Background and career
Eros Walter Luciano Ramazzotti (Italian: [ˈɛːroz ˈvalter luˈtʃaːno ramatˈtsɔtti]; born 28 October 1963) is an Italian pop and rock singer, songwriter and record producer. He is popular in Italy and most European countries, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both Italian and Spanish. Since 1984, Ramazzotti has released 13 studio albums, one EP, three compilation albums, three live albums, and 37 singles. He has sold over 70 million records in his 40-year career. Ramazzotti recorded songs with international artists such as Cher, Tina Turner, Anastacia, Joe Cocker, Julio Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Santana, Alicia Keys, and Italian artists from different music genres, Andrea Bocelli, Ornella Vanoni, Luciano Pavarotti, Laura Pausini, Raf, Giorgia and Elisa. Throughout his career, Ramazzotti has been recognized with four Italian, Wind & Music Awards, four World Music Awards, three BMI Latin Awards, a Lo Nuestro Awards and a Premios Ondas Career Award.
Ramazzotti was born in Cinecittà Est, a suburb of Rome. He is the son of Rodolfo Ramazzotti, a construction worker and Raffaela Molina, a housewife. His father originated from the province of Viterbo in Lazio and his mother from the province of Vibo Valentia in Calabria. He was named after Eros, the Greek god of love. He began playing the guitar at age seven. As a teenager, he wrote songs with the help of his father who was a music lover and played piano. He wanted to attend a musical conservatory but failed the admission examination, and started training in bookkeeping, but dropped out. He occasionally appeared as an extra in films while dreaming of having a career as a pop-star. In 1981, Ramazzotti took part in a music contest, Voci Nuove di Castrocaro (New Voices of Castrocaro Terme) with the song "Rock 80", which he wrote, performing in front of various record label representatives. Although the contest was won by Zucchero and Fiordaliso, Ramazzotti reached the final and received two votes from Roberto Galanti and Baron Lando Lanni, who represented the recently launched Italian Label DDD (Drogueria di Drugolo). DDD gave Eros his first contract. He moved to Milan with his brother Marco and his mother Raffaella, and they initially lived in the same building as the record label company.
Ramazzotti's first single, "Ad un amico" (lit. 'To a Friend'), was released in 1982, and was not particularly well received. Soon after, Eros met Renato Brioschi, who mentored the young artist toward his first success in 1984 at the highly regarded Sanremo Festival. His song, "Terra promessa" (lit. 'Promised Land') won the Newcomers' category, and was subsequently released widely throughout Europe. In 1985, Ramazzotti took part in the Sanremo Festival again with the song "Una storia importante" (lit. 'An Important Story'), taken from his debut album Cuori agitati (lit. 'Troubled Hearts'). While only placing sixth at the festival, "Una storia importante" was released as a single and became a huge hit in many European countries, including France where it sold a million units. His second album Nuovi eroi (lit. 'New Heroes'), released in 1986, earned two Platinum-awards in Switzerland with over 100,000 sales, and Gold status in Germany with over 250,000 sales. At his third Sanremo Festival appearance in 1986 his memorable single, "Adesso tu" (lit. 'Now You') from Nuovi eroi won the overall competition.
In 1987, Ramazzotti went on a nine-month-long tour after releasing his third album In certi momenti (Sometimes), performing in front of more than a million people. In certi momenti went Gold in Germany with over 250,000 sales and Platinum in Switzerland with over 50,000 sales, and reached more than 3 million copies worldwide. As his career developed, he performed "La Luce Buona Delle Stelle" (The Good Light of the Stars) with Patsy Kensit on 22 November 1987, and released a seven-track mini-album Musica è (Music Is) in May 1988. His fifth album, In ogni senso (In Every Sense), released in April 1990, attracted more than two hundred journalists from around the world to the album's press conference launch in Venice. An American record producer, Clive Davis, advised Ramazzotti to hold a concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and he became the first Italian artist to perform at the renowned concert hall, performing before a sell-out crowd. However, he was later disappointed to learn that most of his audience was of Italian descent, having hoped for a more widespread breakthrough. During that visit to the US, Ramazzotti also performed on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Good Morning America. In ogni senso earned multiple Gold and Platinum album awards around the world, including a Platinum in Germany for over 500,000 sales, a triple Platinum in Switzerland for over 150,000 sales, and Platinum in the Netherlands for sales of over 100,000 units.
