Adelmo Fornaciari was born in Roncocesi on 25th September 1955. He later moved to Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany where, between 1970 & 1978 he formed his first R&B bands: ‘ L
Adelmo Fornaciari was born in Roncocesi on 25th September 1955. He later moved to Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany where, between 1970 & 1978 he formed his first R&B bands: ‘ Le Nuove Luci’ , ‘ Sugar & Daniel’ and ‘ Sugar & Candies’ . By that time, he was already known as Zucchero, a nickname given to him by one of his school teachers. In 1981 he won the Castrocaro Festival with ‘ Canto Te’ . Then in 1983, he recorded his first studio album entitled ‘ Un Po di Zucchero’ . He travelled to San Francisco to visit Corrado Rustici who introduced him to Randy Jackson. When he returned to Italy in 1985 it was with a new band featuring Randy Jackson on bass, Corrado Rustici on guitar, Walter Afanatieff on keyboards and Giorjo Francis Perry on drums. He competed at the San Remo Festival with the song ‘ Donne’ (BMG) and then released ‘ Zucchero & The Randy Jackson Band’. The follow up album, ‘ Rispetto’, topped the charts upon release. Zucchero triumphantly competed at the San Remo Festival once again the following year with ‘ Canzone Triste’ . In 1987 Zucchero recorded ‘ Blue’s’ with Corrado Rustici and David Sancious who teamed up for the sessions with Clarence Clemmons and the Memphis Horns. The result was over 1.3 million copies sold in Italy, the biggest commercial breakthrough ever to be reached by a rock music album in Italy. Zucchero followed the release by touring with Joe Cocker & Miles Davis. In 1988 he wrote a musical score for the movie ‘ Snack Bar Budapest’ , directed by Tinto Brass. During the same year, Zucchero recorded a new version of ‘ Dune Mosse’ with Miles Davis. In 1989 Zucchero released his fifth studio album, ‘ Oro Incenso e Birra’ , featuring Eric Clapton as well as the musicians who had collaborated on ‘ Blue’ s’ . It is Clapton’ s guitar solo on ‘ Wonderful World’’ that makes this song so unique. This album sold over 1.7 million copies in Italy alone breaking the record set by ‘ Blue’ s’ . 1990 saw the release of ‘ Oro Incenso e Birra’ in England and to promote it Zucchero went on a double-billed European tour with Eric Clapton. He became the first rock artist to perform at the Kremlin in Moscow, and during the concert, which was broadcast all over Europe, he duetted with Randy Crawford on ‘ Imagine’ and with Toni Childs on ‘ Many Rivers to Cross ’ . In the same year, he released the album Zucchero onto the world market, a collection of hits sung in English, followed by a European tour that ended with two historic concerts at the Kremlin (8 and 9 December). In 1991 Zucchero recorded ‘ Senza Una Donna’ (Without a Woman) with Paul Young. The single topped the charts in almost all European countries and the United States. The next single, ‘ Diamante’ also topped the European charts. Zucchero wrote the lyrics & sang on the Italian version of ‘ Mad About You ’ , (Muoio per te) featured on Sting’ s ‘ The Soul Cages’ album. That same year, Zucchero returned to Moscow to release the Live at the Kremlin album to the world press. Later in the year Brian May invited Zucchero to join him and the other members of Queen to perform at Wembley Stadium in London at the ‘ Freddie Mercury Tribute’ where he performed ‘ Las Palabras de Amor’ (1992). ‘ Miserere’, his sixth studio album, was released internationally on October 1st, 1992 in both English and Italian. The title track is a duet with the Maestro, Luciano Pavarotti. The lyrics of the English version of the album were adapted by Bono of U2.In the album, the tenor part was entrusted to Andrea Bocelli, who was discovered and launched onto the record market by Zucchero. Also in 1992 Zucchero & Luciano Pavarotti together devised the concept of the Pavarotti & Friends charity gala. The first edition, broadcast live worldwide, was the first in a series of charity concerts, which were held annually until 2003.
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