Franz Di Cioccio: "I never said Genesis owe Pfm a debt of gratitude. And as for Led Zeppelin…"

After the interpretations that emerged following an interview given to Corriere della Sera for his 80th birthday, Franz Di Cioccio spoke out directly on social media to clarify the meaning of certain statements that, according to him, had been misrepresented. The leader of Pfm wanted to set the record straight on two topics that have periodically resurfaced for some time: the relationship between the Italian prog scene and the success of Genesis, and the rumor that he could have joined Led Zeppelin after John Bonham's death.

At the heart of the first issue is a headline that attributed to Di Cioccio the idea that “without Pfm, Genesis would never have existed.” It's a claim the musician now firmly denies, reconstructing the context of a statement by Phil Collins that is often quoted out of context. He does so in a long message posted on Facebook, which we're reproducing in full: “Good evening everyone. Let's clear a few things up. No one has ever said that Genesis owe their existence to Pfm. Phil Collins said that thanks to Pfm — and I'd add thanks to the whole Italian prog scene of the time — Genesis kick-started the success they'd hoped for. The band had already been active for a while, but back home they still didn't have much of a following. When they first came to Italy, in Veneto I believe, they played to a tiny crowd, but pretty quickly, thanks to the fertile ground of Italian prog, they rightfully built up an audience of 4,000-5,000 people. The rest is history. Genesis are an artistically top-tier band, they didn't need anyone to prove they could hold a stage. With that statement, Collins was thanking Pfm because in Italy they'd found an audience that was already primed. As for Led Zeppelin, there's only one version of the story. I got a phone call asking if I was willing to audition for Led Zeppelin. I was flattered, especially since Bonzo had always been a point of reference for me. I thanked them but turned down the invitation right away. I never met the band. Honestly, I would never have left Pfm, not even for a great band like Led Zeppelin. I hope there won't be any more incorrect interpretations. Thanks for your attention, and have a good evening. Franz.”

In the post, Di Cioccio stresses that Collins's acknowledgment was not an act of artistic subordination, but rather gratitude toward a particularly receptive environment, one able to welcome and support a band that was still struggling to break through at home. It's a passage that reaffirms Italy's role as a crucial hub for many international prog acts in the early 1970s, without diminishing the autonomy and worth of Genesis.

The second part of the message instead tackles a story often revived by the media: the rumor that he was set to join Led Zeppelin after Bonham's death. Here too, Di Cioccio strips the episode down to the bare facts: a phone call, an invitation to audition, an immediate refusal. No meeting with the band, no negotiations, and above all no doubt about his desire to stay with PFM. A definitive statement, with which Di Cioccio attempts to put to rest two legends that, over time, have grown far beyond the reality of what actually happened.

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