Giorgio Moroder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giorgio Moroder
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Moroder at First Avenue, Minneapolis, in 2018
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| Birth name | Giovanni Giorgio Moroder |
| Born | 26 April 1940 Urtijëi, South Tyrol, Italy |
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Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and record producer. He is often called the "Father of Disco" because he helped create the Euro disco and electronic dance music genres. Moroder was one of the first musicians to use synthesizers in popular music. His work helped shape genres like synth-pop, new wave, house, and techno music.
In the 1970s, he started his own record label, Oasis Records. He also founded the famous Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. Many famous artists, like Queen and Elton John, recorded music there.
Moroder is well-known for producing hit songs for disco star Donna Summer. These hits include "Love to Love You Baby", "I Feel Love", "Hot Stuff", and "Bad Girls". He also wrote music for many movies. He won an Academy Award for the music in the film Midnight Express.
He has won three Academy Awards, four Golden Globes, and four Grammy Awards. In 2004, he was welcomed into the Dance Music Hall of Fame.
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Early Life
Giovanni Giorgio Moroder was born on 26 April 1940, in Urtijëi, Italy. His parents were Ladin, and he grew up in a home where people spoke Ladin, German, and Italian. His mother often called him by his German name, Hansjörg. He has three brothers, and one of them, Ulrich Moroder, is an artist.
Music Career
Moroder taught himself to play the guitar when he was 15. At 18, he started touring Europe as a musician. He later moved to Berlin and worked as a sound engineer. After a few years, he moved to Munich, where his career really took off.
Creating Electronic Music (1963–1983)
In 1968, Moroder moved to Munich. He soon had a hit song called "Looky Looky". He then opened his own recording studio, Musicland Studios.
Moroder was one of the first producers to use a Moog synthesizer, a new type of electronic instrument at the time. He used it to create a futuristic sound. In 1977, he worked with singer Donna Summer to create the song "I Feel Love". This song was a huge hit and is considered one of the first Hi-NRG tracks, a fast-paced style of dance music.
The following year, he wrote the theme music for the movie Midnight Express, which included the popular instrumental track "Chase". This work won him his first Academy Award.
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He also produced the soundtrack for the movie Foxes, which featured Donna Summer's hit "On the Radio".
Movie Soundtracks and Big Hits (1984–1993)
In 1984, Moroder created a new soundtrack for the old silent film Metropolis. He added modern pop songs by artists like Freddie Mercury and Bonnie Tyler. This new version of the film was different and exciting for audiences.
That same year, he worked with Limahl, the singer from the band Kajagoogoo, to create the theme song for the movie The NeverEnding Story. The song became a worldwide hit.
In 1986, he co-wrote the music for the movie Top Gun. This soundtrack included the famous songs "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins and "Take My Breath Away" by the band Berlin. "Take My Breath Away" won Moroder another Academy Award.
Moroder also wrote official theme songs for major sporting events. He wrote "Reach Out" for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, "Hand in Hand" for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, and "Un'estate italiana" for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After 1993, he took a long break from making his own albums.
Return to Music (2012–Present)
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In 2013, Moroder made a comeback by working with the electronic music duo Daft Punk. He told his life story on their song "Giorgio by Moroder". On the track, he famously says, "My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio."
After working with Daft Punk, Moroder started DJing and making new music. In 2015, he released a new album called Déjà Vu. It featured many popular singers, including Sia, Britney Spears, and Kylie Minogue. His song with Kylie Minogue, "Right Here, Right Now", became a number-one dance hit in the U.S.
In 2021, he worked with the band Duran Duran on their album Future Past. In January 2025, he co-produced The Weeknd's album Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Awards and Achievements
Giorgio Moroder has won many of the music world's most important awards.
- Academy Awards: He has won three Oscars. One for the score of Midnight Express, and two for Best Original Song: "Flashdance...What a Feeling" from Flashdance and "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun.
- Grammy Awards: He has won four Grammys, including awards for his work on Flashdance and for Album of the Year with Daft Punk.
- Golden Globe Awards: He has won four Golden Globes for his movie music.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for his important contributions as a producer.
Legacy
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Giorgio Moroder's music has influenced many artists. His electronic sounds and strong bass lines have been copied and sampled by musicians in rock, pop, and hip-hop. "Sampling" is when an artist takes a small piece of an old song and uses it in a new one.
For example, his song "Tears" was sampled by DJ Shadow. The rock band The Killers and pop star Madonna have also been inspired by his work. Madonna's hit "Future Lovers" uses a bass line similar to Moroder's production of "I Feel Love".
His song "Chase" has been used as theme music for sports shows and radio programs. In 2011, "I Feel Love" was added to the National Recording Registry in the United States, which preserves recordings that are historically important.
Personal Life
Moroder lives in Los Angeles, California. He was married to Francisca Gutiérrez from 1990 until she passed away in 2022. They have a son named Alessandro, who is a visual artist.
Discography
- That's Bubblegum – That's Giorgio (1969)
- Giorgio (1970)
- Son of My Father (1972)
- Giorgio's Music (1973)
- Einzelgänger (1975)
- Knights in White Satin (1976)
- From Here to Eternity (1977)
- Love's in You, Love's in Me (1978)
- E=MC² (1979)
- Solitary Men (1983) (with Joe Esposito)
- Innovisions (1985)
- Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder (with Philip Oakey) (1985)
- To Be Number One (1990)
- Forever Dancing (1992)
- Déjà Vu (2015)
Images for kids
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Moroder performing at First Avenue in Minneapolis, 2018
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See also
In Spanish: Giorgio Moroder para niños
- Cizeta-Moroder V16T supercar project
- Honorific nicknames in popular music
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
- List of Billboard number-one dance club songs
