Massimo Ranieri

Biography

Early life

Ranieri was born in Borgo Santa Lucia, Naples, the fifth of eight children in the family. When he was 10, young Giovanni would sing at restaurants, wedding receptions, etc. He was discovered by a music producer about four years later and was flown to New York to record an EP under the name of Gianni Rock.

Singing career

Calone recorded four songs in 1964: "Tanti auguri signora", "Se mi aspetti stasera", "Non chiudere la porta", and "La prima volta". None of the records were successful, primarily because his young voice was changing. Two years later, he would re-emerge under his new stage name, Massimo Ranieri. In 1966, he made his TV debut singing "Bene Mio". A year later, he made another TV appearance singing "Pietà per chi ti ama". In 1968, he recorded two more songs: "Da bambino", "Ma l'amore cos'è" and "Preghiera".

It was not until 1969 that he achieved success and became a teen idol when he sang "'O sole mio" on live TV. That same year, he had a string of hits: "Rita", "Se bruciasse la città", "Quando l'amore diventa poesia", "Il mio amore resta sempre", "Rose rosse" and "Zingara". In 1970, "Vent'anni", "Sogno d'amore", "Sei l'amore mio", "Aranjuez Amore Mio", and "Candida".

In 1971, Ranieri recorded the songs "Adagio Veneziano", "Via del Conservatorio", and "Io e Te". He represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 1971 where he placed 5th with the song "L'amore è un attimo". In 1972, he released the songs "Ti ruberei", "'O surdato 'nnammurato", and "Erba di casa mia"; in 1973, "Amo ancora lei". He returned to the Eurovision Song Contest 1973, to represent Italy with "Chi sarà con te", where he placed 13th. In 1974, came the singles "Te voglio bene assaie", "Immagina", and "Per una donna".

In 1988, he made a comeback to his singing career with the song "Perdere l'amore", which won the Sanremo Music Festival 1988, that year. In 1997, he made another comeback with "Ti parlerò d'amore".

In February 2007, he started a concert tour of Italy, titled "Canto perché non-so nuotare...da 40 anni", which lasted for more than two years, with more than 500 shows, was made into a CD and a DVD, which went platinum.

In 2022, he won the Mia Martini critics' award at Sanremo Music Festival 2022. In December 2024, he was announced as one of the participants in the Sanremo Music Festival 2025. He placed 23rd with the song "Tra le mani un cuore".

Acting career

In 1970, Ranieri decided to venture into acting. His screen debut, Metello, received rave reviews from critics and won him the David DiDonatello award for best actor for portraying the title character. He co-starred with Anna Magnani in the television film La Sciantosa later that year.

In 1974, he filmed Salvo D'Acquisto, where he portrayed a carabiniere who was executed by the Nazis during World War II.

When his singing career started to decline in 1975, Massimo concentrated on his acting career, both in the cinema and, most importantly, as a stage actor: he collaborated with the directors Mauro Bolognini, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Giorgio de Lullo, Giorgio Strehler and Maurizio Scaparro, performing a wide range of material from modern plays and musicals, to Molière and Shakespeare.

In 1996, Ranieri provided the speaking and the singing voice of Quasimodo in the Italian-Language version of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He even reprised this role in the sequel.

In 2004, he starred in his first French film, a trilogy series called Les Parisiens, where he played a street artist. In 2005, he returned to the stage with the show "Accussì Grande", after a long bout with illness, from which he fully recovered. In 2007, he was in a docu-film called Civico 0, where he played Guilano, a fruit vendor, who becomes homeless after the death of his mother. In 2008, he starred in the film L'Ultimo Pulcinella.

In 2009, he played the storyteller in the play Polvere di Baghdad, directed by Maurizio Scaparro.

In February 2009, after twelve years, he returned to the Sanremo Festival for a duet with Neapolitan singer Barbara Gilbo, a participant in the ‘Proposte’ section with the song ‘Che ne sai di me’ by Giancarlo Bigazzi and Sirio Martelli.

In 2010, Massimo was featured in Passione, a documentary about the history of music from Naples, Italy, directed by Italian-American actor John Turturro. In November 2010, he took part in the miniseries remake of the classic play, Filumena Marturano, produced by Italian TV RAI Uno, with Mariangela Melato in the title role. Massimo portrayed Filumena's husband, Domenico Soriano.

Other ventures

On 16 October 2002, Massimo Ranieri was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Personal life

Ranieri never married. However, in 1971, he fathered a daughter, Cristiana, out of wedlock with Franca Sebastiani. He did not have anything to do with the raising of his daughter, saying that he was too young and inexperienced for fatherhood, and that it would be damaging to his career. He was never linked with any other woman thereafter. He did not have any contact with his daughter until they met when she was about 20 years old.

At the start of 2007, he decided to publicly acknowledge his long-estranged daughter, and embraced her for the first time on live TV. It was a tearful reunion between father and daughter.

He also became a grandfather in July 2011.

