Jimmy Fontana

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Jimmy Fontana (born November 13, 1934 in Camerino as Enrico Sbriccoli , † September 11, 2013 in Rome ) was an Italian singer , composer and actor . His most famous songs were Che sarà and Il mondo , which Ennio Morricone arranged.

Life

youth

Jimmy Fontana was born in Camerino, Italy. In his youth he learned the double bass by himself and started out as a jazz double bass player. After completing his apprenticeship as an accountant, he intended to study economics and commerce in Rome.

There he attended jazz clubs and played in the Roman New Orleans Jazz Band . He decided to drop out of studies and devote himself fully to music. During this time he also got his stage name. He was inspired by the musician Jimmy Giuffre while he was looking for the surname arbitrarily from the phone book. For Consorti and Astraphon he recorded some jazz standards with the Flaminia Street Jazz Band, among others , until he decided to found his own group. Jimmy Fontana and his Trio consisted of Raffaele Giusti (piano), Sandro Santoni (double bass) and Leonello Bionda (drums). During this time he also met his wife Leda, with whom he had four children: Luigi, Roberto, Andrea and Paola.

Solo career

At the end of the 1950s he began to intensify his solo career and turned to the light muse. In 1961 he made his debut with the song Lady Luna at the Sanremo Festival . In 1963 he signed a contract with RCA and released his first single. Non te ne andare was his first success. But it wasn't until his second single, Il mondo , that made him a star in 1965. In the same year he starred in two music films Viale della canzone and 008 Operazione ritmo . A year later he wrote the music and parts of the text for Che sarà . The idea was to present the title in Sanremo by Fontana and by José Feliciano in Los Angeles, who recorded three variants (Italian, Spanish Che será and English Shake a Hand ), which Fontana produced. When he returned to Italy, he found that Feliciano had already won his title in Sanremo. Enio Melis, then artistic director at RCA, had decided to dedicate his song to the success of the young group Ricchi e Poveri , who had drawn attention the year before with their song La prima cosa bella . Fontana, who had the last word on the matter, initially refused to give his approval as a composer and author. However, when Melis threatened that in this case the song would not appear at any festival, he gave in.

Next life

After the legal dispute over the title Che sarà , Fontana could no longer build on the successes of the past decade and he withdrew from the music business for several years. He settled in Macerata and opened a 1950s style bar. It was not until 1979 that he made a comeback with the theme song for the television series Gli invincibili . He recorded another small success with Beguine , with whom he performed in Sanremo in 1982 . Most recently he appeared in Sanremo in 1994 as a member of the group Squadra Italia with the song Una vecchia canzone italiana .

Gun collectors

Jimmy Fontana was a passionate gun collector and holder of a gun ownership card. In 1971 he had bought a Cz61 in a gun shop in Sanremo . She was found in a Red Brigade hiding place in 1988 and linked to several crimes. Including such well-known cases as the murder of three activists of the Fronte della Gioventù in the Acca Larentia in Rome in 1978 and the assassination attempt on Roberto Ruffilli in 1988. The singer confirmed that he had sold the weapon to a police officer in 1977 through an arms shop; the policeman admitted that he was interested in buying the weapon at the time, but denied that the sale had taken place. The owner of the arms shop confirmed that he had kept in touch with the two of them, but did not know whether the sale had taken place.

death

Jimmy Fontana died on September 11, 2013 at his home in Rome of an unexpected fever following a tooth infection.

Discography

Albums

  • 1962: I bestsellers (Meazzi)
  • 1963: Jimmy Fontana (RCA Italiana)
  • 1964: Natale in famiglia (Meazzi)
  • 1966: I bestsellers (Meazzi)
  • 1967: La mia serenata (RCA Italiana)
  • 1994: Una vecchia canzone italiana (Pravo Music)
  • 1996: Arrivederci (Replay Music, RSCD 8014)

EPs

  • 1958: Flaminia Street Jazz Band in Milan (Astraphon, E.1243)
  • 1958: A New Star Is Born! (Astraphon, E. 1244)
  • 1958: Poker di jazz (Astraphon, E. 1248)
  • 1959: There's a Small Hotel / Piove / Alexander's Ragtime Band / I Got Rhythm (Consorti, JE-2001)
  • 1959: When the Saints Go Marching In / Love Is Just Around the Corner / Moonglow / The Lady Is a Tramp (Consorti, JE-2002)
  • 1960: Solitudine / Portami tante rose / Piccolo amor / Paper Moon (Consorti, MLE 10006)
  • 1960: Poker di jazz (Hollywood, HE 3002; Astraphon, E. 1248)
  • 1961: Lady Luna / Io amo tu ami / Mare di dicembre / AAAAdorabile cercasi (Hollywood, HE 3017)

