Adriano Celentano facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adriano Celentano
Celentano in 1961
Born	(1938-01-06) 6 January 1938 (age 87) Milan, Kingdom of Italy
Occupation	Singer-songwriter actor film director screenwriter producer television presenter
Years active	1957–present
Spouse(s)	Claudia Mori ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	3, including Rosalinda Celentano
Musical career
Genres	Pop disco rock and roll
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano drums
Labels	Jolly Clan Celentano
Associated acts	I Ribelli Mina

Adriano Celentano (born 6 January 1938) is a very famous Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker. People call him Il Molleggiato, which means 'the springy one'. He got this nickname because of his energetic dancing.

Adriano Celentano's music albums have been very popular and successful. He has sold about 150 million records around the world. This makes him one of the best-selling Italian music artists ever. He often wrote both the music and words for his songs. Sometimes, he worked with others, including his wife, Claudia Mori. Because he has done so much in music and movies, he is seen as a very important part of Italian music.

Celentano was one of the first to bring rock and roll music to Italy. He was good at understanding new trends in the music world. As an actor, he has been in 39 films, mostly comedies.

Early Life of Adriano Celentano

Adriano Celentano was born on 6 January 1938 in Milan, Italy. He grew up on a street called Via Cristoforo Gluck. This street later became famous because he wrote a song about it called "Il ragazzo della via Gluck" ('The boy from Gluck Street'). His parents, Leontino Celentano and Giuditta Giuvia, moved to Milan from Foggia, a city in southern Italy, for work. Before he became a singer in 1959, he worked as a watchmaker.

Adriano Celentano's Music and Film Career

Celentano with an Eko Guitar

Adriano Celentano was greatly inspired by Elvis Presley and the rock 'n' roll music of the 1950s. He also liked the American actor Jerry Lewis. Celentano started playing in a rock and roll band with Giorgio Gaber and Enzo Jannacci.

A music executive named Ezio Leoni discovered them. He signed Celentano to his first music contract. Leoni also helped Celentano write some of his first big hits. These songs include "24.000 baci" and "Il tuo bacio è come un rock". Celentano first appeared in a movie in 1959. It was an Italian musical film called Ragazzi del Juke-Box. In 1960, famous director Federico Fellini cast him as a rock and roll singer in his film La dolce vita.

In 1962, Celentano started his own Italian record company called Clan Celentano. This company is still active today. Many other artists, like Don Backy and his wife Claudia Mori, joined his label.

Celentano as a Film Director

As a film director, Celentano often worked with actresses like Ornella Muti and Eleonora Giorgi. He also frequently cast his wife, Claudia Mori, in his movies. Adriano and Claudia have three children: Rosita, Giacomo, and Rosalinda Celentano. Celentano has also hosted many popular television shows in Italy.

He has stayed popular in Italy for over 50 years. He has sold millions of records and appeared in many TV shows and movies. In his TV and movie roles, he created a funny style with special walks and facial expressions. Most of his films were very successful. In the 1970s and 1980s, his movies often topped the Italian box office. Many critics say his best acting performance was in the 1968 film Serafino.

Celentano (right) in 2012 with Gianni Morandi

Adriano Celentano has released 40 albums. These include 29 studio albums, three live albums, and eight collections of his songs. Some of his most famous songs are "La coppia più bella del mondo," which sold over a million copies. Other popular songs include "Azzurro" (1968), "Svalutation" (1976), and "Prisencolinensinainciusol" (1972). He wrote "Prisencolinensinainciusol" to sound like English to people who don't speak it, even though most of the words are made up.

In 2012, after 18 years without performing live, Celentano held a concert. It was shown on the Italian TV channel Canale 5 and watched by over 9 million people.

Adriano Celentano's Personal Life

Adriano Celentano became a vegetarian in 2005. He is also a strong supporter of animal rights. He loves football and is a well-known fan of the Inter Milan team. Even though American culture influenced his music, Celentano cannot speak English. He has said that he wanted to learn the language for years but found it difficult.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

Films

See Also

In Spanish: Adriano Celentano para niños

• List of best-selling music artists