“I was born on September 22, 1958 in the Tuscan village of Lajatico, near Volterra. Under the influence of religious principles, as well as inspired by the example of my parents, I learned not to submit to the blows of fate, but to try to strengthen my strength in confronting them.
As far as I can remember, absolutely every moment of my life was filled with a passionate love for music. The greatest tenors of Italy - among them Del Monaco, Gigli, and to a greater extent Corelli have always aroused my great admiration and inspired me when I was still very young. Burning with a love for opera, I devoted my entire life to the dream of becoming a great tenor.
Even though I live in changing world, I calmly accept everything that life gives me: I enjoy the most simple things and readily accept any challenge of fate. I always try to remain optimistic, following the true meaning of the statement French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “We truly see only with our hearts. The essence of things is invisible to our eyes."
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in the Italian province of Pisa, in Lajatico. His family owned a small vineyard and Andrea's father made a small amount of wine every year, Chianti Bocelli. Already in early childhood Andrea started playing the church organ.
One day, Andrea's parents, Edie and Alessandro, noticed that something was wrong with their child's eyes, and they turned to a doctor who discovered Andrea had hereditary glaucoma, which in the future could develop into complete blindness. Andrea underwent numerous eye surgeries, which helped to slightly delay the progression of the disease. 
It was in the hospital that Senora Edie noticed that classical music had a calming effect on her baby, and the whole family began purchasing recordings of classical and opera singers, from which Andrea’s love for opera began, a lifelong love. His parents prepared him for the moment he would become permanently blind by sending him to a school for the blind, where he learned the alphabet for the blind and learned to play the flute. Andrea was always an active and playful child, and it was here, at a school for the blind, while playing football, that he received that ill-fated blow to the eye with a ball, which led to complete blindness.
His parents supported their son and always encouraged him to do what he loved. He was not allowed to feel like he was disabled. The boy rode horseback, rode a bicycle, swam and played with other children. He took piano lessons, and his younger brother Alberto took violin lessons. But most of all Andrea loved singing, and everyone liked the way he sang. He left a school for the blind and attended two more schools, then trained as a lawyer at the University of Pisa, and began his career at the Palazzo Giustizia in Pisa. While still at university, Andrea began earning money by playing the piano and performing songs in bars.
As a teenager, Andrea wins several vocal competitions and also becomes a soloist in the school choir. After graduating from school, he studies at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa and receives a law degree.
For Bocelli, absorbed in opera music, the dream and goal of his whole life was the desire to be a great tenor. Franco Corelli takes young man to students. This takes place in Turin, where Andrea comes in search of a dream come true. This was the end of his career as a lawyer. Thus, the young tenor begins serious vocal training during the day, and at night he earns his living by performing in restaurants.
1992 becomes a decisive year for the young tenor. Andrea successfully auditions for the Italian “rock star” Zucchero. A demo recording of the song ends up with Luciano Pavarotti. In 1994, Bocelli successfully debuted at the Sanremo music festival. In September, Pavarotti personally invites the young tenor to participate in concert program in his hometown- Modena. That same year, on Christmas Eve, Andrea Bocelli was honored to perform before the Pope. 
One night, while playing in a bar under open air"Boschetto" in Chianni, Andrea met 17-year-old Enrica Cenzatti. Before this he had no shortage of girlfriends, but this was true love. Their wedding took place on June 27, 1992, and Enrica later gave Andrea two sons, Amos and Matteo. For reasons known only to Andrea and Enrique, they officially filed for divorce in early 2002. After the divorce, Andrea met new love– Veronica Berti, a woman who shares many of his interests, including a love of opera, the daughter of the Italian baritone Ivano Berti, now Bocelli’s impresario. At the end of August 2011, the couple announced Veronica’s pregnancy; this would be her first child, and Andrea’s third. The addition is expected in March 2012. There are no weddings expected at the moment. On March 21, 2012, Veronica Berti gave birth to a child to her husband, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The newborn girl was named Virginia.
When you listen to Andrea Bocelli's recordings, you are amazed at the amazing energy of his voice and performance style. It seemed that the singer was reliving moments of melodramatic and romantic stories, about which his musical repertoire narrates. Bocelli's voice literally makes you die and rise from love, soar above the ground and become part of it magical music. Not to mention that powerful flow of vital energy that makes the listener simply love life. 
