Biography

Fred Buscaglione

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Turin-born Ferdinando Buscaglione (nicknamed Fred) had musical talent since childhood. He was a professional musician in and around Turin while still in his teens, playing several different instruments in nightclubs around the city. World War II interrupted his musical career, but he eventually joined the Allied Radio Orchestra based on the island of Sardinia, where he learned to play and sing more modern American-style "swing" music. After the war he developed his own singing "character", that of a Clark Gable-type ladies man and hard-drinking tough guy with a pencil mustache like Gable wore. His style caught on and he became a popular singing star in Italy in the 1950s. His talents weren't limited to singing, however. He turned into a very savvy businessman, making many appearances on TV variety shows and endorsing and appearing in ads for a variety of products. He also appeared in almost a dozen movies.

On May 3, 1960, he was killed in a traffic accident in Rome when his Ford Thundrbird plowed into a truck.
- IMDb mini biography by: frankfob2@yahoo.com

A songwriter and an unconventional singer. His songs, probably inspired by the "tough men" of Mickey Spillane's novels, were humorous imitations of mob slang.
He had a love affair with actress Scilla Gabel.
During his teen years, he performed at nightclubs in Turin singing jazz and playing double bass and violin.
By the end of the 1950s, Buscaglione was one of Italy's most wanted entertainers. He appeared in advertising campaigns, on television, and in movies.
Alongside his legacy, in songs and movies, Buscaglione deserves mention for having encouraged musicians and singers from the newer generation (the one influenced by the earliest forms of rock and roll) to stand up against the conservative producers and discographers of the time, demanding recognition for their art and their style. In this role, he proved instrumental in the rise of the "yellers" scene which from the early 60s started to revolutionize the Italian popular music panorama.

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