On September 22, 1958, Andrea Bocelli was born in the Italian province of Tuscany. He spent his childhood on a small parental farm in the village of Lajatiko. Parents early noticed the extraordinary musical talent of their son and strongly supported his passion for singing. At the age of six, Andrea began to learn the piano, a little later he learned to play the saxophone and flute and became a soloist in the school choir.
As a teenager, he became a local celebrity, winning several vocal competitions. Nothing unusual for an Italian boy, but Andrea was distinguished from his peers by a serious physical handicap. Born with glaucoma, at the age of twelve the boy finally lost his sight - the reason for this was a kick with a soccer ball, which caused a brain hemorrhage. However, even such a tragedy could not prevent the love of music. Andrea says that the opera literally hypnotized him. The boy's idols were the great singers of Italy - Gigli, Del Monaco and Franco Corelli. But the parents believed that it was better for their son to make a career as a lawyer, and after graduating from school, Andrea went to Pisa to study law.
The years of study at the university remained in Bocelli's memory as carefree and joyful. He studied easily, and therefore found time to play in local clubs and restaurants. For his own pleasure, Andrea performed there the popular songs of Frank Sinatra, Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf. He also sang opera arias, beloved since childhood. After graduating as a lawyer, Andrea worked in his specialty for a year. His fate was changed by the news that Franco Corelli himself was conducting vocal master classes in Turin. Andrea decided to go to him for an audition. Maestro Corelli discovered in the voice of the young Italian a natural beauty, the same as that of the legendary tenors of Tuscany, and agreed to teach Andrea. Considering this a kind of initiation into the world of music, Andrea forever abandoned his lawyer career. Now he studied vocals during the day, and in the evenings he earned money for these lessons in restaurants, while practicing singing along the way.
In one of the bars in 1987, he met Enrica Cenzatti, who became his wife five years later. In 1995, Andrea and Enrique had their first child, Amos, and two years later, the second boy, Matteo.
Andrea Bocelli believes that he rose to the pinnacle of fame quite by accident. In 1992, renowned Italian rock star Zucchero Fornaci auditioned for a tenor to prepare a song he wanted to sing with Luciano Pavarotti. The song was called "Miserere", and no one could sing it in such a way that Fornaci was satisfied. After much searching, he agreed to audition a young pianist playing at a local restaurant and was amazed at his amazing understanding of the song. Fornaci's manager, Michele Torpedine, flew Andrea's recording to Philadelphia to see Pavarotti. The great singer, having heard the singing of Bocelli, could not believe that such a voice was wasted, entertaining the visitors of the restaurant. Thanking Fornaci for writing the song, Pavarotti refused to sing "Miserere", saying that Andrea should sing it. It was "Miserere" that became Bocelli's debut at the San Remo Festival and brought him great success.
In 1993, another miracle happened - the president of Zugar, one of the most serious Italian labels, Caterina Caselli, heard Andrea's voice at a private reception. The song "Nessun dorma" delighted Katerina, and she, confident, like Pavarotti, that talent should not be buried in the ground, offered Andrea a contract. A year later, his first album, Il mare calmo della sera, was released. The single of the same name from this album won a record number of points in San Remo. In the autumn of 1994, Luciano Pavarotti personally invited Andrea to participate in his concert in Modena "Pavarotti International". Here Bocelli took the stage with Bryan Adams, Nancy Gustafsson, Andreas Wohlweider and sang a duet with Pavarotti himself.
In the same year, Andrea went on a European tour, and this tour was his triumph. The song "Con te partiro", a duet version of the British composition "Time to Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman, became a record in sales in many countries and stayed at the top of the European charts for several weeks. On Christmas Day 1994, Andrea Bocelli spoke to the Pope.
In 1995, Andrea continued his performances in Europe, touring Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Germany with the Nights of the Proms program. His concerts were attended by more than half a million people and seen by countless television viewers. The second album, named after the singer himself - "Bocelli", hit the charts and went platinum more than once, confirming Andrea's status as a new star. A year later, Bocelli's third disc, "Romanza", was released, consisting mainly of pop music compositions. In many European countries, this disc topped the chart of the best albums and was sold in a circulation of one million copies. In the newspapers, Andrea Bocelli began to be called "the second Enrico Caruso." In the same 1996, the album “Viaggio Italiano” was released, which Andrea dedicated to the famous Italian opera singers. The album includes famous opera arias and traditional Neapolitan songs. The album "Aria" in 1998 also collected famous arias and became a kind of contribution of the Tuscan tenor to the musical traditions of not only his country, but also to world classical music.
