Gino Paoli

Gino Paoli was one of the first and most influential singer-songwriters in Italian music, a leading figure of the Genoese school alongside Fabrizio De André, Luigi Tenco, Umberto Bindi and Bruno Lauzi. His career, which began in the late 1950s, went through several phases, ranging from singer-songwriter fare to pop music, all the way to jazz sounds.

Born on September 23, 1934 in Monfalcone, Gino Paoli moved to Genoa as a child, the city that would become the center of his artistic development. After working various jobs, he got into music thanks to his friendship with other young Genoese singer-songwriters. In 1959 he signed a contract with Ricordi and began releasing his first songs.

Success came in 1960 with "La gatta", a song with evocative lyrics and an essential style, which immediately became a classic. That same year he released the album "Gino Paoli", which also included "Senza fine", another song destined to leave its mark.

In 1961 Paoli wrote "Il cielo in una stanza", performed by Mina and destined to become one of the most celebrated Italian songs of all time. The song, with its intimate lyrics and evocative melody, established Paoli as one of the most important songwriters of his generation. Hits followed such as "Sapore di sale", written in 1963 and arranged by Ennio Morricone, and "Che cosa c'è", which confirmed his talent.

Despite his success, the singer-songwriter went through a deep personal crisis, culminating in 1963 in a suicide attempt from which he miraculously survived, with a bullet left lodged just an inch from his heart. After this episode, Paoli temporarily stepped away from music.

In the 1970s he returned with new work, including “I semafori rossi non sono Dio” (1974) and “Ciao, salutime un po’ la scià” (1975), in which he experimented with more mature sounds. He continued to write songs of great impact, such as “Una lunga storia d’amore”, one of his best-known pieces, released in the 1980s.

The following period was marked by collaborations and successful new albums, such as “Ha tutte le carte in regola” (1980) and “La luna e il signor Hyde” (1984). In 1985 he took part in the Sanremo Festival with “Ti lascio una canzone”.

In the 1990s and 2000s Paoli moved increasingly towards jazz, releasing albums such as “Matto come un gatto” (1991) and “Appropriazione indebita” (1996), in which he reinterpreted his classics in a jazz key. He continued to perform live with artists such as Danilo Rea and Sergio Cammariere.

In 2011 he celebrated 50 years of his career with “Un incontro in jazz”, a live album recorded with Rea. In 2013 he released “Napoli con amore”, paying tribute to the Neapolitan song tradition.

In recent years Gino Paoli continued to perform and release records, showing remarkable artistic longevity. Among his most recent releases, “Appunti di un lungo viaggio” (2019) stands out, an album marking a return to singer-songwriter territory with intimate, refined atmospheres.

Gino Paoli died on 24 March 2026 at his home in Genoa, following a brief stay in a private clinic.