Franco Califano

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Easy
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Occupation(s)

Lyricist
singer
actor

Years active1960–2013Websitefrancocalifano.it

Musical artist

Franco Califano (14 September 1938 – 30 March 2013) was an Italian lyricist, composer, singer-songwriter, author and actor.^[1] 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.^[2]

Music career

In the 1960s, he began his career in music as a lyricist and a record producer;^[3] among his first successes as author "La musica è finita", "E la chiamano estate", "Una ragione di più".^[2]

He was arrested in 1970 and again 1984 for possession of drugs; in both cases, Califano was acquitted with the formula "because the fact does not exist".^[4] In 1976 Califano got his first and main success as a singer with the song "Tutto il resto è noia", included in his eponymous fourth album, for which the critics paired him to the traditional French chansonniers.^[2] During these years he continued his activity as lyricist signing, among others, the Sanremo Music Festival 1973 winner "Un grande amore e niente più" (performed by Peppino di Capri) and the Mia Martini's classic "Minuetto"; he also composed a whole album for Mina, Amanti di valore.^[5] In 1978 he released his best-sold album, Tac.^[5]^[6]

Music festival

In 1988, he entered the Sanremo Music Festival with the autobiographical song "Io per le strade di quartiere"; he came back to Sanremo two more times, in 1994 with "Napoli" and in 2005 with "Non escludo il ritorno".^[5]

Books

He was author of several books, including the autobiographical Senza manette and Il cuore nel sesso.^[1] He also starred in several genre films, and had the leading roles in the poliziottesco Gardenia and in the comedy film Due strani papà.^[7]

Death

He died of a heart attack^[8] in his house in Acilia.^[9]

Discography

'N bastardo venuto dar sud (1972)
Ma che piagni a ffa' (1973)
L'evidenza dell'autunno (1973)
Io me 'mbriaco (1975)
Secondo me, l'amore... (1975)
24-7-75 dalla Bussola, live at La Bussola in Viareggio (1975)
Tutto il resto è noia (1976)
Tac...! (1977)
Bastardo l'autunno e l'amore (1977, collection)
Ti perdo (1979)
Tuo Califano (1980)
La mia libertà (1981)
Ritratto di Franco Califano (1981, collection)
Buio e luna piena (1982)
In concerto dal Blue Moon di Ogliastro Marina (1982, live)
Io per amarti (1983)
Super Califfo (1983, collection )
Impronte digitali (1984)
Ma cambierà (1985)
Il bello della vita (1987)
Io (1988)
Coppia dove vai (1989)
Califano (1990)
Se il teatro è pieno (1991)
In concerto dal Blue Moon di Ogliastro Marina 2 (1992, live)
Ma io vivo (1994)
Giovani uomini (1995)
Tu nell'intimità (1999)
Stasera canto io (2001, live)
Vive chi vive (2001, EP)
Luci della notte (2003)
Non escludo il ritorno (2005, collection)
C'è bisogno d'amore (2009)

Filmography

Year	Title	Role
1962	Appuntamento in Riviera	—
1963	Notti nude	—
1964	Cherchez l'idole	film director
1979	Gardenia	Gardenia
1984	Due strani papà	Franco
1998	Viola Kisses Everybody	Samuele's father
2008	This Night Is Still Ours	Franco Cicchilitti
2010	Se fossi attimo	—
2011	We, People of September	himself

References

^ ^a ^b Paolo Gallori. "È morto Franco Califano, poeta e cantore di donne e borgate". La Repubblica. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ezio Guaitamacchi (2009). Mille canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita. Rizzoli, 2009. ISBN 978-8817033923.
^ Felice Liperi. Storia della canzone italiana. RAI-ERI, 1999.
^ Melania Rizzoli, Detenuti, Sperling & Kupfer, 2012. ISBN 8873394515
^ ^a ^b ^c Enrico Deregibus (8 October 2010). Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana. Giunti Editore, 2010. ISBN 978-8809756250.
^ Dario Salvatori (1989). Storia dell'Hit Parade. Gramese, 1989. ISBN 8876054391.
^ Marco Giusti (1999). Dizionario dei film italiani stracult. Sperling & Kupfer, 1999. ISBN 88-200-2919-7.
^ Laura Bogliolo (2 April 2013). "Califano tradito dal cuore, il medico: "Non è morto di stenti"". Il Messaggero. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
^ "Addio a Franco Califano". Rai News. 1 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.