April Stevens
A pop vocalist whose playful, intimate duets with her brother Nino Tempo charmed the 1960s airwaves and won a Grammy.
1929–2023 (age 94)·American singer·Birthday: April 29·The Silent Generation
Biography
Caroline LoTempio, who became April Stevens, possessed a warm, whispery voice that felt like a secret shared. Her career began in the late 1940s, but it was her partnership with her younger brother, Nino Tempo, that defined her success. In 1963, their dreamy, slowed-down rendition of the 1930s ballad 'Deep Purple' became an unexpected smash, topping the charts and earning them a Grammy for Best Rock & Roll Recording—a category that highlighted the song's novel, soothing approach in the rock era. The duo, billed as Nino Tempo & April Stevens, mastered a sound of cozy sophistication, with Stevens's vocals often delivering a spoken, seductive counterpoint to Tempo's singing. While the hits like 'Deep Purple' and 'Whispering' defined their commercial peak, Stevens continued to perform and record, her style a lasting testament to pop's capacity for gentle, sibling-harmony magic.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
April was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When April Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
April's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 40
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 50
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 60
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 70
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 80
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2023Died at 94
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Won a Grammy Award in 1964 for 'Deep Purple' with Nino Tempo in the Best Rock & Roll Recording category.
- Scored a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963 with the single 'Deep Purple'.
- Inducted into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame in recognition of her musical contributions.
- Maintained a successful performing and recording partnership with her brother for over five decades.
Did You Know?
She initially recorded under the name 'April Dawn' before settling on April Stevens.
Before her fame with Nino, she had a solo hit in 1951 with 'Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya Huh?'
She and Nino Tempo were childhood music prodigies; he played saxophone and she sang on a local radio show.
Their hit 'Deep Purple' was famously recorded in one take after a playful, impromptu rehearsal.
“Deep Purple? That was Nino's idea, but singing it together just felt right.”
