Franco Califano

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.^{[citation needed]}

Franco Califano
Califano in 1973
Background information
Born	(1938-09-14)14 September 1938 Tripoli, Libya
Origin	Rome, Kingdom of Italy
Died	30 March 2013(2013-03-30) (aged 74) Acilia, Rome, Italy
Genres	Easy pop
Occupations	Lyricist singer actor
Years active	1960–2013
Website	francocalifano.it

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]

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

Further reading

• Pierfranco Bruni (2013). Franco Califano: Sulla punta della matita non sono passati secoli. Editrice il coscile, 2013. ISBN 978-8896276297.
• Salvatore Coccoluto (27 August 2014). Franco Califano. Non escludo il ritorno: Storia canzoni leggenda. Imprimatur editore, 2014. ISBN 978-8868302153.