| At the age of 17, Sammy Nestico became the staff arranger for ABC radio station WCAE, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He received his B.S. degree in music education from Duguesne University and has been honored three times by the school with an honorary Doctor of Music degree, the Distinguished Alumni award, and in 1994, he was inducted into the "Century Club". North Texas State also presented him with special music awards in 1978, 1979 and 1980. As an educator, he has directed the music programs at Westinghouse Memorial High, Wilmerding, Pa, Pierce College, Los Angeles, Ca and the University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. Sammy joined the United States Air Force Band in Washington, DC as staff arranger, and subsequently became the leader of famous Airmen of Note. Following his 15 year tenure with the Air Force, he enlisted with the United States Marine Band in Washington, serving as chief arranger and director of the White House orchestra which performed for important judicial and congressional social functions during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. In the years between 1970 and 1984, Sammy was the composer/arranger for the Count Basie orchestra. He directed the recording of ten albums of original music, four of which won Grammy awards. During the same period he was also engaged by Capitol Records as arranger/orchestrator. co-writing the equivalent of 63 albums for that organization. Sammy has collaborated with Steve Allen, Stan Freberg, Bobby Troupe and Johnny Mercer in the songwriting field, and he has orchestrated for such major film studios as 20th Century Fox, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, MGM and Columbia. He also arranged and/or conducted albums for recording artists Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Sarah Vaughn, Toni Tennille, Pattie Austin, Nancy Wilson, Paul Anka, Pat Boone and others. His televsion credits are numerous. As arranger, Sammy has written for specials by Julie Andrews, George Burns, Gene Kelly, Merv Griffin, Mary Tyler Moore, Goldie Hawn, The Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show, Perry Como, Liza Minelli, Bob Hope and many more. As Orchestrator has has worked on Mission Impossible, The Tony Randall Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Gomer Pyle, Charlie's Angels and many more. |
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