The passionate Italy native Andrea Bocelli has come a long way from Lajatico, Tuscany. In fact, the Italian ballad singer can be heard almost anywhere today, from restaurants to operas and almost everywhere in between. The blind Tuscan classical vocalist has been called "the fourth tenor," an honor only a man of his stature could become in just a little over a decade, and the legend of Bocelli will surely continue long after he stops producing music.Bocelli played the piano, flute and saxophone in his youth, but went blind at age 12 following a soccer accident. Putting his musical talents to rest, the young Italian became enthralled in studying law at the University of Pisa, but eventually found his way back to instrumental bliss when he studied with the famous tenor Franco Corelli, performing in piano bars at the time for an income. Bocelli got his first musical break in 1992 when he successfully auditioned for Zucchero Fornaciari's singing part in the song "Miserere," which Fornaciari had co-written in English with Bono of U2. After the fame this performance garnered, Bocelli went on to tour with Fornaciari in 1993, and in 1995 he toured throughout Europe.Developing his career into a solo act, Bocelli released his first album in 1994. The self-titled album gained the operatic mastermind a considerable following, and his '96 album Bocelli further established his incredible opera pipes. From here, Bocelli's career picked up steam. Albums like 1997's Romanza and 1999's Sogno readied the singer for international success, and the 2000s for Bocelli have been spent wowing nations across the globe. While still a devoted opera singer, Bocelli has also moved into more mainstream classical music. His 2006 album Amore epitomizes this evolution, as songs like "Besame Mucho," "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Because We Believe" all demonstrate a change from his older masterpieces.
