Andrea Bocelli

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Andrea Bocelli was born to Alessandro and Edi Bocelli on 22 September 1958. His sight was impaired from birth due to congenital glaucoma, and he lost his vision completely at age 12 after being hit in the eye with a football. He grew up on his family's farm in Tuscany, learning piano at age six and later the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, and drums. He won his first song competition at age 14 with "'O sole mio" at the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio. Bocelli studied law at the University of Pisa and worked as a legal assistant after graduation before pursuing music full-time. In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero held auditions for tenors to make a demo of his song "Miserere". After hearing Bocelli on tape, Luciano Pavarotti urged Zucchero to use Bocelli instead of him. Bocelli signed with Sugar Music after Caterina Caselli heard his demo tape. In February 1994, he won the newcomers' section of the Sanremo Music Festival with "Il mare calmo della sera", releasing his debut album of the same name in April. His second album *Bocelli* included "Con te partirò", which became a global hit, especially as a duet with Sarah Brightman retitled "Time to Say Goodbye". That single debuted atop the German charts, staying for 14 weeks, and with sales nearing three million copies, it became one of the best-selling singles in German history. Bocelli has recorded 15 solo studio albums, three greatest hits albums, and nine complete operas. His album *Romanza* is one of the best-selling albums of all time, and *Sacred Arias* is often noted as one of the best-selling classical albums by a solo artist. He was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2006 and elevated to Knight Grand Cross in 2025, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 2 March 2010 for his contribution to Live Theater.

Reader's Guide

Andrea Bocelli's significance lies in his role as a crossover artist who popularized classical music for mainstream audiences. His album *Sacred Arias* became the best-selling classical album by any solo artist in history, and he simultaneously held the top three positions on the US Classical Albums charts, earning a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records. His duet "Time to Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman became one of the best-selling singles of all time, and his 2019 album *Sì* debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200, becoming Bocelli's first number-one album in both countries. Bocelli's influence extends beyond sales: he was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 1999, and his song "The Prayer" with Celine Dion won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. His legacy includes bringing classical music to international pop charts and inspiring audiences worldwide, as reflected in Celine Dion's remark that "if God had a singing voice, it would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli."

Did You Know?

• Bocelli's mother overruled a doctor's advice to abort the pregnancy due to a high possibility of the child being born with a disability, which Bocelli said inspired him to oppose abortion.
• At age 12, Bocelli lost his vision completely after being hit in the eye with a football; despite medical efforts, his sight could not be saved.
• Bocelli's duet 'Time to Say Goodbye' with Sarah Brightman debuted atop the German charts, where it stayed for 14 weeks, and became one of the best-selling singles in the country's history.

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