Andrea Bocelli: Everything you need to know including his songs, wife and Ed Sheeran duet

The world's most popular living tenor and a best-selling crossover artist – Andrea Bocelli is one of the finest artists of our generation. Here's everything you need to know about his songs, wife, Ed Sheeran duet and more.

1. When is Andrea Bocelli's birthday?

Andrea Angel Bocelli was born on September 22nd, 1958, in the small village of La Stera in Tuscany. This Saturday (22 September 2018), he will turn 60 years old.
2. Is Andrea Bocelli blind?

Despite always having problems with his eyes and being diagnosed with glaucoma early on, tragically, Andrea lost his sight after a football accident when he was just 12.
3. Andrea Bocelli singing 'O Sole Mio'

Despite the setback with his sight, the young Andrea showed huge potential as a singer, winning his first competition aged just 14 with a rendition of 'O Sole Mio'.
4. Andrea Bocelli's education

However, it didn't seem that music was quite the right career choice for Bocelli - he went to the University of Pisa to study law, but kept singing in bars for extra money.
5. Discovered by Pavarotti

Bocelli's luck changed when a demo tape of him singing found its way into the hands of Luciano Pavarotti, via the Italian rock star Zucchero. Bocelli was invited on tour with Zucchero, where the two performed the song 'Miserere' together.
6. A guest of Pavarotti

Pavarotti remained supportive of Bocelli in the early days of his career, inviting him to perform at his annual charity gala concert in Modena, 'Pavarotti International'.
7. Andrea sings Time To Say Goodbye

Andrea's massive-selling duet with Sarah Brightman, 'Time To Say Goodbye', was originally intended as a farewell song to boxer Henry Maske (who was friends with Brightman), and was first performed at his final fight in 1996.
8. Andrea Bocelli and the Pope

Bocelli first performed for the Pope in 1994 after he returned to being a catholic (Bocelli, not the Pope). Since then, he's performed for the head of the catholic church on a number of occasions, most recently for Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.
9. Andrea Bocelli's opera debut

In 1998, Bocelli finally took to the dramatic stage when he played the role of Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme. He played the role at the Teatro Comunale in Cagliari for one week only.
10. The Prayer with Celine Dion

Perhaps one of Bocelli's biggest moments, though, came in 1998 when he recorded a duet with Celine Dion - 'The Prayer'. It was featured on the soundtrack to the film Quest For Camelot in the same year, and has since been covered by all manner of classical crossover artists, including Jonathan and Charlotte.
11. Andrea Bocelli and wine

Along with his brother, Andrea has his very own brand of wine. Made from grapes grown on his family farm, the 'Bocelli Family' label has already wowed wine critics and earned the Bocellis the respect of the wine-making world.
12. Andrea gets a Hollywood star

March 2nd 2010 was a momentous day for Andrea Bocelli as he joined the true showbiz elite and was awarded his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
13. Andrea Bocelli's wife and children

Bocelli lives in a former hotel in Forte dei Marmi in Tuscany with his wife and manager Veronica Berti, who he married in 2014, and his children. In 2012, Veronica gave birth to her first child Virginia, Bocelli's third child – but first daughter.
14. What is Andrea Bocelli's net worth?

Andrea Bocelli has a net worth of around £30 million.
15. Perfect Symphony with Ed Sheeran

On 15 December 2017, Bocelli collaborated with Ed Sheeran on ‘Perfect Symphony’, in which the pair sang together in English and Italian. The music video was the No. 1 Trending video on YouTube that day.
16. Bocelli releases a single with his son

On 20 September 2018, Bocelli will release a new single 'Fall On Me' starring the voice of his son, Matteo Bocelli. The song will feature on his album, 'Sì'.