The most beautiful man in Italy, Adriano Celentano, is 78 years old!

1. Everyone in his family was musically gifted, and no one seriously considered music as a way to earn a living. Adriano planned to earn money as a watchmaker, like his uncle. Perhaps there would not have been a legendary Italian performer if not for fate. Adriano was noted in an amateur performance, where he parodied the popular performer Louis Prima. Then he took part in song contests, since 1954 Celentano himself wrote the lyrics and music of the compositions.

2. From an interview with Adriano’s mother: “I’ll tell you this, Adriano was a nice guy, very simple, always happy and contented, cheerful, he liked to act like a clown, talk nonsense, have fun with his friends. We lived on Gluck Street, it’s a street on the outskirts of the city, and we were very poor. My husband worked as a salesman for Mellin products, you know, those biscuits for children, and I was a seamstress. When my husband died, in 1951, I had to support the family with my own labor and, working all day, I had very little time to look after my children. Adriano went to school in the morning, and in the afternoon I sent him to the chapel of the monks, there was a parish youth club, where he played ball with the other kids, did what he wanted, and was safe. At least I was sure that he was in good hands there. When I had to work very hard, I asked the priests to keep Adriano After dinner, until 10 or 11 p.m., and then I would go and pick him up. I knew he was safe there, but at the same time I was worried about him. “What will he do with his life?” I asked myself. He didn’t like studying. It seemed like he only went to school to see his friends and to act like a clown once again. When the teacher asked him questions, he would always answer in the same eccentric monologues he now gives on TV, saying the same nonsense he says now. “Celentano, go to the board!” they would tell him. “Who, me?” he would answer. “Who am I?” And then he would look around as if he were looking for someone nearby, and everyone around would laugh. In short, he would put on a show.

3. It was the same in the parish. The priest would speak, and Adriano would imitate him, preach to boys his own age as if he were a priest himself – and again a performance, and again laughter. But he couldn’t go on living like this, pretending to be a clown, I told myself, I had to find him something to do. When he left school, I sent him to work. But he would wander from one profession to another as if nothing had happened, and wherever he went, he would always do the same things, he would always show his, what are they called… Sketches? He would always talk nonsense. When he later started singing and playing, bringing friends to his house who would sing and play, and going out in the evenings with friends to go sing and play, I began to worry seriously. It seemed, I thought, that he wanted to become a variety artist. He would ruin himself, he would become a slob and a scoundrel.

4. The thought that Adriano could become like these people scared me. So when I saw that he had taken this path, I started to give him a beating. I would beat him when he went out in the evening with his friends to go sing and play in yet another club, and I would beat him when he came back from there. At that time there was a famous dancer, Dossena, he has since died. Anyway, he would come sometimes for Adriano. I almost gave him a couple of beatings too, this Dossena. Because it was he who took Adriano to Taverna Messicana to earn some money there. When Adriano brought home these 1000 lire notes, just a couple as far as I remember, I threw them in his face. I told him to take them back. I didn’t want that money. It was dirty, depraved money. “Adriano, poor thing, was very offended then. But I was really afraid that he would ruin himself, and it seemed to me that there was no other way to save him than to slap him. I stopped doing this only after the rock and roll festival at the Palazzo del Ghiaccio, the day of my son’s first big success. Adriano went there with a temperature of almost 39. I accompanied him with a thermometer, tablets and pills in my bag. I don’t know, seeing him on stage with that high temperature touched me. I didn’t nag him anymore. Maybe I accepted that he went his own way, even if it didn’t bring him great success.”

5. Luck is with Celentano. On December 19, 1961, after another success at the San Remo Festival (second prize for the song 'Twenty-four thousand kisses'), he organized his own record company. The singer's acting career began at the same time. Celentano debuted in a film by Fellini himself (an episodic role in 'Dolce vita'). In 1963, Celentano starred in the film 'Some Strange Type' ('Uno strano tipo') together with his future wife, the famous actress Claudia Mori. In 1964, Adriano Celentano and Claudia Mori became a married couple. In a happy marriage, daughters Rosita, Rosalinda and son Giacomo were born.

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9. Many critics consider 1966 to be a turning point in Celentano's career. That year he came to San Remo with a song about the fate of a simple Milanese guy - "The Boy from Gluck Street" ('Il ragazzo della via Gluck'). The song's enormous sincerity captivated. Critics and the public were delighted. This song was translated into twenty-two languages, topped the Italian charts for more than four months - the first sharp socio-political song and the first song by Celentano that went around the world. Over the years, his songs become more serious. "The highest duty of an artist is to protest against injustice," says Celentano.

10. In addition to his musical activities, Celentano is also involved in cinematography. In the 70s, he often starred in films and made films himself.

