Zucchero

Born

September 25, 1955 (69 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Roncocesi, Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Adelmo Fornaciari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (born 25 September 1955), more commonly known by his stage name Zucchero Fornaciari or simply Zucchero, is an Italian singer, musician and songwriter. His stage name is the Italian word for "sugar", as his elementary teacher used to call him. His music is largely inspired by gospel, soul, blues and rock music, and alternates between Italian ballads and more rhythmic R&B-boogie-like pieces. He is credited as the "father of Italian blues", introducing blues to the big stage in Italy. He is one of the few European blues artists who still enjoys great international success.

In his career, spanning four decades, Fornaciari has sold over 60 million records around the world, and internationally his most successful singles are "Diamante", "Il Volo/My Love", "Baila (Sexy Thing)/Baila morena", and the duet "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)" with Paul Young. He has won numerous awards, including four Festivalbar, nine Wind Music Awards, two World Music Awards (1993, 1996), six IFPI Europe Platinum Awards, and a Grammy Award nomination. He has collaborated and performed with many famous artists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian May, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, B. B. King, Sting, Bono, Dolores O'Riordan, Paul Young, Peter Gabriel, Luciano Pavarotti, and Andrea Bocelli.

Adelmo Fornaciari was born 25 September 1955 in Roncocesi, a frazione (small village) near Reggio Emilia. His father, Giuseppe Fornaciari, and mother, Rina Bondavalli, came from rural families. At a young age, he was the goalkeeper of A.C. Reggiana 1919. He spent most of his childhood in the seaside town of Forte dei Marmi (Province of Lucca, Tuscany). There, he sang in the choir and played an organ in the local church. At the age of 12 or 13, he discovered American soul and blues music thanks to an African-American friend who was studying in Bologna and lived near his home. The first song he played to Fornaciari was (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding, and this immediately inspired his interest in soul music. The friend taught Fornaciari how to play on the guitar songs by Redding, Marvin Gaye, and Sam & Dave. Fornaciari then got together with friends to play rhythm and blues, finding his own way to fuse black music and Mediterranean music. He started writing his own songs when he was 13 or 14 years old, and after learning basic instruments, from 16 he moved on to learning the tenor saxophone. In Forte dei Marmi, he finished his technical high school studies, and moved again, this time to the city of Carrara.

His musical career began in 1970, with several small bands such as I Duca, Le nuove luci, I Decals, Sugar & Daniel, Sugar & Candies. At that time, he was studying veterinary medicine; although he liked animals and the course (taking 39 out of the 51 exams), he wanted to be different from his parents and withdrew from the course in order to pursue his aspirations. In 1975, he went to San Francisco, and there met the then-young Corrado Rustici from Naples, his future record producer. They talked about a future collaboration on a project with Afro-American influences which was then unusual for Italy. ...

Source: Article "Zucchero Fornaciari" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Pino

Pino

Sé stesso

7.8

2025

Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration

Andrea Bocelli 30: The Celebration

5.7

2024

Zucchero | Sugar Fornaciari

Zucchero | Sugar Fornaciari

Self

7.5

2023

Ennio

Ennio

Self

8.3

2022

Felicissima Sera

Felicissima Sera

Self · (1 episode)

7.2

2021

Note di viaggio: Il film

Note di viaggio: Il film

Self

9.5

2021

One World: Together at Home

One World: Together at Home

Self

7.0

2020

Celebrity Hunted Italy

Celebrity Hunted Italy

Self · (1 episode)

6.1

2020

TV Story Superstar

TV Story Superstar

Self (archive footage) · (2 episodes)

0.0

2020

Zucchero - La Sesion Cubana

Zucchero - La Sesion Cubana

Himself

0.0

2013

Effedia - Sulla mia cattiva strada

Effedia - Sulla mia cattiva strada

Self

6.0

2008

Zucchero - Live in Italy

Zucchero - Live in Italy

Voce, chitarra acustica, chitarra elettrica, pianoforte

8.0

2007

Zucchero | Zu and co.: Live at Royal Albert Hall

Zucchero | Zu and co.: Live at Royal Albert Hall

Self

6.4

2004

La chanson de l'année

La chanson de l'année

Self · (2 episodes)

9.0

2004

Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel

Self · (1 episode)

4.0

2004

Die ultimative Chartshow

Self · (1 episode)

5.0

2003

Alan Simon ‎– Gaia

Alan Simon ‎– Gaia

Self

0.0

2003

Pavarotti & Friends 7 - For Cambodia and Tibet

Pavarotti & Friends 7 - For Cambodia and Tibet

Self

0.0

2000

Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo

Pavarotti & Friends 99 for Guatemala and Kosovo

Self

7.5

1999

Andrea Bocelli - Une nuit en Toscane

Self

10.0

1998

Zucchero - All the Best

Zucchero - All the Best

0.0

Star Academy

Star Academy

Self · (4 episodes)

6.4

2001

Vivement dimanche

Vivement dimanche

Self · (3 episodes)

3.0

1998

Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia

Pavarotti & Friends - For the Children of Liberia

Self

0.0

1998

Pavarotti & Friends 4 - For War Child

Pavarotti & Friends 4 - For War Child

Self

0.0

1996

De pé a pá

De pé a pá

Self · (1 episode)

6.5

1996

Pavarotti & Friends 3 - Together for the Children of Bosnia

Pavarotti & Friends 3 - Together for the Children of Bosnia

Self

0.0

1995

Pavarotti & Friends

Pavarotti & Friends

Self

8.5

1992

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert

Self

8.3

1992

Le monde est à vous

Le monde est à vous

Self · (6 episodes)

0.0

1987

Sacrée soirée

Sacrée soirée

Self · (4 episodes)

6.5

1987

Champs-Elysées

Champs-Elysées

Self · (1 episode)

6.3

1982

De TV Show

De TV Show

Self · (1 episode)

0.0

1981

Domenica In

Domenica In

Self · (1 episode)

0.0

1976

3 nach 9

Self · (1 episode)

6.5

1974

Great Performances

Great Performances

Self · (1 episode)

5.5

1971

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops

Self · (1 episode)

6.6

1964

Sanremo Music Festival

Sanremo Music Festival

Self - Special Guest · (2 episodes)

7.8

1951