Biography of Lucio Battisti

Eternal emotions

5 March 1943 9 September 1998 Lucio Battisti, unforgettable singer songwriter born in Poggio Bustone, hill town in the province of Rieti, on 5 March 1943. As in all things pertaining to Battisti, man has always been very jealous of their privacy, to the point of disappearing for years from the spotlight, little is known of his early childhood: the rare testimonies tell of a quiet child, quite closed and with weight problems. The family, supplemented by sister Albarita, petty-bourgeois is the type that goes for more in Italy in those years: mom and dad used to excise taxes. In Poggio Bustone anyway last name Baptists is widespread, not surprisingly mum Goddess called Baptists even maiden name. In 1947 the family moved to Castel Sant'Angelo tanks around Rieti three years later in Rome; during summer vacation the hometown remains a fixed destination. As against this information vacuum, scarcely filled by biographers, comes to the rescue of the singer-songwriter himself, issued a statement in an interview in December 1970 for the magazine dream: "curly hair I had them so long that even as a kid and thought I was a little girl. I was a kid, I played with quiet nothing, with a pencil, with a piece of paper and I dreamed. The songs came later. I had a normal childhood, I wanted to be a priest, I served mass when I was four, five years. But then once, as I was talking to church with a friend instead of following the function-I've always been a big talker-a priest gave a slap to the head. Maybe after I took other items that were turned away from the Church, but already with this episode I had changed my mind. " In the capital Baptists attended elementary and high school and graduated as industrial engineer in 1962. Of course has long been holding guitar and sings his songs or other, shooting with friends among some locals, although his ambition gradually as time passes it becomes increasingly that of wanting to enter the profession. Ravi's father is not agree with the artistic choices of the son, again purely sketched. It is said that in the many discussions in this regard, Abate has even broken in head to Lucio a guitar. The first experience in a band is in the autumn of 1962 as a guitarist of "the Matadors" group of young Neapolitans. Here come the early gains, but not enough; Lucio Battisti complex changes and soon joins "satyrs". In 1964 the complex went to play in Germany and Netherlands: an excellent opportunity to listen to the music of Dylan and the Animals. The first engagement of Baptists soloist comes when he calls the 84 Club of Rome. The singer demonstrates immediately to have a clear head and a good dose of ambition; from that experience gets the distinct feeling that playing in a group doesn't like it and so he decided to try his luck alone to Milan, considered at the time a "Mecca" of the song. Here, unlike many of his peers that to make ends meet accept alternative work, doesn't bend to compromise solutions and barricaded for weeks in a suburban Board pursues undistracted one purpose: to prepare while waiting for the meeting with a major record label. In 1964 composed his first songs together with Roby Matano, before moving to the first 45 rpm, "Per una lira". The curious fact is that the producers decided not to put his face on the cover because you decided to "appeal". So you resorted to a compromise, showing it in full figure, shoulders, hugging a girl, while the two stood playing a liretta, DIME already at that time very rare. In 1965 the key encounter with Giulio Rapetti, the most famous "lyricists" Italian landscape, under the pseudonym of Mughals. The two are a good form of symbiosis which will run happily for over fifteen years, during which time together they will write some milestones of Italian music. In 1968 with "Balla Linda" Lucio Battisti participates in the Cantagiro; in 1969, paired with Wilson Pickett, presents in Sanremo "an adventure". The decisive statement arrives in the following summer, Festivalbar, with "Acqua azzurra, acqua chiara". But the years of Baptists were undoubtedly the ' 70 and ' 80, inaugurated with two highly successful songs, "La canzone del sole" and "for you", recorded for his new label, which he founded with some friends and Associates, and bearing the name emblematic of "number one". From then on success marks an impressive series of masterpieces, all in first place on the charts. Also did you know that Battisti was also author for other, Publisher and record producer, distributing success for Mina, Patty Pravo, the complex Formula Three and Bruno Lauzi. But the great success achieved has not eliminated the intimate and familiar that Lucio Battisti has always favored in his life. Rare and unique characteristic, has maintained contact with the public only through his records and some sporadic interview with press, ignoring television and concerts, retreating to the countryside. For better products and its expectations, first established a recording studio staff directly at home and later, looking for a sound increasingly modern, sought optimal studies in England or the United States. His records have always been the result of a long and meticulous where nothing was left to chance, not even the cover. The consequences of this care were very high costs of many of his productions, even if the final product has never betrayed expectations nor of those who had made or had competed to carry it out, nor of the intended audience. On September 9, 1998 Lucio Battisti has turned off, arousing huge clamor and commotion in Italy, the country that has always loved and supported despite the decade-long absence from the media limelight. Hospitalization and illness, before his death, were dominated by the almost absolute silence on the real state of health. Today, after his death, his house of residence is the subject of an unstoppable bustle of fans or just curious. View the turnout, a scale specially built allows you to take a close look at the balcony where the artist as a young man, he played his guitar.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.