Everyone likes the Italian, whose voice can mix melodrama with a song from San Remo. In Germany, the country that discovered it in 1996, it is constantly present in the charts. In the United States, he is a cult object: there is something human or all too human about him that reconciles the housewife with the system of “stars,” from Steven Spielberg and Kevin Costner to the wife of the vice president. President Bill Clinton, “Bill the Saxophone,” who knows the score for the film “Kansas City” by heart, declares himself a Bocelli fan. And he wanted Bocelli to sing at the White House and at the Democratic meeting. Now Dad Wojtyla has intervened in the matter. The Holy Father recently received Bocelli at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, to hear him perform the Jubilee 2000 anthem. And he released this hymn into the world with a blessing. And let it not be said that Bocelli owes his success to the widespread good nature and desire to protect him, caused by his blindness. Of course, physical disability plays a role in this story. But the fact remains: I like his voice.
FAMILY BUSINESS
At home in Lagiatico, province of Pisa, on his family estate, Andrea and his brother Alberto, who is directly involved in this, family tradition working to improve the quality of their own wines. As Andrea says, they do this in memory of their father, Alessandro, who at one time devoted all his strength to cultivating the vineyards planted by his grandfather in the lands of Tuscany to produce the famous Chianti.
The wine, mostly red, is called "Le Terre di Sandro" ("Sandro's Land"), in memory of his father, and this year it produced its first harvest. “My brother and I decided to try to make real wine, and the first results exceeded all expectations,” says Andrea. The first harvest is not intended for sale, since its quantity is very small, less than 3000 bottles.
“We kept it just for ourselves,” the singer said. “But we are planning to expand production. In the future we will send some bottles to the American market. We are doing this in memory of the babbo (father), who so passionately continued the work of his ancestors. Wine is a universal cure for fatigue when problems overwhelm us. We We call it "bottles of joy."
FEARLESS TENOR
In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli, answering a journalist’s question, says: “We must always maintain the tone of body and spirit, we must always strive to spend our leisure time usefully in order to make full use of the time we have. Movement, active life, sports have always attracted me. Mostly before I started my musical career. When I have to be confined to an airplane seat, it is one of the most unbearable moments of my life."
In addition to horse riding, Andrea Bocelli loves to ride a bicycle without being embarrassed by the presence of traffic on the road. As the singer admits, he completely trusts Italian drivers.
Andrea Bocelli plays billiards well. And he even often wins, despite his blindness. “It’s a matter of habit, you just have to try again and again, like in anything else,” says the singer.
Andrea made his first downhill skiing trip with Tomba while on vacation in the mountains (Apennines). Since the descent was not difficult, the singer easily rolled down the mountain twice. But when his companion suggested moving on to a more difficult descent, Andrea refused: “I passed this test with honor and reached the finish line on my feet. Why tempt your fate?”
When asked if he felt fear at the same time, Andrea Bocelli said: “For me, sport has never been a challenge to anyone or anything. I did what I wanted to do, I believe that in general you need to understand what your interest is in, and then develop it, as it helps to enjoy life and fight boredom. strong fear I feel when I go on stage. It's not just fear, it's nervous tension. But the fear of physical risk was never truly unknown to me, especially in my younger years.”
However, Andrea Bocelli survived the most dangerous moment when he made a parachute jump. "One day I was at an airfield near my house, there were several young people practicing parachute jumping. They asked me if I wanted to jump. I said - I'm free all day today, of course I'll try. It was the only one in my life once. My father was with me. Obviously, he had a different opinion on what I was going to do. Otherwise, she no doubt forbade me to jump."
The singer does not believe that by engaging in this type of sport, he is at greater risk due to blindness. "The risk is the same for everyone, regardless of physical characteristics. The risk is whether your parachute opens or not... It's no more risky than crossing a roadway or flying an airplane."
