Quick Facts
Biography
Johnny Dorelli (born 20 February 1937) is an Italian actor, singer and showman.
Born as Giorgio Guidi in Meda, he debuted as singer in the late 1950s for CGD label. In 1958 he won the Sanremo Festival in duo with Domenico Modugno, with the songs "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (also known as "Volare") and "Piove (Ciao ciao bambina)". "L'immensità" earned Dorelli a ninth place at the 1967 edition of the Sanremo Song Festival.
He spent his childhood in the USA, where his father, Nino D'Aurelio (born Aurelio Guidi), opera singer, moved to find work. Dorelli, studied the double bass and the piano at the High School of Music and Art in New York, and he returned in Italy in 1955.
His greatest success was the musical Aggiungi un posto a tavola, which was also performed at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End in an English version entitled Beyond the Rainbow in 1978.
After a period of absence, he returned to success in the 1980s. In 1983, he played St. Philip Neri in Luigi Magni's TV film State buoni se potete. Dorelli's latest feature film role is in Pupi Avati's Ma quando arrivano le ragazze (2004).
His Most Famous Songs are : Calypso Melody (1957), Love In Portofino (1958), Julia (1959), Lettera A Pinocchio (1959), Montecarlo (1961), Speedy Gonzales (1962), Era Settembre (1964), Probabilmente (1965), Al Buio Sto Sognando (1966), Solo Più Che Mai (Strangers In The Night) (1966), L'Immensità (1967), Arriva La Bomba (1967), E Penso A Te (1971), Aggiungi Un Posto A Tavola (1975).
As a (popular and jazz) crooner, he sang numerous songs live on television shows (mainly in the 60's), in Italian and in English. In 2007 he returned after 38 years to the stage of Sanremo as a participant with the song Meglio così, written by big names as Gianni Ferrio and Giorgio Calabrese, and accompanied by jazz pianist Stefano Bollani and the orchestra conducted by Ferrio.
For his typical singing style, Dorelli has often been imitated by musical comedians and impersonators.
After marriages to actresses Lauretta Masiero and Catherine Spaak (1972–1978), he is currently married to Gloria Guida, a former actress,sexy star in Italian comedies movies of 1970s.
