Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli (born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor who first gained widespread attention in 1994 by winning the newcomers' category at the 44th Sanremo Music Festival with his performance of "Il mare calmo della sera". Over his career, he has released 15 solo studio albums spanning pop and classical genres, three greatest-hits collections, and nine complete opera recordings, with total sales exceeding 90 million records worldwide. Known as a crossover artist, Bocelli helped bring classical music to the top of international pop charts. His album *Romanza* ranks among the best-selling albums of all time, and *Sacred Arias* holds the distinction of being the best-selling classical album by any solo artist in history. *My Christmas* was the top-selling holiday album of 2009 and remains one of the best-selling holiday albums in the United States. His 2019 album *Sì* reached number one on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, marking his first chart-topping album in each country. The song "Con te partirò", a duet with Sarah Brightman from his second album *Bocelli*, is one of the best-selling singles ever.

In 1998, *People* magazine named Bocelli one of its 50 Most Beautiful People. He sang a duet with Celine Dion on "The Prayer" for the animated film *Quest for Camelot*; the song won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award. Bocelli received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1999. With the release of *Sacred Arias*, he entered the Guinness Book of World Records by simultaneously holding the top three positions on the US Classical Albums chart. He was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006 and was elevated to Knight Grand Cross in 2025. On 2 March 2010, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to live theater, and in 2022 he was awarded a gold medal for Merit in Serbia. Celine Dion once remarked that if God had a singing voice, it would sound like Andrea Bocelli, and producer David Foster has frequently called Bocelli's voice the most beautiful in the world.

Bocelli was born on 22 September 1958 to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli. He had congenital glaucoma, which impaired his sight from birth. His mother chose to give birth despite doctors advising abortion due to the high likelihood of disability, a decision Bocelli has cited as his inspiration for opposing abortion. He grew up on the family farm in La Sterza, near Lajatico, Tuscany, about 40 km south of Pisa, with his younger brother Alberto; the family sold farm machinery and made wine. As a young boy, music was his comfort, according to his mother. He began piano lessons at age six and later learned flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, and drums. His nanny, Oriana, gave him his first Franco Corelli record, sparking his interest in becoming a tenor. By age seven, he could recognize famous voices and tried to imitate great singers. At age 12, he lost his vision completely after being hit in the eye with a football; doctors attempted leeches to save his sight, but without success. He gave his first concert in a nearby village and won his first song competition at age 14 with "'O sole mio" at the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio. After finishing secondary school in 1980, he studied law at the University of Pisa. To support himself, he performed evenings in piano bars, where he met his future wife Enrica in 1987. He completed law school and worked for a year as a court-appointed lawyer.

In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero auditioned tenors for a demo of his song "Miserere" to send to Luciano Pavarotti. After hearing Bocelli on tape, Pavarotti urged Zucchero to use Bocelli instead. Pavarotti eventually convinced Zucchero to record the song with Bocelli, and it became a European hit. During Zucchero's 1993 European tour, Bocelli sang the duet and also performed solo sets, including "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's *Turandot*. Bocelli signed with Sugar Music in Milan after Caterina Caselli heard him sing "Miserere" and "Nessun Dorma" at a birthday party for Zucchero. In December, he entered the Sanremo Music Festival's Giovani category with "Miserere" and won with the highest marks ever in that section. On 28 December, he made his classical debut at the Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia. In February 1994, he won the main Sanremo Festival's newcomers section with "Il mare calmo della sera", again with a record score. His debut album of the same name was released in April, entered the Italian Top Ten, and was certified platinum within weeks. In May 1994, he toured with pop singer Gerardina Trovato. Four months later, he sang at Pavarotti's annual charity gala in Modena, performing Leoncavallo's "Mattinata" and a duet with Pavarotti. That same month, he made his opera debut as Macduff in Verdi's *Macbeth* at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa. Bocelli had been agnostic, but around 1994, partly due to reading Leo Tolstoy, he returned to practicing his faith.