Editing Dick Contino (section)

==Early career==
Contino got his big break on December 7, 1947, at age 17, when he played "[[Lady of Spain (song)|Lady of Spain]]" (his signature piece) and won first place in the [[Horace Heidt]]/[[Philip Morris USA|Philip Morris]] talent contest in Fresno, which was broadcast on national radio.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fresno Accordionist Wins $250 Prize On Radio Talent Program|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17795281/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=December 8, 1947|location=California, Fresno|page=15|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> Contino also won first place in subsequent competitions in Los Angeles,<ref name="fbr121547">{{cite news|title=Fresno Youth Is Victor In Second Talent Contest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17795281/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=December 15, 1947|location=California, Fresno|page=13|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]],<ref name="fbr010548">{{cite news|title=Fresno Youth Is Victor Again In Talent Contest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17795794/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=January 5, 1948|location=California, Fresno|page=11|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> [[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Young Accordion Player Again Is Radio Test Victor|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17796051/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=January 12, 1948|location=California, Fresno|page=9|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Contino Does It Again; Wins 8th Amateur Contest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17796342/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=January 26, 1948|location=California, Fresno|page=11|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> [[Cleveland]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Fresno Accordion Player Again Is Contest Winner|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17796458/dick_contino/|work=The Fresno Bee The Republican|date=February 2, 1948|location=California, Fresno|page=13|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = February 26, 2018}} {{Open access}}</ref> [[Pittsburgh]], [[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania|Harrisburg]], and [[New York City]]. He won first place in the final round on December 12, 1948, in [[Washington, D.C.]] 

Contino made many recordings from the latter 1940s to the early 1960s, particularly for [[Mercury Records]] and [[Dot Records]]. [[Eddie Fisher]] had much better success with Contino's "Lady of Spain" in 1952. Contino's song "Yours" was his first hit single. The song reached #27 on the U.S. pop charts in 1954. His second and only other hit single was "Pledge My Love." It reached #42 on the U.S. pop charts in 1957.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

Contino toured with the Horace Heidt Orchestra and was billed as the "world's greatest accordion player." He appeared on ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' a record 48 times.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}