Tony Bernan, a Valencian artist, occupies a unique space in the music landscape, though he may not fully fit the traditional definition of a crooner. His journey is noteworthy and deserves recognition. He remains active on Facebook, where his photo was sourced. After several attempts to establish himself, he moved to Madrid, where he began his career on the SER program “Cabalgata fin de semana.” This program, which started in 1951, was a precursor to radio and television shows, initially hosted by Bobby Deglané and his daughter. It also marked the first appearance of the well-known meteorologist Mariano Medina and the comedians Tip and Coll. During this time, Bernan met Antonio Guijarro, a lyricist from Cartagena (1925-1982), who encouraged him to travel to Paris for further training.

In Paris, Bernan took advantage of the opportunity and auditioned for the RTF program “Petit Conservatoire de la Chanson.” His performances led to an impressive eight-week run on French television, culminating in a notable engagement with the British superstar Petula Clark at the Olympia Theatre on November 17, 1962. Following this success, Bernan received numerous contracts across France, Belgium, and Vienna, but was soon required to return to Spain to fulfill his military service.

After completing his service, he resumed his career in the Levante region and recorded his first album for Sayton in 1967. Notably, this album featured the backing of the ensemble “Los Superson,” a well-known group that had previously helped Nino Bravo achieve his successes. At that time, the group included Vicente Juesas on organ, his brother Pepe on guitar, Vicente López on bass, and the talented Salvador Pelejero on drums, who is now a professor of percussion at the Conservatorio Municipal de Música “José Iturbi.”

In the early 1960s, Saturnino Naredo, Vicente López, and Josep Bosch formed a neighborhood rondalla (also known as a tuna), which eventually evolved into the musical group Los Superson with the addition of drummer Salvador Pelejero and vocalist Carlos Lardíes. However, after Lardíes suffered a serious traffic accident that sidelined him, a young Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis, known as Manolito, stepped in as the new lead singer. Manolo (Nino Bravo) joined the group after performing with Los Hispánicos. Los Superson boasted a diverse repertoire, featuring popular songs of the time as well as numerous tracks by Tom Jones, John Rowles, and Engelbert Humperdinck, aligning well with the young Manolo’s vocal style.

Eventually, after the departure of founding members Josep and Saturnino, the Juesas brothers, Vicente and Pepe, joined the group, having shared musical experiences with Manolo since his arrival in Valencia. The death of Nino Bravo was a significant blow, not only to his fans but also to Los Superson. Following this tragedy, the band recorded an album with Tony Bernan as their singer for a second time, but the magic of their earlier success never returned for either the group or Bernan.