Albums
Studio albums
- 1994: Il Mare Calmo della Sera
- 1995: Bocelli
- 1997: Viaggio Italiano
- 1998: Aria - the opera album
- 1999: Sogno
- 1999: Sacred Arias
- 2000: La Boheme (Puccini)
- 2000: Verdi
- 2001: Cieli di Toscana
- 2002: Sentimento
- 2003: Tosca (Puccini)
- 2004: Andrea
- 2004: Il Trovatore (Verdi)
- 2005: Massenet (Werther)
- 2006: Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
- 2006: Amore
- 2007: Under The Desert Sky
- 2007: Cavalleria Rusticana(Mascagni)
- 2007: Vivere. Live in Tuscany
- 2008: Carmen (Bizet)
- 2008: Incanto
- 2009: My Christmas
- 2010: Andrea Chenier (Umberto Giordano)
- 2011: Notte Illuminata
- 2011: Andrea Bocelli - Concerto: One Night In Central Park
Operas
- — “La bohème” (G. Puccini), conductor Zubin Mehta (Rodolphe)
- — “Tosca” (G. Puccini), conductor Zubin Mehta (Cavaradossi)
- — “Il Trovatore” (Verdi), conductor Steven Mercurio (Manrico)
- — “Werther” (Massenet), conductor Yves Abel (Werther)
- — “Carmen” (Bizet), conductor Chung Myung-hun
- — “Pagliacci” (Leoncavallo), conductor Steven Mercurio (Canio)
- — “Honor Rusticana” (Mascagni), conductor Stephen Mercurio (Turiddu)
- — “André Chénier” (Giordano), conductor Marco Armigliato (André Chénier)
Singles
Duets
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Andrea Bocelli is recognized as one of the best tenors of our time. His ability to sing operatic repertoire as if he were singing songs, and songs as if they were arias from operas, brought him worldwide fame and the love of the public. He is rightfully considered a popularizer opera music. Thanks to Andrea Bocelli, thousands of people discovered classical music and felt its beauty.
As a musician, Andrea Bocelli did not become famous until he was 34 years old. Moreover, he did not particularly think about a career as a singer and musician. on his life path many obstacles awaited him. The very first - and most terrible, perhaps - is his blindness.
Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in the small Italian village of Laiotico in Tuscany. Since childhood, the boy had serious vision problems. Doctors diagnosed him with glaucoma. The parents were exhausted and did everything possible to save their son’s sight. Andrea underwent 27 operations, but there was no improvement. When the boy was 12 years old, all attempts to restore his vision were dashed by an accident - due to an accidental hit to the head with a ball while playing football, a brain hemorrhage occurred, and Bocelli was completely blind.
Since childhood, the child discovered a talent for music. Already at the age of 6, Bocelli could play the piano, and later learned to play the flute and saxophone. The boy was absorbed in music, and especially opera. He found out pleasant voice, and as a child Bocelli was a local celebrity, winning several vocal competitions, was a soloist in the school choir.
Italy has given the world many wonderful singers, artists, and musicians. The ability to sing in Italy is not a very rare gift, and, of course, not all young talents become world famous. Probably, Andrea Bocelli was guided by these considerations when he decided to enroll in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pisa. During the day the young man studied, and in the evenings he worked in restaurants playing the flute and saxophone, and then singing. One day, having learned that his childhood idol Franco Corelli had come to a neighboring town to conduct master classes, Bocelli went to see the maestro. Hearing the young man sing, Corelli realized that he had a rare gift in front of him, and took Bocelli as a student. After graduating in 1980 with a law degree, Bocelli continued studying music and performing in restaurants. He never began his legal career.
The next 12 years were not marked by anything remarkable. Future great singer continued to work part-time in restaurants playing the piano and singing.
In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero planned to sing the song "Miserere" with Luciano Pavarotti. Before recording the original, it was necessary to sing a demo version. For this purpose, a competitive selection of tenor singers was organized. Andrea Bocelli came to the audition. Inexplicably, he immediately captured the essence and soul of the song, without any effort. When the recording was given to Luciano Pavarotti to listen to, for a long time he could not believe that this voice belonged not to a professional singer, but to an unknown pianist from a restaurant.
Thus began the rise of Andrea Bocelli to world stage. Throughout 1992, he toured with the song "Miserere", often replacing Pavarotti at performances. In 1994, he won the Sanremo Festival in the New Artist category, receiving the highest rating.
Andrea Bocelli performed with many world stars: Luciano Pavarotti, Celine Dion, Ali Jarreau, Sarah Brightman and others. But the most important thing is that he was able to place in the hearts wide range people love the classical opera repertoire. This is evidenced by the huge circulation of his albums and popularity in the charts. Everyone falls in love with the opera performed by him - even those who are very far from classical music.
