Pepe Cardona sings his last tune
Longtime City Island resident and Alive N Kickin’ singer dies at 72
BY JASON COHEN
For 50 years, Pepe Cardona’s
life was dedicated to music.
Last week, the singer from
the band Alive N Kickin’ and
longtime City Island resident
lost his battle with cancer.
On July 28, Cardona, 72,
passed away in Michigan accompanied
by his wife Maria
and son Tim. A funeral
and memorial will take place
in September.
“It’s with a heavy heart
that we announce the passing
of our lead singer Pepe Cardona,”
the band said on Facebook.
“His tireless dedication
and energetic performances
kept the ‘Kickin” in Alive
N Kickin’ for fi fty years! He
was one of a kind, and will be
missed. Rest in peace, Pepe.”
A fundraiser and celebration
for Cardona took place on
Aug. 5 in Long Island.
Cardona fought stage 3
pancreatic cancer since October
2019 and in April 2020,
the doctors removed the tumors.
But shortly after that,
doctors found a large mass in
his stomach, which he could
not overcome.
He grew up in Brooklyn and
lived in the Bronx for about 30
years. While the group was
known mainly for their 1970
hit single “Tighter, Tighter,”
which reached number seven
on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart, his longtime friend and
fellow Bronxite Gene DiNapoli
said that he was one of a kind.
“He was the most humble
person you would want to
meet,” DiNapoli said. “He was
a local hero who never said no
to any charity or any benefi t.”
DiNapoli, a renowned Elvis
impersonator, met Cardona
about 40 years ago as
their paths crossed at a performance.
They instantly clicked
and became lifelong friends.
The duo worked together
at a few events in the 80s and
90s and DiNapoli recalled how
Cardona was always smiling
and loved people and music.
“Music was both our passions,
so we talked a lot
about music,” he told the
Bronx Times.
BRONX TIMES R 2 EPORTER, AUGUST 7-13, 2020 BTR
He reminisced about how
Cardona used to come to his
house and ask for advice about
performing. DiNapoli would
say, “you had a hit record” and
he would reply, “everybody’s
advice is worth something.”
DiNapoli is meeting with
elected offi cials in the near
future and is hoping to get a
street named after Cardona.
Dave Franze of West Harrison,
was friends with Cardona
for the last decade. While
Franze is a fi tness trainer, he
is also the volunteer concert
coordinator for Harrison summer
concerts.
Several years ago, he
met Cardona when looking
for summer bands. The two
quickly became friends.
“I was totally impressed
with his professionalism and
what a great guy he seemed to
be and was,” he said. “There
was no rock star ego. He was
an incredible performer who
could read the crowd as good
as anybody who picked up
a microphone.”
Franze recalled how he
had never danced at a concert
prior to hearing Cardona sing.
As time passed, they grew
close and he even trained Cardona
for two years.
According to Franze, Cardona
was a “rock and roll
encyclopedia.” In 2018, he
presented him with a proclamation
from Harrison for 50
years in service to music.
“He was a major infl uence
in my life,” he stressed. “He
was also one of the most positive
people I’ve ever seen in
my life.”
Pepe Cardona with longtime friend and fellow Bronxite Gene DiNapoli.
Courtesy of Manny Brac
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