All The Babes
Career
Active 1960 – present
Biography
About Ornella Vanoni
Ornella Vanoni, born 22 September 1934 in Milan, Italy, was one of the longest-standing Italian artists, with a career spanning over six decades. She started performing in 1956 and became one of the most popular interpreters of Italian pop music, releasing about 112 works between LPs, EPs, and greatest hits albums, and selling over 65 million records. Vanoni began her artistic career in 1960 as a theatre actress, mostly performing in Bertolt Brecht works under Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. Her early records explored folklore and popular songs, especially those about the criminal underworld in Milan, earning her the nickname "cantante della mala" ("Underworld Singer").
In 1963, she scored two major hits with "Senza Fine" and "Che cosa c'è", both written for her by Gino Paoli. She won the Festival of Neapolitan song in 1964 with "Tu si na cosa grande". She took part in several Sanremo Music Festivals, with songs like "Abbracciami forte" (1965), "Io ti darò di più" (1966), "La musica è finita" (1967), "Casa Bianca" (1968), and "Eternità" (1970). "Casa Bianca" finished second and was the subject of a copyright dispute between composer Don Backy and the Clan Celentano label. In the late 1960s, she recorded "Una ragione di più", "Un'ora sola ti vorrei", "L'appuntamento" (a cover of the Brazilian song "Sentado à Beira do Caminho"), and "Non Dirmi Niente", a cover of Burt Bacharach's "Don't Make Me Over". In 1972, she sang "Quei giorni insieme a te", the theme from Lucio Fulci's film Don't Torture a Duckling.
In 1976, she collaborated with Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho on "La voglia, la pazzia, l'incoscienza e l'allegria". During the 1980s, she released "Ricetta di donna", "Uomini", and "Ti lascio una canzone" with Gino Paoli. She returned to Sanremo in 1989 with "Io come farò". In 1999, she recorded a duet with Enzo Gragnaniello on "Alberi". In 2004, she released an album of duets with Paoli to celebrate her 70th birthday. Vanoni also acted in stage, TV, and movies. In January 1977, she posed nude for the Italian edition of Playboy and requested a statuette by her friend Arnaldo Pomodoro as payment. Her song "L'Appuntamento" gained renewed international interest when it appeared in the 2004 film Ocean's Twelve, and it was also used in the 2022 Danish film Toscana. She passed away on 21 November 2025, at age 91.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Died
- Friday 21st of November 2025 (age 91)
- Years Active
- 1960-present (started around 25 years old; 66 years active)
- Birthplace
- Milan, Lombardy, Italy
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
Frequently asked
Why was Ornella Vanoni called the 'cantante della mala'?
She earned the nickname because her early records focused on songs about the criminal underworld in Milan.
What was the connection between her song 'L'Appuntamento' and international fame?
In 2004, the song was included in the soundtrack of Ocean's Twelve, sparking renewed worldwide interest in her music.
How did she combine theatre and music at the start of her career?
She began as a theatre actress in 1960, performing in Bertolt Brecht works, and simultaneously started a music career.
Did you know
- She started performing in 1956, but her artistic career began in 1960 as a theatre actress.
- Her 1968 Sanremo entry 'Casa Bianca' was the subject of a copyright dispute between composer Don Backy and the Clan Celentano label.
- She posed for the Italian Playboy in January 1977 and asked for a statuette by artist Arnaldo Pomodoro as payment.
- Her song 'L'Appuntamento' was used in both Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Toscana (2022).
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