Biography
Who is Umberto Tozzi?
Early life and background
Umberto Tozzi Antonio Tozzi was born on March 4, 1952, in Turin, Italy. He was the second son of Nicola Tozzi, a police officer from Vico del Gargano, and Immacolata from Montesarchio. His parents immigrated to Turin in 1945.
At the age of sixteen, Umberto joined a local musical group called Off Sound in Turin. He later met Adriano Pappalardo in Milan, and together they formed a thirteen-piece band for a large-scale Italian tour.
Rise to fame and major hits
In 1974, Umberto achieved his first success as a songwriter with the track Un Corpo, un'anima, which was performed on the Italian music programme Canzonissima. He released his debut studio album Donna Amante Mia in 1976.
His career reached new heights with the release of the hit song Ti Amo in 1977. The single stayed at number one on the Italian charts for seven months and became an international success across continental Europe, the Americas, and Australia.
In 1979, he recorded another signature track titled Gloria. The song became a major hit in Italy and gained widespread international popularity through subsequent English versions by other artists, including a prominent US recording by Laura Branigan.
Later career and festival victories
After a period of absence from the music industry, Umberto returned in 1987 to win the Sanremo Music Festival. He triumphed with the song Si Può Dare Di Più, which he performed alongside Gianni Morandi and Enrico Ruggeri.
During the same year, he teamed up with Raf to perform Gente Di Mare at the Eurovision Song Contest, securing a third-place finish. He continued recording through the following decades, releasing albums such as Equivocando and Aria e Cielo, alongside multiple greatest hits collections.
His recorded version of Gloria was featured on the soundtrack of the 2014 film The Wolf of Wall Street. Throughout his long career, he has maintained a steady presence in European music and accumulated numerous chart entries.
Birthday and age
Umberto Tozzi was born on March 4, 1952, which makes Umberto 74 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Umberto shares the date with 51 other famous people.
Explore more
