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Early Life and Vision Loss

Born in Lajatico, Tuscany, Andrea Bocelli was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma. At age 12, he completely lost his vision after a football accident. Despite this, he pursued music passionately, mastering piano, flute, and saxophone. He earned a law degree from the University of Pisa and performed in piano bars at night to fund his studies.

Breakthrough and Rise to Fame

Bocelli's career launched when Italian rock star Zucchero Fornaciari recruited him to demo "Miserere," which impressed Luciano Pavarotti. His 1994 Sanremo Music Festival victory with "Il mare calmo della sera" catapulted him to stardom. Debut album "Bocelli" (1995) sold over 300,000 copies in Italy alone, establishing him as a classical crossover pioneer.

Iconic Collaborations and Duets

Bocelli frequently performs with music's biggest names:

- "The Prayer" with Celine Dion (1999 Golden Globe winner)

- "Time to Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman

- "Perfect Symphony" with Ed Sheeran

- Duets with Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Tony Bennett

He often shares stages with emerging talents during tours, explaining frequent fan searches about his collaborators.

Global Superstardom

With over 90 million records sold, Bocelli holds Guinness World Records as:

- History's best-selling classical artist

- First classical artist to top Billboard's Pop Albums chart

His signature performances include Vatican Christmas concerts, Olympic ceremonies, and live-streamed events like "Music for Hope" from Milan's Duomo during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Personal Life and Legacy

Married to Veronica Berti since 2014, Bocelli has three children. His son Matteo frequently performs alongside him. Through the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, he funds projects for the visually impaired and disaster relief. Despite his fame, he maintains strong ties to his Tuscan roots, hosting annual concerts at his Teatro del Silenzio amphitheater.

• Bocelli famously rejected a Vatican offer to become a professional church singer as a teen, choosing to pursue secular music
• He worked as a court-appointed defense attorney for one year before his music career took off
• His blindness led to extraordinary auditory memory: He learns complex scores by having them played just twice
• In 1998, he survived a brain hemorrhage that threatened his singing voice during treatment