Discography

1964

USA tour with Sergio Bruni

SINGLE: Lassù qualcuno mi ama/Un ragazzo come me (as Gianni Rock)

SINGLE: Preghiera/Una bocca, due occhi e un nome (as Gianni Rock)

SINGLE: Se mi aspetti stasera/La prima volta (as Gianni Rock)

SINGLE: Tanti auguri señora/Non chiudere la porta (as Gianni Rock)

1966

Scala Reale (later called Canzonissima). He sings "L'amore è una cosa meravigliosa" under the art name Ranieri.

SINGLE: L'amore è una cosa meravigliosa/Bene mio (as Ranieri)

1967

He wins the Cantagiro competition of young promises with "Pietà per chi ti ama".

SINGLE: Pietà per chi ti ama/No, mamma (as Ranieri)

1968

He participated in the Sanremo song competition with I Giganti with the song "Da bambino"

Cantagiro with the song "Preghiera per lei".

SINGLE: Da bambino/Ma l'amore cos'è

SINGLE: Preghiera per lei/Cento ragazzine

SINGLE: Rose rosse/Piangi piangi ragazzo

Filmography

Theatre (actor)

1976 – "Napoli: chi resta e chi parte" a show comprised by two one-act plays by Raffaele Viviani ("Caffè di notte e giorno" e "Scalo marittimo") directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi and shown at the Spoleto "Festival dei due mondi".

"In memoria di una signora amica" a comedy by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, directed by Mario Ferrero, with Pupella Maggio and Lilla Brignone.

1977 – "The Waltz of the Dogs" by Leonid N. Andreyev, directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, with Romolo Valli.

1978 – "The imaginary invalid" by Molière, directed by Giorgio De Lullo.

1979 – "Twelfth Night" by Shakespeare, directed by Giorgio De Lullo, with Monica Guerritore

1980 – "The Good Person of Szechwan" by Bertolt Brecht directed by Giorgio Strehler with Andrea Johansson, Renato De Carmine. At the Teatro Comunale di Milano, and then in a European tour which lasted two years.

1983 – "Barnum", a musical by Mark Bramble directed by Buddy Schwab and Ennio Coltorti, with music by Cy Coleman, with Ottavia Piccolo.

1986 – "Varietà", directed by Maurizio Scaparro, with Marisa Merlini, Galeazzo Benti and Arturo Brachetti.

1987 – "Pulcinella" by Manlio Santanelli (taken from a screenplay by Roberto Rossellini), directed by Maurizio Scaparro.

1988 – "Rinaldo in campo", musical comedy written by Domenico Modugno, directed by Garinei and Giovannini.

1990–91 – "Pulcinella" reprise

1991–92 – "Liolà" by Luigi Pirandello directed by Maurizio Scaparro, with Carlo Croccolo and with original music by Nicola Piovani

Directing (Theatre and Opera)

2004 – "Cavalleria Rusticana" opera by Pietro Mascagni and "I Pagliacci" by Ruggero Leoncavallo at the Opera Arena Sferisterio in the city of Macerata.

2005 – "L'Elisir d'amore" opera by Donizetti at the Teatro di San Carlo of Naples.

2006 – "La Traviata" opera by Giuseppe Verdi al Teatro Verdi di Trieste conducted by Daniel Oren.

2007 – "La Traviata" at the Tirana National Opera House and at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples.

2008 – "La Cenerentola" opera by Gioachino Rossini at the Teatro Verdi in Teramo

"Poveri ma belli" a musical taken from the film by Dino Risi, with music by Gianni Togni. With Bianca Guaccero, Antonello Angiolillo and Michele Carfora.

2009 – "Versi e diversi", a new show written in collaboration with Gualtiero Peirce, at the Ravello Festival.

Books

2007 – "Mia madre non-voleva" (with Gualtiero Peirce, published by Rizzoli), autobiography

2021 – "Tutti i sogni ancora in volo" (published by Rizzoli), autobiography

Awards

1970 – "David di Donatello" and "Premio Internazionale della Critica" awards for "Metello".

1972 – National prize "I numeri 1", Radio Montecarlo Prize for popularity.

1973 – Telegatto "Vota la voce" (Rank the voice) as Best male singer.

1984 – "Positano Top" award for "Barnum".

1974 – "Gran simpatico" prize.

1987 – Taormina Arte Award.

1999 – Ennio Flaiano Award for the Theatre

2005 – Premio Barocco and the Premio Sirmione Catullo as Artist of the Year

Premio Nuova Spoleto per L'Arte e lo Spettacolo.

2008 – De Sica Award for the Theatre, presented by the President of the Republic Mr. Napolitano.

"Volere Volare, Il meglio del Made in Italy" award, as public person of the year

"La Pigna d'oro" award for his whole career.

2009 – Burlamacco d'Oro".

Special Jury Prize of the Festival of Busto Arsizio for the film "L'ultimo Pulcinella", which also was awarded the Best Director prize.

Premio Flaiano (2nd time).