In 1999, Andrea Bocelli received the Grammy Award, becoming the first classical music performer to receive this award in almost forty years. "Praying", the soundtrack to the film "In Search of Camelot", sung by Andrea along with Celine Dion, was nominated for an Oscar and received a Golden Globe. His next albums - "Sogno", "Arie Sacre", "Verdi" inevitably ascended to the top lines of the ratings, but most importantly - turned opera into a world-famous art. The 1999 album "Arie Sacre" brought Bocelli a world record - as a singer who occupied the first lines of the charts for three and a half years, Andrea got into the Guinness Book.
The operas in which Andrea performed the main parts acquired a new sound thanks to him - in 2003 "Tosca", in 2004 - "Il trovatore", in 2005 - "Werther". The female audience was captivated by the lyrical compositions of Bocelli's albums "Cieli di Toscana", "Sentimento", "Andrea", "Amore". But Enrica, Andrea's wife, filed for divorce, citing her husband's constant absence from home. In 2002, the couple divorced. Shortly after this sad event, Andrea met Veronica, the daughter of the Italian singer Ivano Berti, who now works for the Bocelli impresario. Andrea assures that Veronica has become a real muse for him. She accompanies the singer on tour, and in her free time she shares his passion for horseback riding. Growing up on a farm, Andrea loves horses since childhood, and blindness does not prevent him from being a good rider - just as it does not interfere with playing chess, skiing and skating.
At the end of the summer of 2011, Andrea and Veronica announced that they would have a child, and on March 21, 2012, a girl, Virginia, was born in the Bocelli family.
Andrea Bocelli cannot be called an opera singer - but, perhaps, he owes his incredible success precisely to the fact that there are no proven vocal techniques and artificial brilliance in his voice. He is very popular among Americans, and since 2010 he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, received by the singer for his contribution to opera. In 2006, Bocelli was awarded the Order of Merit for Italy, in 2009 he became an officer of the Order of the Dominican Republic "Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella" for his contribution to world culture.
Andrea Bocelli, whose biography, despite his blindness, was successful, is one of the most popular Italian singers of our time. Worldwide, 80 million copies of his award-winning albums have been sold. People who see Bocelli for the first time are wondering: what's wrong with his eyes?
The singer, born in 1958 in the Tuscan commune of Lajatico, already in childhood suffered from a hereditary disease - glaucoma, which negatively affected his eyesight. The child underwent 27 operations, which turned out to be useless. At the age of 6, Bocelli, who was attracted by beautiful music, began to play the piano, and later on the saxophone and flute. After a soccer ball hit him in the head at the age of 12, he became completely blind. At the same age, the boy won his first competition, singing the song Ole sole mio.
Although it was clear that the guy had musical talent, at the age of 22 he decided to study law and entered the University of Pisa. He worked as a lawyer for only a year. At the same time, the Italian performed songs in a bar and paid for singing lessons with Luciano Bettarini, whose student was also the opera singer Franco Corelli.
Musical career
The turning point in the life of Botticelli was a joint performance in 1992 with the Italian star Zucchero, who at first was going to sing a song he wrote with Luciano Pavarotti. The latter, having heard the voice of Andrea, was delighted and decided to help the novice performer. A year later, Andrea went on an international tour with Zucchero. In 1994, the young man won the San Remo hit competition in the category “Young Artists”, having received the most points for the song Il Mare Calmo della Sera.
The Italian world celebrity in one night was made by the performance at the farewell party of Henry Mask in 1996. Then Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman sang the hit Time To Say Goodbye in a duet. In the following years, the Italian established himself as an international singer, performing hits and classical pieces. He performed with Celine Dion and other celebrities. Photos and interviews of Andrea were published by various magazines.
In the 2000s, Bocelli mostly sang in operas. He received such awards as "Best Classical Singer in the World" and "Best Italian Singer". A section of the Adriatic coast was even named after him. The performer stood on the stage in the presence of George Bush, Pope John Paul II, the English royal family, Pope Benedict XVI. In July 2013, a blind Italian received an award from Lions Clubs International.
