Tiziano Ferro

Biography

Ferro's interest in music began when he received a toy keyboard as a present at age seven, which he used to compose his first songs. He later took guitar and piano classes at a local conservatory. At 16, he joined a gospel choir and started performing in piano bars and karaoke contests. In 1997, he participated in the "Accademia della Canzone di Sanremo" contest but was eliminated in the first stage.

The following year, he reached the finals but did not win; during the selections, he met producers Alberto Salerno and Mara Maionchi and began collaborating with them. In 1999, he toured Italy as a back vocalist with the hip-hop band Sottotono. In 2001, Ferro signed with EMI Music Italy and released his first single "Xdono" on 22 June 2001. After a poor initial reception, the song topped the Italian Singles Chart in September 2001 and was certified double platinum by FIMI for sales exceeding 100,000 copies.

His debut album Rosso relativo was released on 26 October 2001, followed by a Spanish version titled Rojo Relativo in 2002. By 2004, the album had sold more than 1,000,000 copies worldwide, and Ferro received a nomination for Best New Artist at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2003.

Personal life

Ferro has been outspoken about his battles with food addiction and eating disorders, having been overweight as a teenager. In October 2010, at the height of his fame, he came out as gay, having struggled with depression related to self-acceptance about his homosexuality. He has spoken against Italy's anti-homosexual policies, including obstacles to parenthood for same-sex couples, the criminalization of surrogacy, and the government's refusal to recognize a second same-sex parent.

Did You Know?

• He studied Spanish at a university in Mexico and graduated in August 2005 before moving to Manchester.
• Ferro co-wrote the song "Per Te" for Andrea Bocelli, which was included on Chris Botti's Grammy-winning album for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2012.