Is dead Franco Gattithe ‘mustache’ of the Riches and Poors. The singer passed away at the San Martino hospital in Genoa at the age of 80, leaving behind his wife and daughter. He had long since departed from the group after the sudden death of his son Alessio in 2013 at just 23 years old. Gatti had then participated in the reunion of the group a few years laterbut by now his musical activity was closed.
To announce the disappearance were the Rich and the Poor, together with his family. “A piece of our life has gone away. Hi Franco”, they say sadly. “His health has become more complicated in recent weeks,” sources close to the family say. The funeral will be held on Thursday at 11.30 in the church of San Siro in the Nervi district of Genoa.
Farewell to Franco Gatti, the performance of “Dancing with the stars” on the notes of “Mamma Maria”
Farewell to the group
Alessio Gatti died right on the day when the Rich and the Poor should have sung on the stage of the Ariston, in one of the editions conducted by Fabio Fazio. Naturally the exhibition was canceled, after the young man was found lifeless in his apartment in Capolungo in Nervi.
“My colleagues and friends continue to work. I stopped because I was no longer joyfully going on stage,” said the singer. Until February 2020, when there was the return of the group on the stage of the Ariston Theater with the historic reconciliation between Angela Brambati And Marina Occhiena.
“Yesterday I went to see him and hug him, I loved him so much and he helped me a lot, he was close to me”, Marina Occhiena told Italian Stories on Rai 1. “Luckily we were able to do the reunion, he wanted to see the reunited group before something happened,” recalled the singer. “It was a beautiful thing, a great gift also for the fans who have followed us for so long.”
The pandemic prevented the realization of some special concerts that should have been held immediately after the appearance of the rediscovered group in Sanremo. In the last two years, like Ricchi and Poveri, only Angela Brambati and Angelo Sotgiu had continued to perform. “My colleagues and friends continue to work. I stopped because I was no longer joyfully going on stage,” said the singer.
Franco Gatti: “Alessio was terrified of drugs”
The last interview
In one of his latest interviews, in connection with Italian storiesGatti had stated that after contracting Covid, in 2020, already suffering from Crohn’s disease, his condition had worsened particularly, following a cortisone treatment.
And the last television interview that Franco Gatti had released in October 2019 was dedicated to his son Alessio Caterina Balivo for the program come to me. ” My son drank, drank and drank. And it was also a bit of his misfortune ”, said Gatti, who had also clarified the circumstances of the boy’s death by talking about a ” first intake ” of a cocktail of alcohol and heroin, which had given him a fatal heart attack. ” He fucked up, the first in his life, with drugs and at a time when he was not well. And he paid for it like that, ” said the singer, pointing out that the boy was addicted to alcohol but not drugs.
The Rich and the Poor
The group was born in Genoa in 1967. Theirs is due to Franco Califano because, he said, they were “rich in ideas, but poor in money”. Born as a polyphonic quartet, made up of two male voices, ‘the mustache’ Franco Gatti and ‘the blond’ Angelo Sotgiu and two female voices, ‘the brunette’ Angela Brambati and ‘the blond’ Marina Occhiena, who left the group in 1981 And the journey continued as a trio.
In their career, I Ricchi e Poveri have sold 22 million records and are the second largest Italian group in terms of sales, behind the Pooh. In the seventies and eighties several of their singles reached the top of the Italian and international charts: The first beautiful Thing, What will be, It will be because I love you, How I would like, Mother Mary And Would you like to dance are cult of Italian pop music and have also been chosen as the soundtrack for advertising themes and very popular TV programs, including Portobello.
The four singers represented Italy at theEurovision Competition of Songs in 1978 and participated in 12 Sanremo Festivalmanaging to win in 1985 with the song If I fall in love.
With the farewell of Angela Brambati, I Ricchi e Poveri became a trio, which continued to reap successes and tour the world. A success that, despite the group becoming a duo, continues today.
The pain of Rita Pavone
” My pain and my condolences for the death of Franco Gatti, the baritone voice of the Rich and the Poor. I had noticed the absence of him at the Suzuky Arenabut I thought it was a personal choice. I hugged Angela and Angelo again with joy but I didn’t ask any questions. Goodbye My friend. RIP, ” he writes Rita Pavone their Twitter.
The condolences of the governor of Liguria
“Genoa and Italian music lose one of the most beloved performers, Franco Gatti, the” mustache “of the Ricchi e Poveri. The Genoese group, winner of the Sanremo Festival in 1985, was back together two years ago after 40 years on the stage of the Ariston. The last performance that will remain in the hearts of Italians “. This is the comment of the president of the Liguria Region, Giovanni Toti.
Pupo’s farewell
” Franco, dear friend, have a good trip and may the earth be light to you ”, is the greeting of Enzo Ghinazziin art Abundant.
The homage of Rai Cultura
To remember Gatti, Rai Cultura re-proposes the participation of the group in the historic broadcast Yesterday and today 1976, broadcast tomorrow, Wednesday 19 October, at 12 on Rai History. In the episode, conducted by Mike Bongiorno and curated by Leone Mancini and Lino Procacci, Franco Gatti and I Ricchi e Poveri retrace their careers, both on television (Never on Saturdays, Signora Lisistrataof ’71 and the varieties So many excuses And (Again) So many excusesalongside Sandra Mondaini And Raimondo Vianello both singing, at the Sanremo Festival, where they had already finished second in 1970 and ’71, and where they won in 1985 with If I fall in love.
