Fabrizio De André

With the death of Fabrizio de André from cancer on January 11, 1999, Italy lost one of its best and most modern singer/songwriters. Inspired by the songwriting of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, De André's songs encompassed Genoese folk songs, French protest/social commentary, beatnik "stream of consciousness" poetry, and the soundtracks of Italian film Westerns. A native of the Genoese province of Liguria, De André was born into a wealthy family. His father's criticism of the fascists who controlled Italy caused he and his family to go into hiding in Asti during World War II. T...