Family life
With his first wife, Enrika, Andrea met when he sang in a bar. In 1992 they were married at the Church of San Leonardo in Lajatico. In 1995 and 1997, the wife gave birth to sons Matteo and Amos. After living for 10 years, the couple divorced. The church dissolved the marriage only in 2009.
In 2014, Andrea Bocelli, then 55 years old, married his life partner after living with her for 12 years. They got married in the Italian city of Livorno, in the monastery of Montenero. His chosen one, Veronica Berti, whose height and weight the Italian estimates as ideal, is 25 years younger than her husband.
“I was born on September 22, 1958 in the Tuscan village of Lajatico, near Volterra. Under the influence of religious principles, and also inspired by the example of my parents, I learned not to submit to the blows of fate, but to try to strengthen my strength in resisting them.
As far as I can remember, absolutely every moment of my life was filled with a passionate love for music. The greatest tenors in Italy - among them Del Monaco, Gigli, and to a greater extent Corelli - always aroused great admiration in me and inspired me when I was very young. Burning with love for opera, I devoted my whole life to the dream of becoming a great tenor.
Despite the fact that I live in a changing world, I calmly perceive everything that life presents me: I enjoy the simplest things and readily accept any challenge of fate. I always try to remain optimistic, following the true meaning of the words of the French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “We only truly see with our hearts. The essence of things is invisible to our eyes.
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in the Italian province of Pisa, in Lajatico. His family owned a small vineyard and Andrea's father made a small amount of wine each year, Chianti Bocelli. Already at an early age, Andrea began to play the church organ.
One day, Andrea's parents, Edie and Alessandro, noticed that their child had something wrong with his eyes, and went to the doctor, who discovered Andrea had hereditary glaucoma, which in the future could develop into complete blindness. Andrea has undergone numerous eye surgeries that have helped to slightly delay the progression of the disease. 
It was in Senora's hospital that Edie noticed that classical music had a calming effect on her baby, and the whole family began to acquire records of classical and operatic performers, from which Andrea's love for opera began, a lifelong love. His parents prepared him for his final blindness by sending him to a school for the blind, where he learned the alphabet for the blind and learned to play the flute. Andrea has always been an active and playful child, and it was here, at the school for the blind while playing football, that he received that ill-fated ball in the eye, which led to complete blindness.
Parents supported their son and always encouraged him to do what he loved. He was not allowed to feel disabled. The boy rode, cycled, swam and played with other children. He took piano lessons and his younger brother Alberto took violin lessons. But most of all, Andrea loved singing, and everyone liked the way he sang. He left school for the blind and studied at two more schools, then trained as a lawyer at the University of Pisa, and began his career at the Palazzo Giustizia in Pisa. While still at university, Andrea started earning money by playing the piano and singing in bars.
As a teenager, Andrea wins several vocal competitions, and also becomes a soloist in the school choir. After graduation, he studies at the Faculty of Law of the University of Pisa, receives a law degree.
For Bocelli, absorbed in opera music, the dream and goal of his life was the desire to be a great tenor. Franco Corelli takes the young man as an apprentice. It takes place in Turin, where Andrea arrives in search of a dream come true. This ended her career as a lawyer. Thus the young tenor begins serious vocal training during the day, and at night earns his living by performing in restaurants.
1992 becomes a decisive year for the young tenor. Andrea successfully auditions for the Italian "rock star" Zucchero. The demo recording of the song hits Luciano Pavarotti. In 1994, Bocelli made a successful debut at the San Remo Music Festival. In September, Pavarotti personally invites the young tenor to take part in a concert program in his hometown, Modena. In the same year, on Christmas Eve, Andrea Bocelli was honored to address the Pope. 
One night, while playing at the open-air bar "Boschetto" in Chianni, Andrea met 17-year-old Enrica Cenzatti. Before that, he had no shortage of girlfriends, but it was true love. Their wedding took place on June 27, 1992, and later Enrica gave Andrea two sons, Amos and Matteo. For reasons known only to Andrea and Enrique, they officially filed for divorce in early 2002. After the divorce, Andrea met a new love - Veronica Berti, a woman who shares many of his interests, including a love of opera, the daughter of the Italian baritone Ivano Berti, now working as an impresario Bocelli. At the end of August 2011, the couple announced Veronica's pregnancy, for her it will be the first child, for Andrea the third. The addition is expected in March 2012. A wedding is not expected at the moment. On March 21, 2012, Veronica Berti gave birth to a child to her husband, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The newborn girl was named Virginia.
