Adelmo Fornaciari, born September 25, 1955, is an Italian singer, musician, and songwriter who performs under the name Zucchero Fornaciari—or simply Zucchero, the Italian word for "sugar," a nickname given to him by a primary school teacher. His sound draws heavily from gospel, soul, blues, and rock, shifting between Italian ballads and upbeat R&B-boogie tracks. Often called the "father of Italian blues," he brought the genre to Italy's biggest stages and remains one of the few European blues artists with major international success.
Over a career spanning four decades, Fornaciari has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. His best-known international singles include "Diamante," "Il Volo/My Love," "Baila (Sexy Thing)/Baila morena," and "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)," a duet with Paul Young. His awards include four Festivalbar wins, nine Wind Music Awards, two World Music Awards (1993 and 1996), six IFPI Europe Platinum Awards, and a Grammy Award nomination. He has collaborated and performed with a long list of major artists, among them Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian May, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Sting, Bono, Bryan Adams, Luciano Pavarotti, and Andrea Bocelli.
Fornaciari was born in Roncocesi, a small village near Reggio Emilia, to Giuseppe Fornaciari and Rina Bondavalli, both from rural families. As a child he played goalkeeper for A.C. Reggiana 1919 and spent much of his youth in the Tuscan seaside town of Forte dei Marmi, where he sang in the church choir and played organ. Around age 12 or 13, an African-American friend studying in Bologna introduced him to American soul and blues
Over a career spanning four decades, Fornaciari has sold more than 60 million records worldwide. His best-known international singles include "Diamante," "Il Volo/My Love," "Baila (Sexy Thing)/Baila morena," and "Senza una donna (Without a Woman)," a duet with Paul Young. His awards include four Festivalbar wins, nine Wind Music Awards, two World Music Awards (1993 and 1996), six IFPI Europe Platinum Awards, and a Grammy Award nomination. He has collaborated and performed with a long list of major artists, among them Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Brian May, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Sting, Bono, Bryan Adams, Luciano Pavarotti, and Andrea Bocelli.
Fornaciari was born in Roncocesi, a small village near Reggio Emilia, to Giuseppe Fornaciari and Rina Bondavalli, both from rural families. As a child he played goalkeeper for A.C. Reggiana 1919 and spent much of his youth in the Tuscan seaside town of Forte dei Marmi, where he sang in the church choir and played organ. Around age 12 or 13, an African-American friend studying in Bologna introduced him to American soul and blues
