Quick Facts
Biography
Rocky Roberts (born Charles Roberts, Tanner, 23 August 1938– Rome, 13 January 2005) was an American-born Italian rhythm and blues singer.
Before he became famous in show business, Roberts served in the United States Navy and was a Navy champion boxer. He first got interested in singing by a country-oriented musician called Doug Fowlkes, who was in a band called the Airdales (US-navy slang for Navy pilots).
Roberts won a singing competition while on shore leave in Juan-les-Pins, France, and chose to stay in Europe after retiring from the Navy in 1962.
In 1967, he had a major Italian hit, "Stasera Mi Butto", which sold 3.7 million copies and won the Festivalbar. The song's success led to a 1967 motion picture of the same title, starring Roberts. He appeared subsequently in several other Italian films.
He was known for always wearing dark sunglasses.
Roberts sang the Luis Bacalov-written theme song from the 1966 film, Django. Quentin Tarantino reused the recording as the opening theme for his 2012 film Django Unchained.
He died of lung cancer in Rome in 2005 at the age of 66.