Bobby Solo is one of those timeless artists who have covered almost half a century of music conquering the love of a vast audience who still pack theatres and city squares where he performs.

His warm and tender voice, able to spread from deep bass to clear falsetto, is very similar to the one of the great Elvis Presley, whom Bobby respectfully calls “Il Maestro” and to whom he has always openly inspired although never becoming a slavish imitator.

These qualities made him gain the nickname of “The italian Elvis Presley” since the beginning.

Bobby is very popular in Italy but also abroad, thanks to his countless recordings in many languages: german, french, spanish, english and even japanese.

 Bobby’s real name is Roberto Satti and was born in Rome, on March 18, 1945. As a teenager he moved to Verona where already lived his elder sister, married to an american soldier on service with the American Army in South Europe.

Thanks to his brother-in-law Roberto had the chance to become familiar with american popular music, especially country and rock and roll.

He already played the guitar and had a good voice, so he was often invited to sing and play at house parties of his brother-in-law’s colleagues, but the decision to become a professional singer came when he saw Elvis Presley’s movie “Jailhouse Rock”.

From then on Elvis became his his reference to refine his vocal style and to write his first songs.

In the Spring of 1963 Roberto goes to the Ricordi Record Company in Milan for a recording test.

Producer Vincenzo Micocci - always looking for new talents - puts Roberto immediately under contract with the Company and  so Roberto Satti becomes Bobby Solo with the release of his first single Ora che sei già una donna / Valeria.

The big hit comes at the beginning of 1964 with the Sanremo Song Festival, where Bobby presents Una lacrima sul viso, in team with Frankie Laine.

An unexpected throat problem, probably due to strong emotion, forces him to sing in playback, so that according to the Festival rules he can present the song but out of the contest.

This way he can’t win but the record has an incredible success both in Italy and abroad, selling more than 6 million copies throughout Europe, Japan and South America.

His first album is released in a rush and he also becomes the star of an instant musical movie which brings the title of the song.

The next single Credi a me wins the first edition of Festivalbar in the summer of ’64 and the following year he’s the winner of the Sanremo Festival with Se piangi, se ridi, sung in team with The New Christy Minstrels.

Bobby successfully presents this same song at the Eurofestival Contest.

Other big hits of that time are Quello sbagliato, Cristina and La Casa del Signore, the Italian version of Elvis’s “Crying In The Chapel”.

In 1966 Bobby has two minor hits with Questa volta, sung in team with The Yardbirds at the Sanremo Festival, and Per far piangere un uomo, Italian cover of Tom Jones “To Make A Big Man Cry”.

The following year Bobby strikes again with Non c’è più niente da fare and the Italian cover of Scott McKenzie’s San Francisco, while Siesta becomes one of the greatest hits of 1968.

1969 is the year of his second triumphant victory at the Sanremo Festival with Zingara, teamed up with Iva Zanicchi. The success is such that he becomes again the star of another musical movie inspired to the song.

Domenica d’agosto is the last hit  before the start of a lean period which lasts for the first half of the 70’s. These are the years of the Beat Generation and political involvements which put in the shadows Bobby and many other singers who makes music of pure entertainment.

His two last appearances of that era at the Sanremo Festival are in 1970 with Romantico Blues and in 1972 with Rimpianto; both songs pass by almost unnoticed and also his contract with his Record Company comes to an end.

After two new albums unsuccessfully released in 1975 and 1977 on two different labels, Bobby decides to become a producer and opens The Chantalain Recording Studio (by the names of two of his sons). It’s a nice but short experience for him: he understands to feel much more at ease in front of a microphone than behind a mixer.

The explosion of Disco music at the end of the 70’s is the chance for him to prepare his comeback.

In 1978 Bobby signs a new contract with EMI and returns on the scene with the album Duty Free,

A tribute to Elvis Presley in Disco style.

Immediately afterwards it’s Una lacrima sul viso to be revisited in Disco version and the song becomes a big hit in France; Bobby is in the spotlight again.

From 1981 to 1984 he appears again at the Sanremo Festival with 4 new hits: Gelosia, Non posso perderti, Tu stai and Ancora ti vorrei. 

This last song however closes his contract with EMI and from this moment on Bobby becomes and independent artist, recording regularly and intensly but for many different recording labels.

From 1985 to 1987 he teams up with friends Little Tony and Rosanna Fratello forming the Robot Trio and releasing two albums of Italian and international hits.

In 1989 he wins again a TV Contest with Una lacrima sul viso.

In 2003 he teams up once more with Little Tony and makes a big return to Sanremo with his own composition and critically accalaimed Non si cresce mai.

By now Bobby Solo is an artist of vast and consolidated popularity who can count on the loyalty, simpathy and affection of large audiences whenever he performs on stage or on television.

Today he can take the liberty to record only the music he likes best without caring too much of the Hit Parade.

His last albums range from many different styles, from Johnny Cash to Frank Sinatra and John Lee Hooker, from roman folk songs to Neapolitan classics and Christmas songs revisited in jazz fashion.

The backbone of his concerts is made of tributes to the music of his “Maestro” Elvis mixed with his big hits and rock and blues classics.

   Carlo Stevan