Claudio Villa (singer)

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Claudio Villa, byname of Claudio Pica (1 January 1926 - 7 February 1987), was an Italian singer.

[edit] Biography

Tenor Claudio Villa was born Claudio Pica in the Trastevere quarter of Rome in 1926.

Together with Domenico Modugno he holds the record for the most wins at the San Remo Music Festival, where he won the competition in 1955, 1957, 1962 and 1967.

As well as singing at the San Remo Music Festival, he also sang at another Italian music competition called Canzonissima, a television music competition that was shown on RAI from 1956 to 1974. He won this competition in 1964 with "O sole mio" and in 1966 with "Granada".

He competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1962 and 1967. In 1962 he sang "Addio, addio" and came ninth. In 1967 he sang "Non andare più lontano", coming eleventh.

His death in 1987 by heart attack was announced live on Italian television during the last night of the Sanremo Music Festival of 1987.

He recorded over 3000 songs, sold over 45 million records and appeared in 25 musicals during his career. Three of his recorded songs, "Stornelli Amorisi", "La Strada De Bosco", and "Tic Ti Tic Ta" are featured in the popular film, "Big Night".

His performances, including a posthumous duet of "Granada" with his daughter, Manuela (born 1964), may be found on YouTube.

On his gravestone are carved the words "Life, you are fine. Death, you stink".