When you listen to the recordings of Andrea Bocelli, you are amazed at the amazing energy of his voice and manner of performance. It seemed that the singer again and again lives the moments of melodramatic and romantic stories about which his musical repertoire tells. Bocelli's voice literally makes you die and resurrect from love, soar above the ground and become part of his magical music. Not to mention the most powerful flow of vital energy that makes the listener simply love life. 
Everyone likes the Italian, whose voice is able to mix melodrama with a song from San Remo. In Germany, the country that discovered it in 1996, it is constantly on the charts. In the US, he is a cult object: there is something human or too human about him that reconciles the housewife with the system of "stars", from Steven Spielberg and Kevin Costner to the vice president's wife. President Bill Clinton, "Bill the Saxophone" who knows by heart the music for the film "Kansas City", declares himself among the admirers of Bocelli. And he wished that Bocelli sang in the White House and at the meeting of the Democrats. Now Papa Wojtyła has intervened. The Holy Father recently received Bocelli at his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, to hear him sing the 2000 Jubilee anthem. And released this hymn into the light with a blessing. And let it not be said that Bocelli owes his success to the widespread good nature and desire to protect him, caused by his blindness. Of course, handicap plays a part in this story. But the fact remains: I like his voice.
FAMILY BUSINESS
At home in Lajatico, in the province of Pisa, on their family estate, Andrea and his brother Alberto, who is directly involved in this, work, according to family tradition, to improve the quality of their own wines. As Andrea says, they do this in memory of their father, Alessandro, who at one time gave all his strength to the processing of vineyards planted by his grandfather in the lands of Tuscany to make the famous Chianti.
The wine, mostly red, is called "Le Terre di Sandro" ("Sandro's Land"), in memory of his father, and this year it gave its first harvest. "My brother and I decided to try to make real wine, and the first results exceeded all expectations," says Andrea. The first vintage is not meant to be sold, as the quantity is very small, less than 3,000 bottles.
"We kept it only for ourselves," the singer said. - "But we are planning to expand production. In the future we will send some bottles to the American market. We do this in memory of the babbo (father) who carried on the work of his ancestors so passionately. Wine is a universal remedy for fatigue when we are overcome by problems. We we call it "bottles of joy."
FEARLESS TENOR
In one of his interviews, Andrea Bocelli, answering a journalist's question, says: "It is always necessary to maintain the tone of the body and spirit, you should always strive to spend your leisure time with benefit in order to make full use of the time that we have. Movement, active life, Sports have always attracted me. Mostly before I started my musical career. When I have to be chained to an airplane seat, this is one of the most unbearable moments in my life."
In addition to riding, Andrea Bocelli loves to ride a bike, not embarrassed by the presence of traffic on the road. As the singer admits, he completely trusts Italian drivers.
Andrea Bocelli plays billiards well. And even often wins, despite the blindness. "It's a matter of habit, you just have to try again and again, as in any other business," says the singer.
Alpine skiing Andrea made his first descent with Tomba, during a holiday in the mountains (Apennines). Since the descent was not difficult, the singer easily rolled down the mountain twice. But when his companion suggested switching to a more difficult descent, Andrea refused: "I passed this test with honor and reached the finish line on my feet. Why tempt your fate?"
When asked if he was afraid at the same time, Andrea Bocelli said: “For me, sport has never been a challenge to anyone or anything. I did what I wanted to do, I think that in general you need to understand what you have an interest in, and then develop it, because it helps to enjoy life and fight boredom.The strongest fear I experience when going on stage.It's not just fear, it's nervous tension.But the fear of physical risk was never really unknown to me, especially in youth".
However, Andrea Bocelli survived the most dangerous moment by making a parachute jump. "Once I was at an airfield near my house, there were some young people practicing skydiving. They asked me if I would like to jump. I said - I'm free all day today, of course I'll try. It was the only one in times of my life. My father was with me. Obviously, he had a different opinion on what I was going to do. My wife did not know anything. Otherwise, she no doubt forbade me to jump."