Until now, the singer has a busy touring schedule. In February 2017 alone, he plans to visit several cities in the USA and Europe: Orlando, Miami, Duluth, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm.
Perhaps his blindness played a certain role in Andrea Bocelli's dizzying success. Still, this is a very terrible illness, and people sympathized with him and tried to help. But, of course, this alone is not enough to become a celebrity admired by millions of people.
The singer himself believes in fate, but understands it not as predestination, but as a series of actions that lead to one or another result. “I believe that every person has a destiny, a path that he is destined to take through life. There are obstacles along the way, and a person must make choices and decisions. The choice is ours whether to accept right decisions on this way. We will have complete freedom of choice in making decisions, but we cannot change the direction of our path or rewind time.”.
"Music is my life..." ANDREA BOCELLI.Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in the Italian province of Pisa, in Lajatico. His family owned a small vineyard and Andrea's father made a small amount of wine every year, Chianti Bocelli. Already in early childhood, Andrea began to play the church organ.
One day, Andrea's parents, Edie and Alessandro, noticed that something was wrong with their child's eyes, and they turned to a doctor who discovered Andrea had hereditary glaucoma, which in the future could develop into complete blindness. Andrea underwent numerous eye surgeries, which helped to slightly delay the progression of the disease.
It was in the hospital that Senora Edie noticed that classical music had a calming effect on her baby, and the whole family began purchasing recordings of classical and opera performers, from which Andrea’s lifelong love for opera began. His parents prepared him for the moment he would become permanently blind by sending him to a school for the blind, where he learned the alphabet for the blind and learned to play the flute. Andrea was always an active and playful child, and it was here, at a school for the blind, while playing football, that he received that ill-fated blow to the eye with a ball, which led to complete blindness.
His parents supported their son and always encouraged him to do what he loved. He was not allowed to feel like he was disabled. The boy rode horseback, rode a bicycle, swam and played with other children. He took piano lessons, and his younger brother Alberto took violin lessons. But most of all Andrea loved singing, and everyone liked the way he sang. He left a school for the blind and attended two more schools, then trained as a lawyer at the University of Pisa, and began his career at the Palazzo Giustizia in Pisa. While still at university, Andrea began earning money by playing the piano and performing songs in bars.
In 1970, Andrea wins his first singing competition, Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio, performing the song “O sole mio”. After graduation, Andrea works as a lawyer for a year, and then devotes himself entirely to music. He takes singing lessons from Bettarini, until his death in 1997 at the age of 83.
After working in his specialty for a year, Andrea realized that his heart was against it. He returned to performing in bars to earn money for piano lessons from Carlo Bernini, who became his close friend and mentor. He also took vocal lessons and constantly worked to improve his singing technique. Perhaps the most influential of his teachers was his idol, Franco Corelli, whose master class he attended in 1992.
The “official” start of Bocelli’s singing career was almost accidental: he took part in the test recording of the famous “Miserere”, which Zucchero Fornaciari arranged in 1992 to offer the song to Luciano Pavarotti. The great tenor, listening to Bocelli’s performance, will comment on it like this: “Thank you for the wonderful song, but let Andrea sing it. He's the best fit for her." As you know, Pavarotti will later record this song, but on Zucchero’s European tour it will be Andrea Bocelli who will replace Pavarotti on stage.
A little later, in 1993, Bocelli’s discographic career began. With the song "Miserere", performing both parts, he passes the qualifying round for the music festival in San Remo. And in 1994 he was invited to San Remo as famous performer, and with the song “Il mare calmo della sera” (“The Quiet Evening Sea”) he receives a record number of votes in the “New Proposals” category. Releases his first album with the same name, which goes platinum within a few weeks.
One night, while playing at the open-air bar Boschetto in Chianni, Andrea met 17-year-old Enrica Cenzatti. Before this, he had no shortage of girlfriends, but this was true love. Their wedding took place on June 27, 1992, and Enrica later gave Andrea two sons, Amos and Matteo.
For reasons known only to Andrea and Enrique, they officially filed for divorce in early 2002. After the divorce, Andrea met a new love - Veronica Berti, the daughter of the Ancona baritone Ivano Berti, a woman who shared many of his interests, including a love of opera.
