Enrico Simonetti (29 January 1924 – 28 May 1978) was an Italian pianist, composer, conductor, and television and radio presenter.
Life and career
Born in Alassio, a Province of Savona, Simonetti studied piano at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome.[1][2] A lover of jazz, in the early 1950s he founded a jazz band with Piero Piccioni and Bruno Martino, with whom he performed in the most important nightclubs of the time.[1][2] In 1953 he moved, with his family, to Brazil, where he found immediate success as musician, composer and entertainer, hosting a long running television program, Simonetti Show, which lasted for 147 episodes;[1][2] thanks to his popularity he was made an honorary citizen of Brazil and was introduced into the "Candido Randon da Silva" order.[2] In 1964 he came back to Italy, where he joined RAI television, making his debut in the show Chitarra, amore mio.[1][2] He was active as a television and radio host (often paired with Isabella Biagini), as a film composer, and even an occasional actor. Simonetti died at age 54 from complications following a major surgical operation to remove a tumor in his throat.[2]
