Fabrizio De André

One of Italy's most popular and critically acclaimed singer-songwriters of the 1960s and '70s, Fabrizio De André was born in 1940 in Genoa to a wealthy businessman who supported anti-fascist causes that meant the family had to seek hiding during World War II. He started to play the guitar as a teenager and began releasing folk albums of social commentary in the 1960s. His music was influenced by American jazz, singer-songwriters such as Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan and the traditional forms of Italian and French folk singing.

He collaborated with several other artists including Francesco De Gregori, Massimo Bubola, Mauro Pagani and Ivano Fossati and released many successful albums including 'Tutti Morimmo a Stento' (1968), 'La Buona Novella' (1970), 'Fabrizio De André' (1981) and 'Anime Salve' (1996). He made several live recordings and compilation releases include 'Black Anthology' (1976) and 'Blue Anthology' (1986). His music was used in television documentaries including 'Non al Dent Non all'Amore Né al Cielo' (1996) and 'A Correggere la Fortuna' (2006), 'Di Me Cos Ne Sai' and 'The Front Line' (2009) and 'Long Live Freedom' (2013).

Fabrizio De André died of lung cancer in 1999. A collection of his recordings titled 'Tu Che M'ascolti Insegnami' was released in 2017.