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Domenico Modugno

1928 – 1994

Italian singer, actor and politician

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About Domenico Modugno

Lived 1928 – 1994 (aged 66). Domenico Modugno was an Italian singer, politician, human rights defender, screenwriter, stage actor and songwriter.

Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, songwriter, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel blu dipinto di blu", for which he received the first Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. He is considered the first Italian cantautore.

Early life The youngest of four children, Modugno was born at Polignano a Mare, in the province of Bari (Apulia), on 9 January 1928. was a municipal police commander, while his mother, Pasqua Lorusso, where his father was transferred for a new job position. Here Domenico attended primary school and learned San Pietro Vernotico's dialect, which belongs to the linguistic area of Salentino dialect, similar to Sicilian. He attended secondary school in Lecce. The turning point of his career came in that year, when he also participated in the Sanremo Music Festival, presenting, together with Johnny Dorelli, the song "Nel blu dipinto di blu." Co-authored by Modugno and Franco Migliacci, the song won the contest and became an enormous success worldwide. It received two Grammy Awards with sales above 22 million copies, and represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1958, where it came in third.

Discography

Studio albums I successi di Domenico Modugno (1955) I successi di Domenico Modugno II (1955) Domenico Modugno e la sua chitarra - Un poeta un pittore un musicista (1956) Domenico Modugno e la sua chitarra nº 2 - Un poeta un pittore un musicista (1956) La strada dei successi (1958) Domenico Modugno (1958) Domenico è sempre Domenico (1958) Domenico Modugno (1959) Modugno (1961) Rinaldo in campo (1961) Domenico Modugno (1962) Tutto è musica (1963) Modugno siciliano (1963) Modugno (1964) Dio, come ti amo (1966) Modugno (1967) Domenico Modugno (1968) Domenico Modugno (1970) Con l'affetto della memoria (1971) Tutto Modugno (1972) Il mio cavallo bianco (1973) Piange... il telefono e le più belle canzoni di Domenico Modugno (1975) L'anniversario (1976) Cyrano (1978) Pazzo amore (1984) Posthumous releases L'arca di Modugno (1997) Io, Domenico Modugno (1997)

Live albums Dal vivo alla Bussoladomani (1977) Posthumous releases I concerti live @ RTSI (2001) Domenico Modugno Radio Show (2006)

Notable singles "Vecchio frac" (1955) "Resta cu'mme" (1956) "'O ccafé" (1958) "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" (1958) "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)" (1959) "'O sole mio" (1960) "Libero" (1960) "Addio… Addio…" (1962) "Dio, come ti amo" (1966) "Sopra i tetti azzurri del mio pazzo amore" (1967) "La lontananza" (1970) "Come stai" (1971) "Un calcio alla città" (1972) "Questa è la mia vita" (1974) "Piange... il telefono" (1975) "Malarazza" (1976) "Delfini (Sai che c'è)" (1993)

Filmography Film

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Experimental Centre of Cinematography
Positions held
Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Republic, Member of the Senate of the Italian Republic
Awards
Grammy Award for Record of the Year; Grammy Award for Song of the Year; Sanremo Music Festival; Premio Tenco
Also known as
Mimmo Modugno

People in Domenico Modugno's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Domenico Modugno's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Domenico Modugno?

Italian singer, actor and politician (1928–1994)

When was Domenico Modugno born?

Domenico Modugno was born on 9 January 1928 in Polignano a Mare.

When did Domenico Modugno die?

Domenico Modugno died on 6 August 1994 in Lampedusa e Linosa.

What was Domenico Modugno's occupation?

Domenico Modugno was a singer, politician, human rights defender, screenwriter, stage actor and songwriter.

What nationality was Domenico Modugno?

Domenico Modugno was Italian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Domenico Modugno

· Wikidata: Q201392

· DBpedia: Domenico Modugno

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Domenico Modugno. https://biography.guide/domenico-modugno/

MLA: "Domenico Modugno." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/domenico-modugno/.

Chicago: "Domenico Modugno." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/domenico-modugno/.

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