Gaetano "Nino" D'Angelo (born 21 June 1957) is an Italian singer, songwriter, actor, television personality, film director, screenwriter and author.
He was born to a poor family in
San Pietro a Patierno, a suburb of
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
, and dropped out of school, taking jobs like ice cream vendor and wedding singer.
His first album, ''A storia mia'' (
Neapolitan: "My Story") was received very well, especially in
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
. In 1979 he married Annamaria with whom he had two sons. He started a career as an actor in ''
sceneggiate'' musical dramas, a genre native to Naples, and later as a cinema actor. His first film was ''Celebrità'', released in 1981, a star vehicle written around his singing and the first of five films he acted in that was directed or produced by Ninì Grassia.
In 1982 he released the album ''Un jeans e una maglietta'' ("Jeans and a T-shirt") and a film with the same title. The album sold over one million copies and the film surpassed the Hollywood movie ''
Flashdance'' at the box office. He participated in the
Sanremo Music Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
in 1986 with the song "Vai" ("Go"). His album ''Cantautore'' was the best seller at the time, although it was not listed in the official ''
Hit Parade''. He performed in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, United States, and France—where he debuted 15 December 1987 at the Olympia in Paris.
In 1990, following the deaths of both his parents, he released the album "Tiempo" (Neapolitan for "Time"), which was championed by Italian music critic Goffredo Fofi.
In 1997 he wrote his first musical, ''Core pazzo'' ("Mad Heart"), and co-hosted the Dopofestival show that aired immediately after each night of the
Sanremo Music Festival
The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
with
Piero Chiambretti. He also won the David Di Donatello Award for Best Music for his soundtrack to the film ''
To Die for Tano''. In 2000, he also starred, directed, wrote and performed the music for ''Aitanic'', a ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
'' parody and starring fellow Italian actors
Sabina Began and
Giacomo Rizzo.
The following year he competed in the Sanremo Festival, singing "Senza giacca e cravatta" ("Without Suit and Tie") and reaching 8th place. He also took part in Sanremo in 2002 and 2003 with the songs "Mari'" and "'A Storia 'E Nisciuno" (Neapolitan for "Nobody's Story"). In 2003 he sang in
Brașov
Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County.
According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, and appeared in the film
Incantato directed by
Pupi Avati
Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known to horror film fans for his two '' giallo'' masterpieces, '' The House with Laughing Windows'' (1976) and '' ...
, which he won a
Flaiano Prize for Best Supporting Actor. He was popular with teenagers in the 1970s and into the 1980s, charting ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' several times. In 2008, he also starred in a film directed and written by his son, Toni.
In 2013, he was one of the protesters after the mafia dumped toxic waste across the country including Naples.
Nino D'Angelo is Roman Catholic.
repentant Luigi Giuliano stated that D’Angelo success was initially funded by his clan.
Filmography
*''Celebrità'' (1981)
*''Tradimento'' (1982)
*''Giuramento'' (1982)
*''L'Ave Maria'' (1982)
*''Lo studente'' (1983)
*''Un jeans e una maglietta'' (1983)
*''La discoteca'' (1983)
*''L'ammiratrice'' (1983)
*''Uno scugnizzo a New York'' (1984)
*''Popcorn e patatine'' (1985)
*''Giuro che ti amo'' (1986)
*''Fotoromanzo'' (1986)
*''Quel ragazzo della curva B'' (1987)
*''La ragazza del metrò'' (1988)
*''Fatalità'' (1991)
*''Attenti a noi due'' (1994)
*''
To Die for Tano'' (1997)
*''
Paparazzi
Paparazzi (singular form paparazzo) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people, such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities who go about their daily life routines. Paparazzi are known f ...
'' (1998)
*''Ama il tuo nemico'' (1999)
*''
Tifosi'' (1999)
*''
Vacanze di Natale 2000'' (1999)
*''Aitanic'' (2000)
*''
Il cuore altrove'' (2003)
*''4-4-2 - Il gioco più bello del mondo'' (2006)
*''Una notte'' (2007), credited as Toni D'Angelo
Discography
*A storia mia ('O Scippo)'' (1976)
*''Nino D'Angelo vol.2'' (1977)
*''Nino D'Angelo vol.3'' (1978)
*''Celebrità'' (1980)
*A discoteca'' (1981)
*''Le due facce di Nino D'Angelo:Storia – Core 'e papà'' (1982)
*''Un jeans 'e 'na maglietta'' (1982)
*''Sotto 'e stelle'' (1983)
*''Forza campione'' (1983)
*''Nino D'Angelo'' (1984)
*''Eccomi qua'' (1985)
*''Cantautore'' (1986)
*''Fotografando l'amore'' (1986)
*''Cose di cuore'' (1987)
*''Le canzoni che cantava mammà'' (1988)
*''Il cammino dell'amore'' (1988)
*''Inseparabili'' (1989)
*''Amo l'estate'' (1990)
*''...e la vita continua'' (1991)
*''Bravo ragazzo'' (1992)
*''...Tiempo'' (1993)
*''Musicammore'' (1994)
*''A neve 'e 'o sole'' (1995)
*''A 'nu passo d"a città'' (1997)
*''Stella 'e matina'' (1999)
*''Terranera'' (2001)
*''La festa'' (2002)
*O schiavo 'e 'o rre'' (2003)
*''Senza giacca e cravatta'' (2004) – Romanian only release
Nino D'Angelo – Senza Giacca E Cravatta
/ref>
*''Il ragu' con la guerra'' (2005)
*''Gioia Nova'' (2007)
*''D'Angelo cantabruni'' (2008)
*''Jammo jà'' (2010)
*''Tra terra e stelle'' (2012)
References
External links
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*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Angelo, Nino
1957 births
Living people
Italian male singers
David di Donatello winners
Nastro d'Argento winners
Ciak d'oro winners
Italian film score composers
Italian male film score composers
Italian male actors
Italian Roman Catholics
Singers from Naples
Folk-pop singers