Don Backy (born Aldo Caponi on 21 August 1939) is an Italian singer-songwriter and actor.

Life and career

Born in

Santa Croce sull'Arno Santa Croce sull'Arno is an Italian town in the province of Pisa, Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence ...

, Caponi spent his early years in

Castellammare di Stabia Castellammare di Stabia (; ) is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania region, in southern Italy. It is situated on the Bay of Naples about southeast of Naples, on the route to Sorrento. History Castellammare di Stabia ...

before returning to his hometown in 1955.Bassignano, Ernesto; Lipari Felice (1990). "Don Backy". Castaldo, Gino (edited by). ''Dizionario della canzone italiana''. Curcio Editore. pp.575-6. In the late 1950s, particularly after watching the film ''

Rock Around the Clock "Rock Around the Clock" is a rock and roll song in the 12-bar blues format written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter being under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was reco ...

'', he became passionate of rock and roll and decided to pursue a musical career, founding the rock band Kiss. After self-producing several singles, mainly consisting of cover versions of American rock songs, in 1961 he started a professional career with the stage name Agaton. Thanks to the song "La storia di Frankie Ballan", inspired by American folk singers, Caponi attracted the interest of

Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian singer-songwriter, actor, showman, and filmmaker. He is dubbed ''Il Molleggiato'' ('the springy one') because of his energetic dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both com ...

's record label

Clan Celentano Clan Celentano is an Italian record label founded by Adriano Celentano in the early 1960s. Artists who have recorded for the label include Don Backy, Fred Bongusto, Milena Cantù, Adriano Celentano, Maria Luigia Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts ...

, that put him under contract. Adopted the stage name Don Backy, he soon became a prominent figure in the label, achieving several hits between 1962 and 1967, notably "Amico", "L'amore", "Serenata", "

L'immensità "L'immensità" (in English: ''The Immensity'') is a 1967 Italian song, which was first presented in a double performance by Johnny Dorelli and Don Backy at the Sanremo Music Festival 1967, 17th Sanremo Music Festival, placing ninth. It represent ...

" and "Poesia". In 1968, Don Backy accused and sued Celentano and his label for having allegedly altered the accounting of his record sales; this clash led to Celentano, being his producer, preventing him from taking part in the

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...

with his compositions "Casa bianca" and "

Canzone Literally 'song' in Italian, a canzone (; : ''canzoni''; cognate with English ''to chant'') is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which ...

", and to Don Backy leaving the label to found his own record label Amico. In the same period, Don Backy also started a parallel acting career following his breakout thanks to

Gianni Puccini Gianni Puccini (9 November 1914 – 3 December 1968) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for 32 films between 1940 and 1967. He also directed 18 films between 1951 and 1968. Selected filmography * ''Fourth Page'' (1942) ...

's ''

The Seven Cervi Brothers '' The Seven Cervi Brothers'' () is a 1968 Italy, Italian drama film directed by Gianni Puccini. The film recounts the last days of life during the Italian resistance movement, resistance of the anti-fascist Cervi Brothers. The director Puccini die ...

''. In 1971, he left Amico to join Compagnia Generale del Disco, with whom he got two major hits, Sanremo Music Festival 1971 entry "Bianchi cristalli sereni" and "Fantasia", and after working for other labels in the late 1970s he founded his label Ciliegia Bianca. In 1976, he composed Mina's hit "

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". In 1978, he wrote a musical comedy, ''Sognando'', and in 1981 his song "Importa niente" became opening theme of ''

Domenica in ''Domenica in'' is an Italian Sunday long-running television show broadcast by Rai 1 Rai 1 () is an Italian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by state-owned public broadcaster RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana. It is the comp ...

''. Starting from the second half of the 1980s, he focused his musical career on concerts and live performances. Starting from the 1990s, he frequently returned to the spotlight thanks to nostalgia-themed events and television programs. His variegated career also include novels, essays, comics, and painting.

Discography

;Studio albums * 1965 - ''L'amore'' * 1968 - ''Casa bianca'' * 1968 - ''Le quattro stagioni di Don Backy '' * 1971 - ''Fantasia'' * 1973 - ''Io più te'' * 1978 - ''Sognando '' * 1979 - ''Vivendo cantando'' * 1981 - ''Difetti e virtù '' * 1981 - ''Teomedio (Uccello di Rapina)'' * 1984 - ''Spring, Summer, Autunm & Winter'' * 1988 - ''Rock and Roll / Otto belle signore'' * 1990 - ''Finalmente... '' * 1992 - ''Sulla strada '' * 1994 - ''X amore e X rabbia'' * 1995 - ''Carnevalando'' * 2003 - ''Signori si nasce e io lo nacqui'' * 2006 - ''Ieri e oggi'' * 2010 - ''Il mestiere delle canzoni'' * 2015 - ''A noi piacevano gli Everly Brothers'' * 2017 - ''Pianeta donna''

Selected filmography

*''

The Monk of Monza ''The Monk of Monza'' () is a 1963 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Corbucci. It parodies the story of the Nun of Monza, as depicted in the Alessandro Manzoni's novel '' The Betrothed''. Plot Monza, 1630, a period of Spanish rule. Pasqual ...

