Jimmy Fontana (13 November 1934 – 11 September 2013) was an Italian actor, composer and singer-songwriter.Two of his most famous songs are "Che sarà", performed also by José Feliciano with Ricchi e Poveri and "Il Mondo".
Born Enrico Sbriccoli in Camerino, Italy, after graduating from high school, he moved to Rome to study Economics. In his spare time, Fontana taught himself bass and attend local jazz venues. Eventually, he dedicated himself completely to music and adopted the stage name Jimmy Fontana. His surname was selected from a telephone directory, the name Jimmy, meanwhile, is not a coincidence. It is taken from the name of the saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre. Thus was born Jimmy Fontana.In the early 1950s Jimmy Fontana became familiar with jazz standards as a singer in the group Flaminia Street Jazz Band, later forming his own jazz band, Fontana and his Trio, with piano, bass and drums. Around that time he met Leda, who would become his wife and with whom they would have four children, Luigi, Roberto, Andrea and Paola.
Subsequently changing record label, Jimmy Fontana signed with RCA Italy and worked on the first 45 released on the label "Non te ne andare" ("Don't go") was released in 1963 and written by Gianni Meccia and Lilli Greek. Collaborating with Meccia both in singing and in writing, Jimmy Fontana soon found himself at the gates of success. His early hits were soon to come including the title "Non Te Ne Andare" published in 1963.
In 1965, Fontana had his major success with "Il mondo" ("The world"), a song composed by Fontana and Carlo Pes, and arranged by Ennio Morricone, with lyrics by Gianni Meccia, which reached the top of the charts in Italy and other countries in Europe and charted in Latin America as well.
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The same year, he made his debut as an actor, appearing in two musicarelli, which are movies heavily featuring musical numbers, titled Viale della canzone ("Avenue of song") and 008 Operazione ritmo ("008 Operation rhythm").
In 1967 the song "La mia serenata" won the Disco per l'Estatewhich confirmed the talent and public popularity of the singer. At the 1968 Cantagiro summer festival, Fontana sang a cover version of the Tom Jones hit "Delilah", titled "La nostra favola." The song reached 2nd place in the Italian hit parade.
In 1971, the song "Che sarà", composed by Fontana with lyrics by Franco Migliacci, was performed by José Feliciano with the Ricchi e Poveri group at that year's Sanremo Music Festival, winning 2nd prize. It eventually became one of the biggest pop music hits of the era in Italy and abroad. Somewhat disillusioned by the problems generated by "Che sarà" Jimmy Fontana decided to withdraw for a time from the music industry and moved to Macerata. Years passed and in 1979, he made a brilliant comeback with the song "Identikit". Encouraged by this success, Jimmy Fontana was again present at the Sanremo Festival, singing "Beguine".
A few years later he formed a new group called Superquattro. He continued appearing on TV shows and touring around Italy and abroad until his old age. He died peacefully at his home on September 11, 2013 in Rome, Lazio, Italy, a few months before his 79th birthday, while still planning concert tours.
Jimmy has released over 100 albums and has acted in several films and won best actor award at the Festival Of Barcelona.
(Info translated from Wikipedia & NRJ Paris)