The legendary Italian singer, actor, songwriter, and politician, Domenico Modugno became one of the first Italian artists to gain international recognition in the 1950s. He was best known for his hit song, Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (1958) which he received two Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Modugno is seen as the first Italian cantautore.
The great Modugno has received several credits and awards because of his enormous hard work and dedication in music and also acting. Unfortunately, he was later forced to abandon his career and devote himself to rehab because of the severe stroke he suffered in 1984 which made him remained partially paralyzed.
Who is Domenico Modugno?
Domenico Modugno was born on January 9, 1928, in Polignano A Mare, Apulia, Italy. His parents were Vito Cosimo Modugno, a municipal police commander and Pasqua Lorusso a housewife. He was the youngest of his parents’ four children.
His family moved to San Pietro Vernotico in the province of Brindisi where his father was transferred for a new job when he was 9 years old. He attended school there and learned San Pietro Vernotico’s dialect which was similar to Sicilian. He then attended secondary school in Lecce.
He married Franca Gandolfi in 1955 and they had three children (Marcello, Marco, and Massimo). The talented artist also had a child (Fabio Camilli) with Maurizia Cali. At the age of 66, Modugno died from a heart attack on the island of Lampedusa, south of Sicily in his home by the sea.
Some Facts You Didn’t Know About the Singer
1. The song that made him famous
He was brought to limelight when his song ‘Lazzarella’ sang by Aurelio Fierro came second in the festival Della Canzone Napoletana in 1957.
2. Domenico Modugno is also an actor
He made his acting debut while he was still studying. He was given a role in a cinematographic version of Eduardo de Filippo’s ‘Filumena Marturano.’
3. Link to the Italian comedy duo of Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia
In 1958, he became the manager of the Italian comedy duo of Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia. Interesting enough, he was the one who discovered the duo.
4. The Ferrari he bought and lost
He used the money he got from his hit song, ‘Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu’ to buy a Ferrari but unfortunately, the car was smashed in an accident.
5. More than 40 movies to his credit
He appeared in nearly 44 movies and produced two films including his own biographical production. He was featured in lead singing roles of modern operas and other roles on TV during the 1960s.
6. Domenico Modugno was banned from Chile
He was denied entry in Chile where he had a schedule to hold a concert due to his support for the campaigns of the Italian socialist party and also criticizing the human rights violation during the regime of Augusto Pinochet.
7. He was involved in social issues
Before he passed, Domenico Modugno became very active in social issues, he worked for the rights of disabled people, fighting against inhuman conditions of patients in the Agrigento psychiatric hospital. He even held a concert for inmates of Agrigento’s mental asylum in 1989.
8. How he met his wife
Modugno met his wife, Franca Gandolfi, an Italian actress and singer, at a famous film school in Rome called Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. She was active in Italian cinema from 1952 to 1963. They were married for almost 39 years before Modugno died.
9. Statue in his honor
On May 31, 2009, the town of Polignano A Mare dedicated a stature and waterfront in honor of the great singer. The bronze statue is about 3 meters tall. It was built and designed by the Argentinean sculptor Hermann Meijer. The sculpture was built facing the village with open arms depicting Modugno’s hit song, ‘Volare’.
10. The musical achievements of Domenico Modugno
Domenico Modugno toured worldwide and sold a million records that were released in different languages. He had over 200 recordings and sold over 60 million records. He won the Italian song festival of Sanremo four times, 3 Grammy awards among other awards.
See Also: Gabe Saporta- There Are a Million Facts To Know About Him, Here Are 15
11. His career started as a teenager
He started composing as early as 15 years, focusing on his journey into acting, singing, and songwriting.
12. Modugno got involved in politics
When he retired from his artistic career after he suffered a stroke and was partially paralyzed, he served in the Chamber of Deputies from 2 July 1987 to 18 April 1990 representing Turin and in the Senate from 18 April 1990 to 22 April 1992 representing Rome’s fourth district.
13. Most successful Italian artist?
He was the most successful Italian performing artist in Italian history and as a cantautore, he was seen as the father of modern Italian songwriting. Throughout his career, he was greatly loved and idolized.
14. He recorded his last song with his son
In 1993, Domenico Modugno recorded his last song ‘Delfini’ (dolphins) together with Massimo, his son.
15. Heart attack
He suffered his first heart attack in 1991 while he was on a plane returning from New York where he had a concert in a wheelchair at Carnegie hall.