The singer does not believe that by doing this kind of sport, he is at greater risk due to blindness. "The risk is the same for everyone, regardless of physical characteristics. The risk is whether your parachute opens or not ... It is no more risk than crossing the road or flying in an airplane."
Albums
Studio albums
- 1994: Il Mare Calmo della Sera
- 1995: Bocelli
- 1997: Viaggio Italiano
- 1998: Aria—the opera album
- 1999: Sogno
- 1999: Sacred Arias
- 2000: La Boheme (Puccini)
- 2000: Verdi
- 2001: Cieli di Tuscany
- 2002: Sentimento
- 2003: Tosca (Puccini)
- 2004: Andrea
- 2004: Il Trovatore (Verdi)
- 2005: Massenet (Werther)
- 2006: Pagliacci (Leoncavallo)
- 2006: amore
- 2007: Under The Desert Sky
- 2007: Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)
- 2007: Vivere. Live in Tuscany
- 2008: Carmen
- 2008: Incanto
- 2009: My Christmas
- 2010: Andrea Chenier Umberto Giordano
- 2011: Notte Illuminata
- 2011: Andrea Bocelli
operas
- - La bohème (G. Puccini), conductor Zubin Meta (Rodolf)
- - "Tosca" (G. Puccini), conductor Zubin Meta (Cavaradossi)
- — Il trovatore (Verdi), conductor Stephen Mercurio (Manrico)
- - "Werther" (Massene), conductor Yves Abel (Werther)
- - Carmen (Bizet), conductor Chung Myung-hoon
- — Pagliacci (Leoncavallo), conductor Stephen Mercurio (Canio)
- - "Rural Honor" (Mascagni), conductor Stephen Mercurio (Turiddu)
- — Andre Chenier (Giordano), conductor Marco Armigliato (Andre Chenier)
Singles
Duets
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Sources: Vkontakte community Wikipedia In 1994, the brightest star lit up at the Italian Sanremo festival. The world saw Andrea Bocelli. He was over 35 at the time, can you imagine? In fact, the breakthrough year for Bocelli was 1992 - it was then that Luciano Pavarotti first noticed him. It happened very interesting. Zucchero Fornaciari (this is the same uncle whom we know most of all here by this song) needed a tenor to record a demo of Miserere. He co-wrote it with U2's Bono. That's when Andrea came in handy. How did it happen that until the age of 30 the world did not know that somewhere in Italy there is such a magical singer? Andrea Bocelli was born in Lajatico in Italy in September 1958. Already at the age of six he began to learn to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. Andrea Bocelli was born in Lajatico in Italy in September 1958. Already at the age of six he began to learn to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. 
Little Andrea He has had vision problems since childhood. He was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma. And when he was 12, he lost the opportunity to see completely - it is not always useful for boys to play football ... Updated on 19/08/11 02:49: Despite the obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not consider music as his future career until he graduated from the law faculty of the University of Pisa, and received a doctorate. Only then did Bocelli begin to seriously study his voice with the famous tenor Franco Corelli, along the way earning money for piano lessons in various groups. As I said, in 1992, Zucchero noticed him. Bocelli recorded Miserere with Pavarotti. And in 1993 he was on tour with Zucchero. I did not find a video from their concerts, so let there be a duet of these two beautiful Italians from 1997 here. In 1994, Andrea was waiting for a breakthrough - he took part in San Remo! The song that opens the post brought Andrea victory. The self-titled album became very popular. Bocelli performed at a variety of events, went on tour with Gerardine Trova. Here, for example, all participants of the annual gala concert sing All for love by Bryan Adams. Bocelli is also among them! In September, he first performed at the opera, and then sang in front of the Pope! I'm not sure if this is the right performance, but it was Adeste Fideles who sang it. Then everything turned out just as brilliantly. In November 1995, Bocelli traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with a production of "Night Of Proms" which also featured Bryan Ferry, Al Jerr, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp and John Mays. in the video, he sings an absolutely gorgeous song about the funicular! At the same time, Bocelli, as the winner of San Remo last year, participated again with a song that EVERYONE knows now! But it sounded completely different in 1996 at the farewell fight of the great boxer Henry Mask. Time to say goodbye? Sarah Brightman and Andrea had a great time with the legendary athlete! Around the same time, Bocelli recorded a duet with Helen Segara (she became Esmeralda some time after that). More concerts. albums. amazing popularity in Europe, participation in opera productions. One of the most