Riccardo Fogli

Born October 21, 1947, in Pontedera, Italy, Riccardo Fogli—pronounced FOL'-yee—entered the music world while still young by performing first at country festivals and soon afterward in neighborhood dancehalls. He later became a member of the Slenders, one among many rock outfits shaped by the Beatles’ breakthrough. On the road with that group he crossed paths with the already established Pooh, who had released a pair of singles. Fogli entered their lineup in 1966 and appeared on the albums Opera Prima and Alessandra before departing in 1973 to launch a solo career. The next year he made his Sanremo debut with “Complici.” Beginning in 1979, his songwriting alliance with Maurizio Fabrizio and Guido Morra produced the successes “Malinconia” and “Storie di Tutti i Giorni,” the latter earning the top prize at Sanremo in 1982. His returns to the festival with “Sulla Buona Strada” in 1985, “Lo Ti Prego di Ascoltare” in 1991, and “In una Notte Così” in 1992 met with modest results yet still drew attention. He released the acoustic collection Fogli Su Fogli in 1995, offering new renderings of several signature tracks, then issued Ballando three years later, a set of fresh material developed with longtime friend Fabio Pianigiani.