Born in Rome in 1951 Claudio Baglioni grew up singing but pursued an acting career during the late 60s Signed to the Italian division of RCA by the end of the decade however Baglioni moved back to music with his 1970 self-titled debut He released fiv…

Romantic balladeer Drupi born Giam Piero Anelli became one of the few Italian artists to have a hit a hit in the United Kingdom when his song Vado Via reached the seventeenth slot on the British pop charts in 1974 The winner of the San Remo Festival …

Singing in his native Italian or in Spanish which he considers his second language Nicola Di Bari born Michele Scommegna has been melting hearts with his romantic balladry for more than four decades Since scoring a hit with his debut single Amore Rit…

Though he was born in Monfalcone in Gorizia near modern-day Slovenia and Croatia as a young child Gino Paoli moved across Italy to Genoa and it was that city with which he was associated and that he called his home In the 1950s he worked as a porter …

Born September 22 1934 to a Milanese family Italian singer Ornella Vanoni spent most of her twenties alternating between theater her debut was in 1957 with Federico Zardis I Giacobini and music She started by singing ile canzoni della malai or songs …

b. 6 January 1937, Asti, Piedmont, Italy. After spending much of his professional life as a lawyer, jazz enthusiast Conte eventually decided to act on his impulse to become a performer in the 70s. He had recorded an unsuccessful EP for RCA Records in…

Formed in the mid-80s this Portuguese unit combines the voice of Teresa Salgueiro with the lyrics of Pedro Ayres Magalhaes (guitar) and minimalist backing from a series of collaborators/band members including José Peixoto (guitar), Francisco Ribeiro …

When Cherilyn Sarkasian reinvented herself as the more photogenic half of '60s pop duo Sonny & Cher, no one could guess it would be merely the first step in an ongoing artistic redefinition that would continue for decades. After the smash success of …

Born blind, pianist Ronnie Milsap played a soulful, bluesy brand of country music that made him a superstar by the end of the '70s. Milsap was a former sessionman for Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick and Petula Clark (among others). Milsap's passionate …

Composer Pino Donaggio teamed with filmmaker Brian DePalma to forge one of the most memorable collaborations in cinema history writing a series of suspenseful hauntingly atmospheric scores evoking Bernard Herrmanns landmark work for Alfred Hitchcock …

One of country's most popular and enduring (1960-2002) vocal acts, the Statler Brothers topped the country charts for more than 20 years and even after the run of hits ended remained a popular live act. They began their career as backup singers for J…

Welsh soprano Charlotte Church emerged in the late 1990s as a teenage phenomenon with her multi-platinum debut VOICE OF AN ANGEL. Church gamely rides the line between the pop and classical worlds, crossing freely back and forth over musical dividing …

Italys great singing tradition has been extended by Milan-born vocalist Fabio Concato Inspired by American pop music Concato featured the ode To Dean Martin on his 1977 debut album History Always while he showcased the harmonica playing of Toots Thie…

Aretha Franklin is one of the most important and influential female soul singers of the 20th century. The daughter of famed preacher Rev. C.L. Franklin, Memphis-born Aretha started out singing gospel while still in her teens in the 1950s, subsequentl…

British siren Sarah Brightman started her musical career as a pure popster, singing dance music with the hit UK group Hot Gossip in the late '70s. Before long, though, her angelic voice and striking beauty led her to musical theater, and she starred …

French-Italian singersongwriter Ricardo Cocciante began playing music in Rome Italy after assembling a band called the Nations His debut as a solo artist came in 1972 with the release of his first full-length record Poesia followed in 1973 Neverthele…

After graduating in 1968 from Milans Catholic University Italian singersongwriter Roberto Vecchioni started sharing his passion for teaching and music After composing for prominent local numbers the artist decided to start his solo career in 1971 rec…