significant milestones was his duet with Celine Dion. The song Prayer became the soundtrack to the cartoon The Quest for Camelot and was nominated for an Oscar (received a Globe, by the way)! Updated on 19/08/11 02:50: And this is the Grammy performance in 1999. By the way, then Bocelli was nominated as the best new artist - a rare case for an artist with a classical repertoire. And this is a very interesting video - Bocelli sings at a charity concert of Michael Jackson in Munich in 2000. In the mode of constant concerts, recordings, he lives now. I'm going to jump into my favorite moments now. At the closing of the Olympic Games in Turin in 2006. And this is Nessun Dorma on Palace Square in St. Petersburg. It was a free concert in October. There was a terrible rain! I couldn't go. And then I regretted it so much! Updated on 19/08/11 02:51: A couple of duets: With Aguilera With Pavarotti With Mary J. Bludge Now to his personal life: Bocelli met his first wife, Enrica Cenzatti, at the beginning of his career. They got married on June 27, 1992. Their first child, Amos, was born in February 1995. Their second son, Matteo, was born in October 1997. Updated on 19/08/11 02:52 A: They broke up in 2002. Although not yet divorced, Bocelli lives with his girlfriend and manager, Veronica Berti. But these photos should prove that the strength of the spirit is in the person himself! 
Updated on 19/08/11 02:52: This is my favorite video from Sesame Street: And this is my MOST favorite song: And finally: will you be in New York on September 5th? Go to his free concert in Central Park. And some nice photos: Updated on 19/08/11 02:53:
Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lajatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he has become one of the most memorable voices in modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads. He has recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Ramazzotti and Al Jarreau. The last one to sing "The Night Of Proms" with him... Read all
Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in Lajatico in the province of Tuscany. Despite his blindness, he has become one of the most memorable voices in modern opera and pop music. Bocelli is equally good at performing classical repertoire and pop ballads. He has recorded duets with Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Eros Ramazzotti and Al Jarreau. The last to sing "The Night Of Proms" with him in November 1995, said of Bocelli "I had the honor of singing with the most beautiful voice in the world"".
Andrea Bocelli grew up on a farm in the small village of Lajatico. At the age of 6 he began to learn to play the piano, and later mastered the flute and saxophone. Suffering from poor eyesight, he became completely blind at the age of 12 after an accident. Despite his obvious musical talents, Bocelli did not consider music as his next career until he graduated from the University of Pisa in law and received his doctorate. Only then did Bocelli begin to seriously study his voice with the famous tenor Franco Gorelli, along the way earning money for piano lessons in various groups.
Bocelli's first breakthrough as a singer came in 1992 when Zucchero (Adelmo Fornaciari) was looking for a tenor to record a demo with the song "Miserere" which he co-wrote with U2's Bono. Having successfully passed the selection, Bocelli recorded the composition in a duet with Luciano Pavarotti. After a worldwide tour with Fornaciari in 1993, Bocelli performed at the charity "Pavarotti International Festival" held in Modena in September 1994. Besides Luciano Pavarotti, Bocelli has also sung with Bryan Adams, Andreas Vollenweider and Nancy Gustavson. In November 1995, Bocelli traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and France with a production of "Night Of Proms" which also featured Bryan Ferry, Al Jarreau, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp and John Mays.
Bocelli's first two albums "Andrea Bocelli" (1994) and Bocelli (1996) presented only his operatic singing, while the third disc Viaggio Italiano featured famous opera arias and traditional Neapolitan songs. Although the CD was only released in Italy, it sold over 300,000 copies there. The fourth album, Romanza (1997), featured pop material, including the hit ""Time To Say Goodbye"", a duet with Sarah Brightman, which was a great success. After that, Bocelli continued to develop a profitable pop direction, releasing his fifth album Sogno in 1999, which included a duet with Celine Dion "The Prayer". Released as a single, this song sold 10 million copies in the US alone, and Bocelli received the Golden Globe Awards for its performance, and was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best New Artist" category.