In 1996, he sang with English soprano Sarah Brightman ( ex-wife"King of Music" Andrew Lloyd Webber) in Germany. They sing the song for Henry Maske's last battle, new version"Con Te Partiro", "Time to Say Goodbye". The song broke all sales records on the market, and remained at the top of the German charts for almost half a year.
Simultaneously with numerous tours during this period, Bocelli received proposals for interpretation and popularization of lyric operas as if from a cornucopia.
“Luck never left me,” the singer comments on this period. In fact, it is precisely these days that it comes out new album“Sogno” (“Dream”), so long-awaited by the public that it immediately soars to first place in the European hit parade and fourth in the American chart. In the discography, such a triumph can be compared, perhaps, with the success of Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” in 1958. In the USA, even the term “Bocellimania” appeared.
The 1999 album "Arie sacre" becomes the classical music disc of the best-selling artist of all time. In 2000, after singing in the Vatican in the presence of the Pope on the occasion of the Jubilee Year, Bocelli released his fourth classical album, Verdi, followed by his first complete opera, La Bohème. After such serious works, in 2001 the “light” album “Cieli di Toscana” (“Heaven of Tuscany”) was born, and three years later a pop disc with the simple name “Andrea” was released, in which, however, in addition to Andrea himself, numerous "guests", including Amedeo Mingi and Mario Reyes.
Recognition comes not only from the public, but also from the state: on February 6, 2006, Bocelli received the Order of Merit for the Italian Republic.
And on March 2, 2010, the singer was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to performing arts(opera).
It would seem that such a dizzying success could change the views on the life of the Tuscan tenor, alienate him from his family, from friends, from his attachment to the Tuscan fields... But no, as recognition comes from all over the world, Andrea never tires of repeating : “Success is just an accident. You can't get too attached to him. There are many other things in life. When I return home, I close the door behind me and have dinner with my loved ones. The only thing I bring with me is my voice, also because I have to practice at least two hours a day.”
Andrea Bocelli with his sons and Veronica Berti
FAMILY BUSINESS
At home in Lagiatico, province of Pisa, on his family estate, Andrea and his brother Alberto, who is directly involved in this, work in the family tradition to improve the quality of the wines they produce. As Andrea says, they do this in memory of their father, Alessandro, who at one time devoted all his strength to cultivating the vineyards planted by his grandfather in the lands of Tuscany to produce the famous Chianti.
The wine, mostly red, is called "Le Terre di Sandro" ("Sandro's Land"), in memory of his father, and this year it produced its first harvest. “My brother and I decided to try to make real wine, and the first results exceeded all expectations,” says Andrea. The first harvest is not intended for sale, since its quantity is very small, less than 3000 bottles.
“We kept it just for ourselves,” the singer said. “But we are planning to expand production. In the future we will send some bottles to the American market. We are doing this in memory of the babbo (father), who so passionately continued the work of his ancestors. Wine is a universal cure for fatigue when problems overwhelm us. We We call it "bottles of joy."
FAVORITES
Although music is central to Andrea's life, he has many other different interests. Even as a child, when returning from school, the first thing he did was run to the stables to see the horses. Horses have been Andrea Bocelli's true passion since he was just a child, when his father and grandfather told him about how the first foal was born on their farm. Horses are not only strong, but also sensitive animals. Andrea understands them without difficulty, they feel each other well. He loves to take care of them: cleaning them, feeding them, and just feeling their warm presence next to him.
Andrea loves these beautiful and hardy animals very much. His blindness did not prevent him from becoming a pretty good horseman. In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli admits: “I like to live a dynamic life. I always liked sports, and I quickly learned to ride a horse - also because there is not so much choice of activities in the village - and it seems to me that I was very successful in this matter, to be honest."
Andrea Bocelli now has five of his own Arabian stallions at his Tuscan estate. “Before big concerts, I ride out on horseback. It helps me calm my nerves,” admits the singer. "However, before I mount a horse, I have to make sure that it is not as blind as me. Then I am absolutely calm while riding."
FEARLESS TENOR
In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli, answering a journalist’s question, says: “We must always maintain the tone of body and spirit, we must always strive to spend our leisure time usefully in order to fully use the time we have. Movement, active life, "Sports have always attracted me. Mostly before I started my music career. Being confined to an airplane seat is one of the most unbearable moments in my life."
