Italy Mourns Loss of Music Star Peppino di Capri at 86

Famed Italian singer and two-time Sanremo Music Festival winner, Peppino di Capri, passed away just days before his 87th birthday on the island of Capri, his manager announced in an official statement. Born Giuseppe Faiella – the singer's real name – on the Tyrrhenian island, he drew his stage name from it. Di Capri also became known as "Champagne" after his successful song of the same name in 1973. For decades, di Capri remained one of the most prominent and celebrated figures in Italian popular music. His performances were not limited to Italian; he also sang in English, German, and French, achieving international success. Many of his songs reached the top ten in Germany in the early 1960s, including "No lo faccio più" and "San Tropez Twist." Di Capri was born in July 1939, just weeks before the outbreak of World War II. At the age of four, he was already playing the piano for American soldiers stationed on his home island during the war. The celebrated Italian artist achieved his first successes in the late 1950s with his accompanying band, "The Rockers." However, his true breakthrough coincided with the rise of rock and roll music in Europe, leading him to win the prestigious Sanremo Music Festival in 1973 and 1976.