Fred Bongusto

Alfredo Bongusto (6 April 1935 – 8 November 2019), known by his stage name Fred Bongusto, was an Italian light music singer, songwriter and composer who was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

Commendatore

Fred Bongusto
Bongusto in July 1975
Born
Alfredo Bongusto

6 April 1935
Campobasso, Molise, Italy
Died8 November 2019 (aged 84)
Rome, Italy
OccupationMusician
Political partyPSI

Career history

Bongusto was born in Campobasso. He made his recording debut with the song "Bella Bellissima", written by his friend Ghigo Agosti and produced by the Milan-based label Primary. It was released on phonographic record in 1960. Some of his most successful songs include "Malaga", "Una rotonda sul mare", "Spaghetti a Detroit" and "Prima c'eri tu", which won the 1966 edition of Un disco per l'estate. Bongusto was also successful in South America, especially Brazil. He had collaborated with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes.

He composed the soundtracks of more than 30 films, such as Day After Tomorrow (1968), Un Detective (1969), The Divorce (1970), Come Have Coffee with Us (1970), The Eroticist (1972), Gli ordini sono ordini (1972), Malizia (1973), Lovers and Other Relatives (1974), Le farò da padre (1974), Conviene far bene l'amore (1975), Al piacere di rivederla (1976), Oh, Serafina! (1976), Fantozzi contro tutti (1980), Fracchia la belva umana (1981) and Superfantozzi (1986). He also starred in Obiettivo ragazze (1961) and Peccato Veniale (1974).

In the 1990s, he was elected as a PSI town councillor in Bari.[1] On 18 March 2005, the President of the Council, Silvio Berlusconi, presented him with a silver plate to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his musical debut. On 2 June 2005, he was awarded the title of Commendatore by President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.[2][3]

Personal life

He was married to Gabriella Palazzoli, an Italian soubrette, who was famous in the 1950s and 1960s. She is known for starring in the film Buonanotte... Avvocato! with Alberto Sordi. In 1960, before their marriage, Palazzoli had a previous marriage with American actor John Drew Barrymore, who is the father of her daughter Blyth Dolores. Blyth was raised by Bongusto.

Bongusto spent much of his time in Ischia, in the village of Sant'Angelo, Rome. Bongusto died in Rome on 8 November, 2019. He was 84.[4]

Selected songs
  • "L'Amore" 1973

References
  1. "Addio a Fred Bongusto, fu consigliere al Comune - TGR Puglia". TGR. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  2. "Fred Bongusto". www.italyheritage.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  3. "Fred Bongusto morto, addio al cantante di "Una rotonda sul mare": aveva 84 anni". Il Fatto Quotidiano (in Italian). 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  4. "Italian Music Hero Fred Bongusto Dies at 84". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
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