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Franco Califano

1938 – 2013

Italian singer-songwriter

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About Franco Califano

Lived 1938 – 2013 (aged 74). Franco Califano was an Italian singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor, composer and film score composer.

Francesco "Franco" Califano (14 September 1938 – 30 March 2013) was an Italian singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. His songs sold about 20 million records during his career.

Early life Born in an airplane above Tripoli, Libya, Califano lived most of his life in Rome (in whose dialect he usually sang) and Milan.

Music career In the 1960s, he began his career in music as a lyricist and a record producer; among his first successes as author "", "", "". In 1976, Califano got his first and main success as a singer with the song "", included in his eponymous fourth album, for which the critics paired him to the traditional French . In 1978, he released his best-sold album.

In 1988, he entered the Sanremo Music Festival with the autobiographical song ""; he came back to Sanremo two more times, in 1994 with "" and in 2005 with "".

Death He died of a heart attack in his house in Acilia.

Discography

(1972) (1973) (1973) (1975) (1975) , live at La Bussola in Viareggio (1975) (1976) (1977) (1977, collection) (1979) (1980) (1981) (1981, collection) (1982) (1982, live) (1983) (1983, collection ) (1984) (1985) (1987) (1988) (1989) (1990) (1991) (1992, live) (1994) (1995) (1999) (2001, live) (2001, EP) (2003) (2005, collection) (2009)

Filmography Film TitleYearRole(s)Director NotesAppuntamento a Ischia 1960 Mimmo's Double Bass Player Mario Mattoli Appuntamento in riviera 1962 Himself Mario Mattoli CameoNotti nude 1963 Himself Ettore Fecchi DocumentaryCherchez l'idole 1964 The Director Michel BoisrondGardenia 1979 Gardenia Domenico PaolellaDue strani papà 1983 Franco Mariano LaurentiViola Kisses Everybody 1998 Samuele's Father Giovanni VeronesiThis Night Is Still Ours 2008 Franco Cicchillitti Paolo GenoveseRoma nuda 2012 Romo Sebastiani Giuseppe Ferrara Final film role

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Important facts

People in Franco Califano's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Franco Califano's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Franco Califano?

Italian singer-songwriter (1938-2013)

When was Franco Califano born?

Franco Califano was born on 14 September 1938 in Tripoli.

When did Franco Califano die?

Franco Califano died on 30 March 2013 in Rome.

What was Franco Califano's occupation?

Franco Califano was a singer-songwriter, poet, writer, actor, composer and film score composer.

What nationality was Franco Califano?

Franco Califano was Italian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Franco Califano

· Wikidata: Q1054391

· DBpedia: Franco Califano

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Franco Califano. https://biography.guide/franco-califano/

MLA: "Franco Califano." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/franco-califano/.

Chicago: "Franco Califano." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/franco-califano/.

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