7 ″ singles

year Title
album
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)
Remarks
IT IT
1960 Bevo IT19 (1 week)
IT
Hollywood H 1029
B-side: Impazzire d'amore
1963 Not te ne andare
Jimmy Fontana
IT1 (3 weeks)
IT
RCA Italiana PM 3225
B-side: Pussy
1965 Il mondo IT2 (25 weeks)
IT
RCA Italiana PM 3316
B-side: Allora sì
1966 Pensiamoci ogni sera IT8 (6 weeks)
IT
RCA Italiana PM 3341
B-side: Un regalo
1967 La mia serenata
La mia serenata
IT2 (16 weeks)
IT
RCA Italiana PM 3404
B-side: Per vivere insieme
1968 La nostra favola IT1 (25 weeks)
IT
RCA Italiana PM 3447
B-side: A te
  • 1959: There's a Small Hotel / Piove (Consorti JA 2001)
  • 1959: If You Knew / Still of the Night (Hollywood H 1002)
  • 1959: Sei tu / Paradis (Hollywood H 1008)
  • 1959: Quando ti vidi partir / Come un ladro d'amor (Hollywood H 1009)
  • 1959: La mia donna si chiama desiderio / Sugar Moon (Hollywood H 1013)
  • 1960: Romantica / Noi (Hollywood H 1015)
  • 1960: Libero / Perdoniamoci (Hollywood H 1016)
  • 1960: Il mio angelo custode / Georgia (Hollywood H 1018)
  • 1960: Sei tu / Arrivederci (Hollywood H 1020)
  • 1960: Il tempo s'è fermato / Non dirlo a nessuno (Hollywood H 1030)
  • 1960: Diavolo / Semplici parole (Hollywood H 1043)
  • 1960: Bacco, tabacco e Venere / Bevo (Hollywood H 1044)
  • 1960: Estate / Baby non bere (Hollywood H 1045)
  • 1960: Il nostro concerto / Non domandare alle stelle (Hollywood H 1046)
  • 1960: Buon Natale a tutto il mondo / Jingle Bells (Hollywood H 1050)
  • 1960: Buon Natale a tutto il mondo / Il nostro Natale (Hollywood H 1052)
  • 1960: Diavolo / Non domandare (Hollywood H 1056)
  • 1960: Calmo / Chi di noi due (Hollywood H 1059)
  • 1961: Mi butto / Sei come il mare (Hollywood H 1060)
  • 1961: Lady Luna / AAA adorabile cercasi (Hollywood H 1068)
  • 1961: Mese di dicembre / Io amo, tu ami (Hollywood H 1069)
  • 1961: Non sei may stata so bella / Via da te, via da me (Hollywood H 1075)
  • 1961: Le case / Nostalgia (Hollywood H 1076)
  • 1961: Il cavaliere della valle solitaria / Solo (Hollywood H 1080)
  • 1961: Sogno un rock'n'roll e te / Sogno un rock'n'roll e te (seconda parte) (Hollywood, H 1091)
  • 1961: Tutta musica / Striscioline (Hollywood H 1102)
  • 1961: Tre gocce di pianto / Cuore girovago (Hollywood H 1103)
  • 1961: Granada / La rumba delle noccioline (Hollywood H 1104)
  • 1961: Cha-cha dell'impiccato / Baci cha cha cha (RCA Italiana PM 0137)
  • 1961: Dove is stata? / Tu be gross (Hollywood H 1111)
  • 1961: Mi fanno ridere / Nostalgia (Hollywood H 1113)
  • 1961: Sogno un rock'n'roll e te / Ciao tesoro (Hollywood H 1120)
  • 1962: Estate e fumo / Piano piano (RCA Italiana PM 3081)
  • 1962: Davanti a te / Quello che è stato è stato (RCA Italiana PM 3103)
  • 1962: Maria-ria / Bugiarda (RCA Italiana PM 3123)
  • 1962: Nicole / Twist n ° 9 (RCA Italiana PM 3125)
  • 1962: Il poeta pianse / Un pugno di raggi d'oro (RCA Italiana PM 3141)
  • 1964: O te o nessuna / Ma che ci faccio (RCA Italiana PM 3261)
  • 1964: E quanto tempo durerà / La notte che son partito (RCA Italiana PM 3288)
  • 1966: Cammina cammina / Non scherzare con il fuoco (RCA Italiana PM 3356)
  • 1966: Guantanamera / Corri (RCA Italiana PM 3373)
  • 1967: Nasce una vita / La mia stella (RCA Italiana PM 3385)
  • 1967: Per una donna / Guardando il tuo viso di donna (RCA Italiana PM 3431)
  • 1967: Mississippi Greep / Vino Rosso (ARC AN 4126)
  • 1968: Cielo rosso / Innamorata (RCA Italiana PM 3451)
  • 1969: La sorpresa / Se tu soffrissi quanto soffro io (ARC AN 4166)
  • 1969: A che gioco giochiamo? / T'aspetterò (ARC AN 4176)
  • 1969: Melodia / Amore a primavera (ARC AN 4185)
  • 1970: Mille amori / Il matrimonio (ARC AN 4195)
  • 1970: L'amore non è bello (se non è litigarello) / Mille amori (ARC AN 4196)
  • 1970: Bella, sdraiata e sola / È so difficile (RCA Italiana PM 3514)
  • 1971: Giulietta e Romeo / Tarzan (RCA Italiana PM 3584)
  • 1971: Impossibile / Per via aerea (RCA Italiana PM 3602)
  • 1972: La ballata della speranza / Chi vivrà vedrà (RCA Italiana PM 3661)
  • 1973: Made in Italy / Il mondo (RCA Italiana PM 3704)
  • 1978: Identikit (versione italiana) / Identikit (versione inglese) (RCA Original Cast BB 6130)
  • 1979: L'ape Magà / Piccolo Remi (RCA Original Cast BB 6410)
  • 1981: Bambola bambina / Il mondo (RCA Original Cast BB 6557)
  • 1982: Beguine / Che sarà (RCA Italiana PB 6573)
  • 1989: Oh mamà / Oh mamà (strumentale) (RCA Talent ZB 42951; as Casafontana )

