Massimo Ranieri was born as Giovanni Calone 71 years ago in Naples, Italy and apart from being a singer and actor, he also hosts TV shows and directs theatrical performances. He was never married but has a daughter.
He began to sing at wedding receptions and restaurants at the tender age of ten, and 4 years later, in 1964, recorded his initial songs, after being noticed by a music producer. By 1968, he had already recorded 9 songs, however, none of them were successful.
Massimo persevered and a year after became famous with the hit ‘O Sole Mio’, followed by a string of more hits like ‘Se bruciasse la Citta`’ and ‘Rose Rosse’.
In the years 1971 and 1973, Massimo represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest, placing 5th and 13th respectively. In between, he recorded 4 more songs and 3 afterwards.
Massimo triumphed in the 1988 San Remo Song Festival when he won with the famous hit ‘Perdere l’Amore’.
He toured Italy for over 2 years, starting in February 2007, and performed in more than 500 concerts.
Massimo starred in several films and directed/performed in various theatrical productions including operas. He won numerous awards such as a Telegatto ‘Vota La Voce’ for best male singer and a Davide di Donatello, amongst others.