Italian singer-songwriter, actor, TV personality and wine maker Albano Antonio Carrisi was born 81 years ago in Cellino San Marco, is divorced and has 6 children.
Al Bano showed interest in music from a young age, as he loved to play the guitar and sing homeland songs. When he was 12 years old, he wrote the lyrics of his first song and 5 years later left school and moved to Milan. There he found a job in a restaurant which had celebrities as regular clients, so this helped him meet a record producer who encouraged him to do an audition for a company seeking new talents.
Al Bano’s first album was released in 1965, and whilst continuing to work, he performed in Italian singer and showman Adriano Celentano’s shows, as well as debutting on TV in a musical game show.
Success arrived in 1967 with the track ‘Nel Sole’, which also became a movie and he even starred in it together with Romina Power, who he eventually married in 1970. Meanwhile, in 1968 he competed for the first time in the yearly San Remo Music Festival, arriving in 9th place with ‘La Siepe’, and the following year he was the winner of the ‘Disco Per L’Estate’ with the track ‘Pensando a Te’. Once again he achieved success, this time as a songwriter, with ‘Acqua di Mare’ interpreted by his wife Romina.
In 1974 he commenced a duo with his wife and they sang together for 20 years and had various successful hits namely ‘Lo Rivivrei’, ‘Felicita`’, ‘Il Ballo del Qua Qua’, ‘Ci Sara`’, ‘Liberta`’, ‘Nostalgia Canaglia’, ‘Cara Terra Mia’ and ‘Oggi Sposi’. Together they participated 5 times in the San Remo Music Festival and managed to win first place in 1984 with the track ‘Ci Sara`’.
As from 1994, Al Bano embarked on a solo career and continued achieving popularity not just in his native Italy, but also worldwide. He competed 5 more times in San Remo Music Festival, with the best result being arriving in second place with the track ‘Nel Perdono’ in 2007.
In all, Al Bano released 59 albums. Over the years, he also guest appeared in numerous TV shows, performed in several concerts, also in support of various charitable institutions, starred in 10 movies and competed in talent shows as well. He has also published 8 books, produces wines and also owns a trattoria.
With his four and a half octave range, Al Bano is considered as one of the most prominent Italian singers in the world. He has record sales of more than 25 million globally and has won 8 platinum as well as 26 gold records. This year, he was appointed Commander of the Equestrian Order of St Agatha in the Republic of San Marino.
*Image: no infringement intended. Source: musicaetesti.myblog.it