Giusy Ferreri

Born April 17, 1979, in Palermo, Italy, Giusy Ferreri first drew widespread attention as a pop singer after finishing second on the Italian edition of X Factor. She had entered the recording studio years earlier, issuing her debut single “Il Party” in 2005 under the name Gaetana; the track met with little commercial response. Several years afterward she auditioned successfully for the program’s first season—the British-originated talent series that had propelled Leona Lewis to prominence in 2006. Ferreri remained in contention across the full twelve-week run and ultimately placed behind Aram Quartet. Her strong showing prompted Sony BMG to sign her, resulting in the six-song EP Non Ti Scordar Mai di Me. Both the title track, written by Italian pop star Tiziano Ferro, and the EP itself reached the top of the charts.