In addition to horse riding, Andrea Bocelli loves to ride a bicycle without being embarrassed by the presence of traffic on the road. As the singer admits, he completely trusts Italian drivers.
Andrea Bocelli plays billiards well. And he even often wins, despite his blindness. “It’s a matter of habit, you just have to try again and again, like in anything else,” says the singer.
Andrea skied for the first time while on vacation in the mountains (Apennines). Since the descent was not difficult, the singer easily rolled down the mountain twice. But when his companion suggested moving on to a more difficult descent, Andrea refused: “I passed this test with honor and reached the finish line on my feet. Why tempt your fate?”
When asked if he felt fear at the same time, Andrea Bocelli said: “For me, sport has never been a challenge to anyone or anything. I did what I wanted to do, I believe that in general you need to understand what your interest is in, and then develop it, because it helps to enjoy life and fight boredom. The strongest fear I experience is when I go on stage. It’s not just fear, it’s nervous tension. But the fear of physical risk has never really been known to me, especially in. young years."
However, Andrea Bocelli survived the most dangerous moment when he made a parachute jump. "One day I was at an airfield near my house, there were several young people practicing parachute jumping. They asked me if I wanted to jump. I said - I'm free all day today, of course I'll try. It was the only one in my life once. My father was with me. Obviously, he had a different opinion on what I was going to do. Otherwise, she no doubt forbade me to jump."
The singer does not believe that by engaging in this type of sport, he is at greater risk due to blindness. "The risk is the same for everyone, regardless of physical features. The risk is whether your parachute opens or not... It's no more risky than crossing a roadway or flying an airplane."
Andrea Bocelli - Italian singer. Performs both classical and modern music, is considered one of the best tenors today. We strive with all our might to popularize opera art. Since childhood, he had problems with vision, and at the age of twelve he finally lost it. This happened after 27 eye surgeries and one hit by the ball. The artist was born on September 22, 1958 in Lajatico, a suburb of Tuscany.
Childhood and university studies
None of the Bocelli family members were interested in music. However, in their house there was a record player and many records with opera compositions. Since childhood, Andrea loved listening to them. Already at the age of six, the boy learned to pick up simple melodies piano, after a while he began to master playing the saxophone and flute. Due to hereditary glaucoma, he often had to spend time in the hospital undergoing numerous operations. But already at the age of twelve, the young man became completely blind while playing football.
Despite this, he continued to be interested in music, gradually becoming inspired by singing. Andrea took lessons from Luciano Bettarini, additionally studied vocals on his own, sang in the school choir and actively participated in all sorts of competitions. Already in 1971, the boy received his first award at a regional competition.
In 1980, Bocelli received legal education at the University of Pisa. In parallel with his studies, he periodically performed in bars and restaurants. During this period of his life, the young man became interested in French chanson, and he also attended master classes by Franco Corelli. Thanks to their communication, the tenor decided to abandon his legal career and devote his life to music.
The tenor's first performances
In 1992, Andrea came to a casting with the famous rock performer Zucchero. He immediately impressed the Italian by being able to grasp the essence of the song on the fly without any effort. A year later, Bocelli’s performance at a private party was heard by Katerina Zugar, who is the president of the label of the same name. She came to the conclusion that the whole country should hear such a voice and offered cooperation to the young singer. Andrea signed a contract to release his first album.
In 1994, the tenor made his debut on music festival, held in San Remo. His voice received the highest ratings from greatest performers, after which Andrea received an invitation to participate in the Luciano Pavarotti concert. At this concert they performed both in duet and solo, separately from each other. Bocelli subsequently performed in front of famous politicians and celebrities. His audience numbered more than half a million listeners, and his albums went platinum in as soon as possible.
In 1996, the tenor released two albums, each of which went platinum. The disc “Viaggio Italiano” was dedicated to immigrants and Italians who popularized opera in the world. The next record, in turn, became Bocelli’s contribution to classical music, where he performed exclusively famous arias. The singer's albums released after this were no less popular, thanks to which he was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Each of the compositions instantly soared to the top of the charts, where they remained for a long time.
Recognition around the world
In 1999, the artist received a Grammy, becoming the first young classical music performer to receive this award in 38 years. Their duet with Celine Dion was nominated for an Oscar, and for this single they also won a Golden Globe Award.
