Stadio

For over a quarter-century Stadio ranked among the foremost acts in Italian pop. The ensemble originated in 1979 when vocalist Gaetano Curreri, guitarist Ricky Portera, bassist Marco Nanni, keyboardist Fabio Liberatori, and drummer Giovanni Pezzoli joined forces after earlier collective work on a session fronted by singer Lucio Dalla. Their self-titled debut album appeared in 1982, and two years later the group first reached broad mainstream notice with “Allo Stadio,” a track that earned both popular and critical favor at the San Remo Festival. Stadio secured its defining success in late 1984 through the single “Chiedi Chi Erano i Beatles,” yet after the release of Canzoni Alla Radio, Portera left the band. Keyboardist Beppe d'Onghia stepped in as replacement, although his stay proved brief; once Nanni and Liberatori also departed, only Curreri and Pezzoli remained from the original roster. Guitarist Andrea Fornili and bassist Roberto Drovandi joined the reconfigured lineup, which resurfaced in 1989 with Puoi Fidarti di Me. A subsequent shift to EMI preceded the major hit Siamo Tutti Elefanti Inventati. With 1995’s Di Volpi, di Vizi e di Virtù, Stadio claimed its strongest chart result in a decade via the single “Ballando al Buio.” The follow-up album, Il Canto Delle Pellicole, honored the centennial of cinema by gathering the band’s numerous soundtrack contributions to film and television. Stadio made a triumphant return to the San Remo Festival in 1999 with “Lo Zaino,” then reappeared in 2002 with the smash album Occhi Negli Occhi, which yielded the hit “Sorprendimi.” L’Amore Volubile followed three years afterward. The 2007 release Parole Nel Vento announced another San Remo appearance, this time featuring the song “Guardami.” Drummer Giovanni Pezzoli died on December 29, 2022, at the age of seventy after an extended illness.