Biography of Zucchero

Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari) was born on 25 September 1955 in Roncocesi, a rural town in the province of Reggio Emilia. His first love was football. He spent hours and hours playing at the local church football club and eventually became goalkeeper for the Reggiana youth team. He got his nickname (sugar) at primary school because the teacher called him zucchero e marmellata, sugar and jam (although some maintain that the name was due to his pink, puffy cheeks). A farmer's son, he still feels a strong tie with his home town even though he now lives in Tuscany. It was in Reggio Emilia that he began playing the guitar. He was taught the basics by a black American student who was attending the Faculty of Veterinary Science in Bologna. He learned to strum the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. In 1968 his family moved for work to Forte dei Marmi in Versilia and Zucchero had to begin a new life and make new friends. But by now music was coursing his veins, taking the specific form of rhythm’n’blues and the music of the Mississippi Delta. He formed "Le nuove luci", a group of teenage musicians like himself who played at local dance halls. He attended a technical school in Carrara, then enrolled at University to study Veterinary Science, although he failed to complete his studies. By now music had become his all-absorbing passion. He toured with Sugar & Daniel (Daniel was the group's singer, while Zucchero played guitar and sax) until 1978 when he formed Sugar & Candies and began writing songs.
Although his first love was blues, when writing songs for other artists he made an effort to remain within the confines of Italian pop music. He wrote "Tutto di te" for the master of romantic atmospheres Fred Bongusto, followed by songs for a young melodic singer, Michele Pecora. Pecora's recording of "Te ne vai" became a big summer hit which suddenly made Zucchero's name as a commercial songwriter. In 1981 Gianni Ravera, struck by the timbre of Zucchero's voice, encouraged him to take part in the Castrocaro Festival as a performer. He won the competition, secured a contract with Polygram and a year later took part at the Sanremo Festival. Although the results were disappointing, he returned to the festival several times but had to make content with little more than mediocre results. By now his career as a songwriter had become much more successful. He wrote several successful songs for Stefano Sani and Donatella Milani. In 1983 he finally recorded his first album entitled "Un po' di Zucchero", although sales never really took off. His artistic career changed dramatically in 1985 when he presented the track "Donne" at Sanremo with the Randy Jackson Band. They finished eighth, but the song, a reggae aimed at a teenage audience, was a big hit. Although not a great commercial success, the album "Zucchero & Randy Jackson Band" (Polydor) gave Zucchero the credibility he so badly needed and proved an important springboard for his career. Since then he has never looked back. "Bluesugar" was the ninth in a series of albums, many of which have achieved record sales ("Oro, Incenso & Birra" from 1989 was the best-selling album in the history of Italian pop music). Zucchero's albums have also sold exceedingly well abroad ("Senza una donna", recorded with Paul Young in 1991, reached fourth place in the UK charts). His highly original blend of black music and Mediterranean melodies has made him popular both in Italy and abroad and won him acclaim with a large number of British and US stars.

Biography of Zucchero

Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari) was born on 25 September 1955 in Roncocesi, a rural town in the province of Reggio Emilia. His first love was football. He spent hours and hours playing at the local church football club and eventually became goalkeeper for the Reggiana youth team. He got his nickname (sugar) at primary school because the teacher called him zucchero e marmellata, sugar and jam (although some maintain that the name was due to his pink, puffy cheeks). A farmer's son, he still feels a strong tie with his home town even though he now lives in Tuscany. It was in Reggio Emilia that he began playing the guitar. He was taught the basics by a black American student who was attending the Faculty of Veterinary Science in Bologna. He learned to strum the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. In 1968 his family moved for work to Forte dei Marmi in Versilia and Zucchero had to begin a new life and make new friends. But by now music was coursing his veins, taking the specific form of rhythm’n’blues and the music of the Mississippi Delta. He formed "Le nuove luci", a group of teenage musicians like himself who played at local dance halls. He attended a technical school in Carrara, then enrolled at University to study Veterinary Science, although he failed to complete his studies. By now music had become his all-absorbing passion. He toured with Sugar & Daniel (Daniel was the group's singer, while Zucchero played guitar and sax) until 1978 when he formed Sugar & Candies and began writing songs.
Although his first love was blues, when writing songs for other artists he made an effort to remain within the confines of Italian pop music. He wrote "Tutto di te" for the master of romantic atmospheres Fred Bongusto, followed by songs for a young melodic singer, Michele Pecora. Pecora's recording of "Te ne vai" became a big summer hit which suddenly made Zucchero's name as a commercial songwriter. In 1981 Gianni Ravera, struck by the timbre of Zucchero's voice, encouraged him to take part in the Castrocaro Festival as a performer. He won the competition, secured a contract with Polygram and a year later took part at the Sanremo Festival. Although the results were disappointing, he returned to the festival several times but had to make content with little more than mediocre results. By now his career as a songwriter had become much more successful. He wrote several successful songs for Stefano Sani and Donatella Milani. In 1983 he finally recorded his first album entitled "Un po' di Zucchero", although sales never really took off. His artistic career changed dramatically in 1985 when he presented the track "Donne" at Sanremo with the Randy Jackson Band. They finished eighth, but the song, a reggae aimed at a teenage audience, was a big hit. Although not a great commercial success, the album "Zucchero & Randy Jackson Band" (Polydor) gave Zucchero the credibility he so badly needed and proved an important springboard for his career. Since then he has never looked back. "Bluesugar" was the ninth in a series of albums, many of which have achieved record sales ("Oro, Incenso & Birra" from 1989 was the best-selling album in the history of Italian pop music). Zucchero's albums have also sold exceedingly well abroad ("Senza una donna", recorded with Paul Young in 1991, reached fourth place in the UK charts). His highly original blend of black music and Mediterranean melodies has made him popular both in Italy and abroad and won him acclaim with a large number of British and US stars.