Fabrizio Cristiano De André (; 18 February 1940 – 11 January 1999) was an Italian singer-songwriter, the most prominent cantautore of his time. His 40-year career reflects his interests in concept albums, literature, poetry, political protest, and French music. He is considered a preminent member of the so-called Genoese School. Because of the great success of his music in Italy and its impact in the Italian collective memory, a number of public places as roads, squares, schools in Italy are entitled to Fabrizio De André. Biography Fabrizio De André was born in Genoa (Pegli), Italy, from an upper-class family. Gifted of a warm deep voice, De André started playing guitar at the age of 14. He was gifted by his father some records of Georges Brassens, whose songs became the model for the style of his first songs. Moreover, Brassens gave him also the first seeds of the libertarian and pacifist ideas which will persist in all his future works, also later with more sophisticated productions. 1960s When he was still a student in February 1961, De André debuted singing a couple of songs in a theater in Genoa. Later the two songs were recorded in his first single released in 1961: "Nuvole barocche"/"E fu la notte", which was in imitation of Domenico Modugno. However, already in the next following recordings of the early 1960s, De André found a more personal style, mixing literature and traditional songs (in particular Medieval ones), presenting himself as a sort of contemporary troubador and narrator of stories. His narrative is centered on the stories of marginalized people and often of antiheroes. Then, he came out with protest songs as La ballata del Miché, the first he authored (together with his friend Clelia Petracchi), La Guerra di Piero (an anti-war song, with the contribution of Vittorio Centenaro) and others. Some of the songs are inspired to his city, Genoa, as in the case of La Città Vecchia (coauthored with Elvio Monti) and Via del Campo (with the music of Enzo Jannacci). He has also written a couple of songs with his close long-life friend Paolo Villaggio, Il Fannullone and Carlo Martello (ritorna dalla battaglia di Poitiers), in 1963. In 1962 his first son was born, Cristiano De André, from his first wife Enrica "Puny" Rignon, married in the same year. His first song to reach commercial success was La canzone di Marinella (The song of