Andrea Bocelli

Born : September 22, 1958 (1958-09-22) (age 50)
Origin : Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy
Genre(s) : Classical Crossover, Popera, Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening
Occupation(s) : Singer, producer, songwriter, musician and former lawyer
Instrument(s) : Vocals, keyboards, Flute, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Harp, Guitar, Drums
Voice type(s) : Tenor
Years active : 1992 - present
Label(s) : Sugar Label, Decca
Website : Andrea Bocelli
Dr. Andrea Bocelli, GO OMRI., LL.D. (born September 22, 1958) is an Italian operatic poptenor and a classical crossover singer who has also performed in operas. To date, he has recorded seven complete operas (La bohème, Tosca, Il trovatore, Werther, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana and Carmen) in addition to various classical and pop albums. He has sold over 65 million albums worldwide thus far making him the biggest selling tenor of all time, and the biggest selling classical soloist of all time (even bigger than Pavarotti who sold more albums with The Three Tenors but not as a soloist). He is also a Doctor of law but only worked as a lawyer for a short time.
Early life 1958-1992
Teatro del Silenzio at Lajatico, Tuscany
Bocelli was born in Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy, about 40 km south of Pisa, in 1958, to parents Alessandro and Edi Bocelli, and grew up on the family farm. It was evident at birth that he had problems with his sight and after visits to many doctors, Bocelli was diagnosed with glaucoma. In 1972, at the age of 14, he completely lost his sight after an accident during a soccer game.
As a young boy, Bocelli showed a great passion for music. His mother, Edi, has said that music was the only thing that would comfort him. At the age of six he started piano lessons before also learning to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, guitar and drums.
Bocelli would also spend time singing during his childhood and would later recall that he was "one of those children who would always be asked to sing for my relatives. I don't think one really decides to be a singer - other people decide it for you by their reactions." At the age of 14 he won his first song competition, the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio with O sole mio. After he finished secondary school, in 1970, he studied Law at the University of Pisa. After graduating as a Doctor of Law he spent one year as a court appointed lawyer but it wasn't too long before his call for music took over. To pay for the fees Bocelli performed evenings in piano bars. It was there, in 1987, that he met his future wife, Enrica.
He also performed there to pay for singing lessons from Italian composer Bettarini who had taught famous opera singers such as Franco Corelli. In 1992 he attended a master-class with Italian tenor Corelli, singing "Che gelida manina" from Giacomo Puccini's La bohème. Corelli then took him on as a pupil.
Personal life
Bocelli met his first wife Enrica, with whom he had two children, while singing at piano bars early in his career. They were married on 27 June 1992. Their first child, Amos, was born in February 1995. Their second son, Matteo was born in October 1997. The couple divorced in 2002. Since then, he met his fiancée to be, Veronica Berti, but he doesn't plan to get married again due to being catholic. The couple lives in Forte dei Marmi in a 19th century former hotel on the beach and Bocelli's ex-wife and his two sons live in the couple's previous residence in the same comune near Pisa.
Bocelli's father, Sandro Bocelli, died on 30 April 2000. His mother encouraged him to honour his commitments and so he sang for the Pope in Rome on 1 May and immediately returned home for the funeral. At the 5 July performance that was filmed for PBS as American Dream — Andrea Bocelli's Statue of Liberty Concert, Bocelli dedicated the encore Sogno to the memory of his father. A section of the way along the beach in Jesolo, on the Italian Adriatic coast, was named after Bocelli on 11 August 2003.
In 2006, Bocelli influenced the municipality of Lajatico (his home village) to build an outdoor theatre, the "Teatro del Silenzio".Bocelli performed for one night only. One night every July the theatre will be opened for performances. The rest of the time it will be silent.. Since the opening he has sung on 27 July 2006, 5 July 2007 and 20 July 2008, and has agreed to perform at least two more, in July 2009 and 2010.
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