Among the performer’s fans are even the following: famous people, like President Clinton, the Pope and popular model Cindy Crawford. In 1987, he received the honorary title of the most charming man in the world. During his career, Andrea managed to sing duet compositions with Nelly Furtado, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande and many others.
The tenor acts as a kind of intermediary between popular culture and opera. He challenges the public when he refuses to amplify his voice with a microphone. IN lately Bocelli prefers to spend more time opera singing. Currently his discography includes fourteen albums. The singer was awarded his own star on the Walk of Fame.
Family and personal life
Bocelli's success is associated not only with his talent, but also with the greatest vitality. After losing his vision, the singer did not fall into depression, but continued to work on himself. He constantly smiles and holds charity concerts for his fans.
Music is the meaning of a tenor’s life, and this feeling is conveyed to his listeners. It introduces to the culture even those who initially do not see anything special in opera.
At the same time, the singer tries to lead an active lifestyle. He is an equestrian, enjoys skiing and spending time playing with children. The tenor also respects intellectual entertainment; he especially likes playing chess. His passion for his work made Andrea incredibly attractive to women, many of whom were hopelessly in love with the artist.
The singer met his first wife at a young age, when he performed in restaurants. It was there that he met the girl Enrica, who later gave birth to the tenor’s two beloved children. But a few years later, in 2002, the couple divorced. The reason was disagreement due to the artist’s constant tours.
After the breakup, Andrea entered into a relationship with colleague Veronica Berti. According to the singer, she inspired his creativity, and the girl also accompanied him on tour while serving as a manager. After a twelve-year relationship, a man and a woman finally decided to legalize their relationship.
Andrea Bocelli, whose biography, despite his blindness, turned out well, is one of the most popular Italian singers modernity. His award-winning albums have sold 80 million copies worldwide. People who see Bocelli for the first time wonder: what's wrong with his eyes?
The singer, born in 1958 in the Tuscan commune of Lajatico, already in childhood suffered from a hereditary disease - glaucoma, which negatively affected his vision. The child underwent 27 operations, which turned out to be useless. At the age of 6, Bocelli, who was attracted to beautiful music, began to play the piano, and later the saxophone and flute. After being hit in the head by a soccer ball at the age of 12, he became completely blind. At the same age, the boy won his first competition, performing the song Ole sole mio.
Although it was clear that the guy had musical talent, at the age of 22 he decided to study law and entered the University of Pisa. He worked as a lawyer for only a year. At the same time, the Italian performed songs in a bar and paid for singing lessons with Luciano Bettarini, whose student he was also opera singer Franco Corelli.
Music career
A turning point in Botticelli’s life was a joint performance in 1992 with Italian star Zucchero, who was initially going to sing a song he had written with Luciano Pavarotti. The latter, hearing Andrea's voice, was delighted and decided to help the novice performer. A year later, Andrea went on an international tour with Zucchero. In 1994, the young man won the hit competition in Sanremo in the “Young Performers” category, receiving the most points for the song Il Mare Calmo della Sera.
The Italian became a world celebrity overnight with his performance at Henry Maske's farewell party in 1996. Then Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman sang the hit Time To Say Goodbye as a duet. In the following years the Italian established himself as a singer international level, performing hits and classical works. He performed with Celine Dion and other celebrities. Andrea's photos and interviews were published in various magazines.
In the 2000s, Bocelli mainly sang in operas. He received awards such as “Best Classical Performer in the World” and “Best Italian Singer”. A section of the Adriatic coast was even named after him. The performer stood on stage in the presence of George Bush, Pope John Paul II, the English royal family, and Pope Benedict XVI. In July 2013, a blind Italian received an award from Lions Clubs International.
Family life
Andrea met his first wife, Enrica, while singing in a bar. In 1992 they got married in the Church of San Leonardo in Lajatico. In 1995 and 1997, the wife gave birth Matteo's sons and Amos. After living together for 10 years, the couple divorced. The church only dissolved the marriage in 2009.
In 2014, Andrea Bocelli, who was then 55 years old, married his life partner after living with her for 12 years. They got married in the Italian city of Livorno, in the Montenero monastery. His chosen one, Veronica Berti, whose height and weight the Italian estimates as ideal, is 25 years younger than her husband.