Before he became the singer, composer, and actor Jimmy Fontana, he was born Enrico Sbriccoli on November 13, 1934 in Camerino, Italy. In the 1950s he abandoned a career in economics, devoting himself to music. He took on his stage name and formed a jazz trio. By the end of the decade, he shifted into composing orchestral pop pieces. Compositions such as “Diavolo” and “Benvo” did well at various festivals and competitions. In 1961 he appeared in the movie lo bacio, tu baci and appeared on the film’s soundtrack. He signed with RCA in 1963 and issued his first single for them, “Non te ne andare”. His career-defining single, “Il Mondo”, came in 1965. It would go to Number 1 in Italy and chart in countries around the world. He maintained a side career as an actor while continuing to write successful songs like “La mia serenata”. He scored a top 10 hit singing a cover of “Delilah” in 1968. He provided the music for “Che sarà”, which José Feliciano made a monster hit across Europe in 1971. He took a break from composing for over a decade, though he continued to perform live throughout the 1970s. He resumed songwriting in the 1980s and often performed with his children. He remained beloved in Italy and continued live and television appearances up to his death on September 11, 2013.
