Fred Bongusto

Commendatore
Fred Bongusto
Fred Bongusto in July 1975
Born
Alfredo Antonio Carlo Buongusto

(1935-04-06)6 April 1935
Campobasso, Kingdom of Italy
Died8 November 2019(2019-11-08) (aged 84)
Rome, Italy
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician

Alfredo Antonio Carlo "Fred" Buongusto (6 April 1935 – 8 November 2019) was an Italian light music singer, songwriter and composer who was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Career history

Bongusto was born in Campobasso in 1935. He made his recording debut with the song "Bella Bellissima", a song written by Ghigo Agosti and produced by the Milan-based label Primary. It was released on phonographic record in 1960. Some of his most successful songs include "Amore fermati", "Una rotonda sul mare", "Spaghetti a Detroit" and "Prima c'eri tu", which won the 1966 edition of Un disco per l'estate. Bongusto's proclivity for exploring Latin American rhythms and American Big Band swing made him very popular in South America, especially in Brazil. He had collaborated with Toquinho, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto, who successfully covered Bongusto's song "Malaga" in his 1991 album João.[1]

In the 1990s, he was elected as a PSI town councillor in Bari.[2] On 18 March 2005, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi]] presented him with a silver plate to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his musical debut. On 2 June 2005, he was awarded the title of Commendatore by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.[3][4]

Personal life

He was married to Gabriella Palazzoli.[5]

Bongusto spent much of his time in Ischia, in the village of Sant'Angelo. Bongusto died in Rome on 8 November 2019, after a long illness, at the age of 84.[6]

Discography

References

  1. ^ "Fred Bongusto, le sue canzoni più famose da "Una rotonda sul mare" a "Spaghetti a Detroit"". 11 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Addio a Fred Bongusto, fu consigliere al Comune – TGR Puglia". TGR. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Fred Bongusto". italyheritage.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Fred Bongusto morto, addio al cantante di "Una rotonda sul mare": aveva 84 anni". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Gabriella Palazzoli/ Chi è la moglie di Fred Bongusto morta nel 2015". 8 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Italian Music Hero Fred Bongusto Dies at 84". Exclaim!. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
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