Bocelli, Andrea (1958– )

Italian opera tenor. He achieved international success during the 1990s in both opera and pop music. His albums include the pop Romanza (1997), Sogno (1999), and Amore (2006), and the classical Viaggio Italiano (1997), Aria (1998), and Sacred Arias (1999).

His single ‘Con te partirò’/‘Time to Say Goodbye’ (1995) reached the charts in Italy, France, Germany, and the USA.

Bocelli was born in the Lajatico, near Pisa. Suffering from congenital glaucoma, he became totally blind at the age of 12. He studied law at the University of Pisa and practised law for a year before pursuing his music career. He achieved stardom after recording a demo of ‘Miserere’ that impressed Luciano Pavarotti in 1992, leading to a recording contract the following year.