Gino Paoli, farewell to the one who narrated in music love, melancholy, and the nuances of everyday life.

His voice, his lyrics, and the extraordinary ability to transform the ordinary into poetry will forever remain a reference point for those who love singer-songwriter music. Gino Paoli, who passed away at the age of 91 in his home in Genoa after a brief hospitalization in a private clinic, was able to tell the stories of love, melancholy, and the nuances of everyday life with rare sensitivity. The singer-songwriter leaves behind a musical heritage made up of authentic gems: popular songs like 'Il cielo in una stanza', 'La gatta', 'Che cosa c'è', 'Senza fine', 'Sapore di sale', 'Una lunga storia d'amore', and 'Quattro amici al bar'. Each song is a fragment of life, a small masterpiece of urban poetry, capable of telling stories with both lightness and depth, touching the hearts of entire generations. Paoli's life was intense, marked by extraordinary successes, troubled loves, personal crises (including a suicide attempt), and a commitment that transcended the boundaries of music into politics, as an elected independent deputy on the lists of the Italian Communist Party.

THE ORIGINS

Born in Monfalcone (Gorizia) on September 23, 1934, to a family of Tuscan and Julian-Dalmatian origins, Gino Paoli moved as an infant to Genoa, a city to which he would always remain deeply connected. His career began in the 1950s, amidst the ferment of the emerging 'Genoese school', with friends and colleagues destined to become legends of Italian music: Luigi Tenco, Bruno Lauzi, Umberto Bindi, and shortly after, Fabrizio De André. With the group I Diavoli del Rock, he performed in student afternoons and in venues across Liguria, starting to experiment with melodies, harmonies, and lyrics infused with feeling.
The first record deal came in 1959 with the Ricordi label, which released his first 45s: 'La tua mano', 'Non occupatemi il telefono', 'Senza parole', 'Sassi'. Songs that initially went unnoticed but would lay the groundwork for what would become Paoli's immortal repertoire.

THE SUCCESS

The real breakthrough came in 1960 thanks to Mina and the song 'Il cielo in una stanza', suggested by Mogol, which climbed the charts and established Paoli as a nationally renowned singer-songwriter. The success did not stop: 'La gatta', initially ignored, became a classic thanks to word of mouth, and Paoli entered the pantheon of Italian song.

In the following years, his pen brings to life timeless pieces: 'Sapore di sale,' arranged by Ennio Morricone and featuring Gato Barbieri on saxophone, becomes a symbol of 1960s Italian music; 'Che cosa c'è,' and Senza fine, written for Ornella Vanoni, become anthems to the delicacy of feelings and the ability to tell the human soul with simplicity and depth. Paoli participates in five editions of the Sanremo Festival, also composing soundtracks for films, from 'Prima della rivoluzione' by Bernardo Bertolucci to numerous television and film productions, always with sophisticated and innovative arrangements.

THE CRISIS AND THE SUICIDE ATTEMPT

There have been dark periods. In 1963, overwhelmed by personal and sentimental crises, Paoli attempts suicide by shooting himself in the heart. Fortunately, the bullet does not penetrate the myocardium but remains encapsulated in his chest for life, a silent and painful reminder of human fragility behind the face of the singer-songwriter. Alcohol and, later, drugs accompany some years of deep crisis, which, however, do not extinguish his creativity.

After a period of lesser visibility in the 1970s, marked by less successful albums and unsuccessful festival appearances, Paoli returns to the limelight in the 1980s with 'Una lunga storia d'amore' (1984), the soundtrack of the film 'Una donna allo specchio' with Stefania Sandrelli. The song marks his artistic rebirth and leads him to a triumphant tour with Ornella Vanoni, documented in the double live album 'Insieme.' In 1989, at the personal invitation of patron Adriano Aragozzini, he participates in the Sanremo Festival with 'Questa volta no.'

THE REBIRTH

In the Nineties, Paoli confirms his ability to reinvent himself: 1991 is the year of his great success with Matto come un gatto, an album whose leading track Quattro amici al bar wins the Festivalbar, brings Paoli back to the top of the charts, and becomes a generational success, while tracks like Senza contorno and La bella e la bestia showcase an artist always attentive to contemporary sounds without losing his poetic identity. He collaborates with Zucchero, writes songs for Ron, Peppino di Capri, Giorgia, and continues to reinterpret international classics by Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, and Léo Ferré, demonstrating a rare versatility. 2002 is the year of his return to Sanremo with Un altro amore, which ranks third and wins the critics' award.

Gino Paoli has not only been an interpreter: he has discovered and launched artists like Lucio Dalla and Fabrizio De André, translated and adapted French songs, bringing masterpieces like Ne me quitte pas (Don't Go Away) and Avec le temps (With Time) to the Italian public. His encounter with jazz, already in the Sixties, solidifies in the Two Thousands through collaborations with Danilo Rea, Enrico Rava, and other great Italian names. This leads to albums like Due come noi che... (2012), Napoli con amore (2013), and 3 (2017), where the fusion of song and jazz becomes sublime, demonstrating his ability to reinvent himself while remaining true to his style.

PRIVATE LIFE

Paoli's private life is equally intense and complex. From his first wife, Anna Fabbri, he has a son, Giovanni, who died of a heart attack at the age of 60 on March 7, 2025. At the same time, in the Sixties, he has a famous and controversial relationship with actress Stefania Sandrelli, who was still a minor, from which Amanda Sandrelli is born, who will follow in her mother's footsteps and become an actress.

The story with Ornella Vanoni, which also began in the Sixties, will be long, troubled, but also a source of inspiration for some of the most beautiful love songs in Italian history: "Senza fine", "Anche se", "Me in tutto il mondo".

With Ornella Vanoni, who passed away at 91 on November 21, he returned to collaborate professionally in the Eighties and the 2000s, achieving success with the suggestive tour titled 'Do you remember? No, I don't remember. Since 1991, he was married to Paola Penzo, the author of some of his songs, with whom he had three children: Nicolò (1980), Tommaso (1992), and Francesco (2000).