Discography outside of Italy

7 ″ singles

  • 1965: El mundo / O tu o ninguna (RCA Victor, 3-10149; Spain)
  • 1966: Pensemos cada noche / Camina camina (RCA Victor, 3-10159; Spain)
  • 1966: Pensiamoci ogni sera / Un regalo (RCA Victor, LC 16138; Brazil)
  • 1967: Nasce una vida / Corre (RCA Victor, 3-10212; Spain)
  • 1967: On peut aussi pleurer de joie / Pour Anna-Laura (RCA Victor, 49537; France)
  • 1968: Delilah / Cielo rojo (RCA Victor, 31A-1295; Argentina)
  • 1968: Red Sky, Green Land / Adieu (RCA Victor, 6467; Germany)
  • 1969: Melodia / Amor en primavera (RCA Victor, 3-10425; Spain)

EPs

  • 1960: Diablo / Simples palabras / Il tempo s'è fermato / Rencontreremonos (Belte, 50363; Spain)
  • 1965: Il mondo (RCA Victor, 3-20918; Spain)
  • 1966: Pensiamoci ogni sera / Un regalo / Piano piano / Una sola (RCA Victor, 86490; France)
  • 1967: Por una mujer (RCA Victor, 3-10266; Spain)
  • 1969: A che gioco giochiamo (RCA Victor, TP 468; Portugal)

Filmography

  • 1961: Io bacio… tu baci
  • 1962: Alluring Innocence (La voglia matta)
  • 1963: Canzoni in… bikini
  • 1965: Viale della Canzone
  • 1965: 008 Operazione ritmo
  • 1968: Quando dico che ti amo
  • 1968: Il sole è di tutti

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ "Che sarà": musician Jimmy Fontana has died. In: Zeit Online . September 12, 2013. Retrieved November 17, 2017 .
  2. ^ Addio to Jimmy Fontana, voce degli anni '60. In: Repubblica.it. September 12, 2013, accessed November 17, 2017 (Italian).
  3. Addio Jimmy Fontana, from Il Mondo a Che sarà. In: ANSA.it . September 12, 2013, accessed November 16, 2017 .
  4. M&D chart archive. Musica e dischi , accessed on November 17, 2017 (Italian, paid subscription access).