composing solo material. His first album, Bluerba, was released in Italy in 1981 and he soon became known for his incredible technical skill. After he released a few more albums in his country, he immigrated to America to continue pursuing his dream. He was a street musician for a period, before 1993 when his first U.S. album, Close to the Heart, was met with a warm reaction from audiences. His playing earned him the opportunity to release books of his compositions, instructional videos, and a movie soundtrack for the 1997 Italian film Ardena. In 1998, Peppino released the largely acoustic A Glimpse of Times Past on Rykodisc/Polygram, making it his most widely released title in the United States to that point. In 2002 he released Every Step of the Way, a genre-bending collection that touched on everything from flamenco jazz to rustic folk. 2005 saw the release of Bayshore Road, a collaboration with electric virtuoso Stef Burns on Steve Vai's Favored Nations Entertainment label.