His 1991 double-CD release Eros in Concert was followed by another long tour, including a concert in Barcelona, Spain before 20,000 fans on 4 December, the day of his live CD's release. In 1993, he released Tutte storie (All Stories), and he toured in Europe and 15 Latin American countries, where he has released his Spanish language albums. That November, Ramazzotti performed "Cose della vita" (Things of Life) at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin. Tutte storie entered the Top-5 album list in many countries in Europe including Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway. The album earned Ramazzotti four Platinums in Switzerland for sales of over 200,000 units, a Platinum in Germany for sales of over 500,000 units, and Platinum status in many other counties including the Netherlands, Sweden, Argentina and Austria. Tutte storie eventually sold five million copies worldwide which played a significant role in helping Ramazzotti get his contract with BMG International.
In the summer of 1995, Ramazzotti participated in the European summer festival along with Rod Stewart, Elton John and Joe Cocker. His six-million-seller album, Dove c'è musica (Where There Is Music) was released on 13 May 1996, his first completely self-produced album. On 5 December of the same year, his companion of several years and future wife Michelle Hunziker (Swiss model and television host) gave birth to their daughter, Aurora Sophie. In October 1997, he released Eros – Greatest Hits, which contained two new songs, "Quanto Amore Sei" (How Much Love Are You) and "Ancora un minuto di sole" (Just One More Minute of Sunshine), as well as reworked versions of previous hits including "Musica è" (duet with Andrea Bocelli) and "Cose Delle Vita-Can't Stop Thinking of You" as a duet with Tina Turner. This collection entered the Top-5 in France, Belgium, Sweden and Finland, and reached No. 1 in several countries including Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and Norway, selling 1.2 million units in its first week of release according to BMG International. The album was certified five times Platinum by IFPI (Europe) for selling well over five million units in Europe alone. The album also attained two Latin-type Platinum certifications by RIAA for sales of over 400,000 units in USA. That year, Ramazzotti was awarded "Best International Male Artist of the Year" at Germany's Echo Music Awards. In 1998, he released the live CD Eros Live, which included two duets recorded during the world tour, "Cose della vita-Can't Stop Thinking of You" featuring Tina Turner, and "That's All I Need to Know-Difenderò" with Joe Cocker, performed in Munich. In 1999, Ramazzotti again collaborated with Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli, singing "Nel Cuore Lei" (In Your Heart) for Bocelli's album, Sogno (Dream). The album sold over 10 million albums worldwide, gaining more recognition for Ramazzotti. In 1999, he was again awarded as "Best International Male Artist of the Year" at Germany's Echo Music Awards. Throughout his career, Ramazzotti has done duets with some very well known artists such as Cher, Andrea Bocelli, Joe Cocker, Carlos Santana, Tina Turner, Anastacia, Luciano Pavarotti, and Laura Pausini. Ramazzotti gained a reputation as a seasoned producer with the album Come fa bene l'amore (Feels good to love) by Gianni Morandi in the beginning of 2000. That October, he delivered his eighth studio album Stilelibero (Freestyle), which contained a duet with the American diva, Cher, in the song "Più che puoi" (As Much As You Can). The album, the result of a collaboration of several producers including Celso Valli, Claudio Guidetti, Trevor Horn and Rick Nowels, reached the Top-5 album charts throughout Europe and was certified two times Platinum by IFPI (Europe) for sales of over two million units in Europe alone. In the course of the international tour for Stilelibero, Ramazzotti also appeared in eastern European countries including Moscow, Russia where he gave a three-day sold-out concerts at Kremlin Palace.