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13. From Giuditta’s interview: “Our life has changed a lot, and we have Adriano to thank for that. It has changed externally, I mean. I used to never go anywhere, but now I can afford to travel. In the car, on the plane. I go here and there. I go where my son goes. He takes me everywhere. I don’t ask him for anything, I never tell him, “Adriano, I’ll go with you too.” He’s the one who asks me about it all the time. Some time ago I went with him to Germany, to Monaco di Baviera, where he had a concert. I flew there by plane. “Aren’t you afraid of flying?” – Adriano asked me. No, what fear! I’m not afraid. That’s it, he’s afraid of airplanes. And he’s afraid of ships, too. Adriano is very reluctant to travel by such transport. In a few months he’s supposed to fly to America, because he was invited by that American singer, what’s his name… Frank Sinatra. But he doesn’t like the idea of having to cross the ocean. But I think he’ll go there eventually. At least, I hope so. And I hope he’ll take me with him.

14. No, no, in the end it was a good thing he didn't become a watchmaker. If he had continued working with watches, many wonderful things would not have happened.

15. My son always had many friends and he was always loyal to them. When he became famous, he did not leave them. And so the Celentano Clan was born. It was created because Adriano wanted to continue living with his old friends, seeing them in the evenings, laughing with them and having fun. But how could he do that if he was a singer and they worked as mechanics in garages? So he created the Clan and gave everyone work. When he was betrayed, he suffered greatly because of it. But his true friends, who truly loved him, stayed with him. You know, Adriano is very generous, he has always been like that. He has never been particularly attached to money. If someone stops him on the street and asks for some money, he does not hesitate to put his hand in his pocket and pull out his wallet. There was a period when there was a whole line of people outside his house asking him for money. I especially remember one young man who came at the end of each month, as if for his salary. One month he said his mother was ill, the next month he had bad eyesight and was afraid he might lose it completely, then there was an earthquake in Sicily and he had relatives there who needed help. All of this was fiction, of course. But Adriano was always ready, with his wallet in hand. It took him a long time to realize that the young man was just using him. But when he finally realized it, he threw him out of the house.

16. Adriano, of course, does not chase every skirt, but I can not imagine him without a woman. Without a wife. And without children. He can not live without it. He adores children, and children adore him. Maybe that is why he himself remained a child. His children call him Celentano. Celentano this, Celentano that. They hear that others call him Celentano, and they call him that too. I think that only recently they noticed that we are talking about the same Celentano whom they see on television and whose CDs they listen to.

17. For example, I never liked his way of dressing. I am a dressmaker and I know about clothes. He dresses in a very extravagant manner: white and brown shoes, two-tone pants, orange shirts, jackets, the mere sight of which gives you goosebumps. I understand that he is an artist, and an artist must put on a show. But this is his taste, and not just clothes that he wears for show. Now they talk a lot about American films with all sorts of gangsters, what are their names? Bonnie and Clyde, yes. So, Adriano dressed in this fashion 5-6 years ago.

18. Now he designs his own clothes, and woe to the tailor who doesn’t sew them exactly as Adriano has imagined. No, we’ve never had a unanimous opinion about clothes. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t want to see him walking around in just a tuxedo. I’d just be pleased if he dressed like everyone else: a shirt, a tie, a normal classic jacket. But he doesn’t! He likes to dress like gangsters in movies.

19. Now he is what he is. A simple and lively guy who was very lucky. He is a good guy. Now he can calmly go on his way. There will be no more risks on his way. Of course, he can squander everything he earned if he gets involved in some unclear business. But I don’t know, everything went well for him until now. He has always been sensible in such matters. When he wanted to create his own record company, I was against it. I told him: “Look, you won’t even have anything to wear!” But he stood his ground. He wanted to have his own record company, and he got it. Everything went well for him. So he knows when to take risks and when not to.”

20. Success became Celentano's constant companion. Everything he started to do turned out successfully and fruitfully.

21. In many ways, Adriano Celentano was the first:

22. One of the first in the world to write and perform rock and roll in Italian.

23. The first in the world to write songs in the “Rap” style.

24. The first in the world to create his own independent recording studio.

25. He was the first in the world to perform songs about politics and pressing social issues.

26. The first in Italy to shoot a video clip.

27. The first singer to disrupt government elections... 2 times.

28. The first showman to openly speak out against the country’s current prime minister on his own TV channel…

29. One of the few artists who lived with his wife in marriage for more than 50 years.

31. In 2012, after a long break, he released an album called “Facciamo Finta Che Sia Vero” (Let’s Pretend It’s True). That year, Italy was in crisis, and Celentano decided to give a concert for the first time in a long time. He can be used as an example to many. He performed in an amphitheater for 6,000 people. Tickets were sold for 1 euro. This is an unheard-of price. In this way, the artist supported Italians in difficult times, caring not about profit, but about raising the national spirit. Celentano wanted entire families to come to his concert.

32. Adriano Celentano has released more than 30 albums with a total circulation of 70 million and starred in 40 films. His family still comes first for him. He lives in his villa in the city of Brianz, 100 kilometers from Milan, and in his free time he repairs watches. His house has a swimming pool, lawns, a tennis court, a football field, a stable, a recording studio and ... a fountain with a reinforced concrete sculpture that depicts Claudia. Claudia now plays the only role - a housewife and muse of her husband. Adriano even dedicated the song "The most beautiful couple on earth" to her. After all, among other things, only Claudia knows how to cook Celentano's favorite dishes - turtle soup with saffron, omelette with truffles and delicious blackberry cream!