| Dino | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dean Esposito |
| Born | July 20, 1963 Encino, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Latin freestyle Dance music |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Keyboards |
| Years active | 1988–1993 |
| Labels | 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records East West/WEA Records |
Dean Esposito (born July 20, 1963), better known as Dino, is an American DJ, singer-songwriter and record producer.
Contents |
Dino was born to Frank and Francis Esposito in Encino, California. The family later moved to Hawaii and Connecticut before settling in Las Vegas, Nevada, where his father became a restaurant owner. It was here that Dino pursued his musical interests. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Communications/Broadcasting and Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Shortly after, he received a job as a radio DJ at his college radio station as the program director with his own morning show called Urban Sunrise. Later becoming a Top 40 deejay at Nevada's Power 97 station, he was offered a job at KCEP, Las Vegas' largest black music station, eventually becoming its music director. During this time he also moonlighted as a local club DJ.
Dino then became a singer, first as part of the musical group Esquire, and later as a solo artist recording song hits during the late 1980s, including "I Like It" (U.S. #7), "24/7" (#42), "Summer Girls" (#50) and "Romeo" (#6). In the initial up-swing of his career Dino performed in theme parks such as Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California with other artists such as Sweet Sensation and Linear, and also performed with Cyre in 1987 at the Rock of the 80s Take 2 in San Bernardino, California. Eventually his album 24/7 reached the number 34 position on the Billboard 200 charts in 1989. Dino developed a wider fanbase when he was contracted to become the opening act for the musical group New Kids on the Block in the summer of that same year. He signed with 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records before moving on to East West Records in 1993, on which he scored his last top 40 hit with "Ooh Child" (#27). Under the Island Record label he formed his own production label, ONID Productions, which is his name spelled backward.
After his singing career, he began producing and songwriting with other artists such as Tonya Mitchell, Paul Taylor, Jordan Knight, Walter Beasley, Sheena Easton, and Joanna Pacitti, the latter of whose collaborative song "Watch Me Shine" was released on the Legally Blonde motion picture soundtrack.
Dino currently lives in Las Vegas and is married to Caroline Jackson, one of the original members of the singing group The Cover Girls.
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 24/7 | 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records |
| 1990 | Swingin' | Polydor/PolyGram Records |
| 1993 | The Way I Am | Atlantic Records |
| Year | Song | Album | Position[1] | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Summergirls" | 24/7 | 50 | Billboard Hot 100 |
| 1989 | "24/7" | 42 | Billboard Hot 100 | |
| 12 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | |||
| "I Like It" | 7 | Billboard Hot 100 | ||
| 3 | Hot Dance Club Play | |||
| "Sunshine" | 23 | Billboard Hot 100 | ||
| 1990 | "Never 2 Much of U" | 61 | Billboard Hot 100 | |
| "Romeo" | Swingin' | 6 | Billboard Hot 100 | |
| 1991 | "Gentle" | 31 | Billboard Hot 100 | |
| 1993 | "Ooh Child" | The Way I Am | 27 | Billboard Hot 100 |