{{Short description|Italian folk singer-songwriter, playwright, and composer (1937–2018)}} {{Infobox person | name = Tony Cucchiara | image = Tony Cucchiara 70.jpg | image_size = | caption = Cucchiara in 1970 | birth_name = Salvatore Cucchiara | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1937|10|30}} | birth_place = [[Agrigento]], Sicily, [[Kingdom of Italy]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2018|5|2|1937|10|30}} | death_place = Rome, Lazio, Italy | occupation = Singer-songwriter, playwright, composer | spouse = Nelly Fioramonti, Giusy Vullo }} '''Salvatore Cucchiara''' (30 October 1937 – 2 May 2018), known under the stage name '''Tony Cucchiara''', was an Italian [[Folk music|folk]] singer-songwriter, playwright and composer.
== Life and career == Born in [[Agrigento]], Cucchiara debuted in the late 1950s, mainly recording cover versions of American hits, before starting his career as singer-songwriter in 1962.<ref name=Deregibus>{{cite book|last=Enrico Deregibus|title=Dizionario completo della Canzone Italiana|date=8 October 2010 |publisher=Giunti Editore, 2010|isbn=978-8809756250}}</ref> His first hit was the song " Annalisa", named after Cucchiara's first daughter. This song was used as closing theme of the [[RAI]] variety show ''Alta pressione''.<ref name=music>{{cite book|last=Eddy Anselmi|title=Festival di Sanremo: almanacco illustrato della canzone italiana|date=2009 |publisher=Panini Comics, 2009|isbn=978-8863462296}}</ref> In the following years he embraced [[folk music]], first recording some classic pieces of the Sicilian tradition and then creating a musical duo with his wife Nelly Fioramonti, called '''Tony e Nelly''', entirely devoted to the folk repertoire.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name="music"/> While still mostly engaged in pop music, in 1971 Cucchiara got his best commercial hit with the song "Vola cuore mio", which peaked at number 11 on the Italian single chart.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name=hitparade>{{cite book|last=Dario Salvatori|title=Storia dell'Hit Parade|date=1989 |publisher=Gramese, 1989|isbn=8876054391}}</ref>
In 1970 Cucchiara debuted as a playwright with a musical titled ''Cassandra 2000''. In 1972 he reached a large national and international audience, and critical success, with a musical comedy titled ''Caino e Abele'' ("''Cain and Abel''").<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name="music"/> In 1973 his wife died from childbirth giving birth to the couple's second child, a boy.<ref name="music"/> In later years Cucchiara focused his activity on stage, as author of other successful plays such as ''Pipino il Breve'' (1978) and ''La baronessa di Carini'' (1980). He also worked as television writer.<ref name="Deregibus"/><ref name="music"/>
==Discography== ;Album * 1960 - ''Glory glory glory man united the best'' * 1966 - ''Tony e Nelly'' (with Nelly Fioramonti) * 1966 - ''L'amore finisce così '' * 1967 - ''Tema folk'' (with Nelly Fioramonti) * 1973 - ''Caino e Abele '' * 1973 - ''Selezione da Caino e Abele '' * 1975 - ''Storie di periferia '' * 1978 - ''Pipino il breve '' * 1983 - ''La baronessa di Carini '' * 1985 - ''Pipino il breve''
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons}} * {{discogs artist|Tony Cucchiara}} * {{IMDb name|0190951}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cucchiara, Tony}} [[Category:1937 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:People from Agrigento]] [[Category:Italian male singer-songwriters]] [[Category:20th-century Italian singer-songwriters]] [[Category:21st-century Italian singer-songwriters]] [[Category:20th-century Italian male singers]] [[Category:21st-century Italian male singers]] [[Category:Italian folk singers]] [[Category:20th-century Italian composers]] [[Category:20th-century Italian male composers]] [[Category:21st-century Italian composers]] [[Category:21st-century Italian male composers]] [[Category:Musicians from the Province of Agrigento]]