Riccardo Cocciante
Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and the United States as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian and French singer, composer, and musician. Early and personal life Cocciante was born on 20 February 1946 in Saigon, French Indochina (now Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), to an Italian father from Rocca di Mezzo, L'Aquila, and a French mother. At the age of 11, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he attended the Lycée français Chateaubriand. He has also lived in France, the United States, and Ireland. Career A R&B enthusiast, Cocciante began his musical career as an organ player, and in the late 1960s began performing as a singer at L'Approdo, a Roman club for foreign students. After forming the band GL6 with Marco Luberti and Paolo Casella, in 1971 he started his professional career with the French name Richard Cocciante and three English language songs recorded for the soundtrack of the Carlo Lizzani's film Roma Bene. In 1972, he released his first album, titled MU in Italy and Atlantì in France. After the fair commercial results of his 1973 album Poesia, Cocciante had his breakout one year later with "Bella senz'anima", which turned to be