'' by

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer. He was one of the main exponents of the Spaghetti Western genre during the 1960s and 1970s, with his most notable work ...

(1963) *''

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'' by

(1964) *''

Bandits in Milan ''Bandits in Milan'' (; also known as ''The Violent Four'') is a 1968 Italian crime film directed by Carlo Lizzani. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in Franc ...

'' (aka ''The Violent Four'') by

Carlo Lizzani Carlo Lizzani (3 April 1922 – 5 October 2013) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and critic. Biography Born in Rome, before World War II Lizzani worked as a scenarist on such films as Roberto Rossellini's '' Germany Year Zero'', ...

(1968) *''

'' by

(1968) *''

The Tough and the Mighty ''The Tough and the Mighty'' () is a 1969 Italian drama film directed by Carlo Lizzani. It is based on the real-life events of Italian bandit Graziano Mesina. Cast *Terence Hill: Graziano Cassitta *Don Backy: Miguel Lopez * Frank Wolff: Spina * ...

'' by Carlo Lizzani (1969) *''

Satyricon The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius in the late 1st century AD, though the manuscript tradition identifi ...

'' by

Gian Luigi Polidoro Gian Luigi Polidoro (4 February 1927 – 7 September 2000) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 16 films between 1956 and 1998. His 1963 film ''To Bed or Not to Bed, Il diavolo'' won the Golden Bear at the 13th Berlin I ...

(1969) *''

The Fourth Wall The fourth wall (more commonly used in the expression "''breaking the fourth wall''") refers to the concept in show business in which an imaginary "wall" exists separating theater audiences from the actors on stage. The Fourth Wall may also refer ...

'' by

Adriano Bolzoni Adriano Bolzoni (14 April 1919 – 2003) was an Italian journalist, writer and film director. Life and career Born in Cremona, Bolzoni started his career as a journalist, being war correspondent from the front of World War II. Later, he be ...

(1969) *'' Mafia Connection'' by

Camillo Bazzoni Camillo Bazzoni (29 December 1934 – 8 October 2020) was an Italian cinematographer and film director. Career Born in Salsomaggiore Terme, Bazzoni started as camera operator in 1960. From 1967 he worked as cinematographer with, among others, Lin ...

(1970) *''

Una cavalla tutta nuda ''Una cavalla tutta nuda'' (literally ''A Totally Naked Mare'') is a 1972 commedia sexy all'italiana directed by Franco Rossetti. It stars Don Backy, Barbara Bouchet, and Renzo Montagnani. Plot The story is set in the Middle Ages. The youngste ...

'' by

Franco Rossetti Franco Rossetti (1 October 1930 – 11 June 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Siena, Rossetti started his career as a film critic, then in the early 1950s he entered the film industry as an assistant ...

(1972) *'' When Women Were Called Virgins'' by

Aldo Grimaldi Aldo Grimaldi (1942 – 5 August 1990) was an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Catania, the son of the director and screenwriter Giovanni Grimaldi, he started his career as an assistant director in the films of his father. He made h ...

(1972) * '' Poppea: A Prostitute in Service of the Emperor'' by

Alfonso Brescia Alfonso Brescia (6 January 1930 – 6 June 2001) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He began working in film against his father's wishes, and eventually directed his first film '' Revolt of the Praetorians'' in 1964. Brescia worked i ...

(1972) *''

Rabid Dogs ''Rabid Dogs'' () is an Italian thriller noir film directed by Mario Bava, starring Riccardo Cucciolla, Don Backy, Lea Lander, Maurice Poli, George Eastman and Erika Dario. Taking place largely in real time, the film follows a trio of pa ...

'' by

Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...

(1974) *''

Loves, Beds and Betrayals ''Loves, Beds and Betrayals'' () is a 1977 commedia sexy all'italiana film co-written and directed by Alfonso Brescia starring Marisa Mell and Don Backy. Plot Cast * Marisa Mell as Greta * Don Backy as Baldo * Ugo Bologna as Commendato ...

'' by Alfonso Brescia (1977) *''

Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man ''Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man'' () is a 1981 Italian film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. It stars Anouk Aimée and Ugo Tognazzi, who was awarded the Best Male Actor Award at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival for his performance. In his review, Vi ...

'' by

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci ( ; ; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved inte ...

(1981) *'' Bread and Tulips'' by

Silvio Soldini Silvio Soldini (born 1958, in Milan) is an Italian film director. Soldini has received 17 awards in his career and 32 nominations as of November 2015. His 2007 film '' Days and Clouds'' was selected for the main competition on the 30th Moscow I ...

(2000) *''

Impotenti esistenziali ''Impotenti esistenziali'' is a 2009 Italian comedy film written and directed by Giuseppe Cirillo and starring Tinto Brass, Sandra Milo and Alvaro Vitali. Plot Giuseppe, psychologist and professor of sex education, thinks to be the punisher o ...

'' by Giuseppe Cirillo (2009)

Notes and references

External links

Official site
* * Italian male singers Italian male film actors People from Santa Croce sull'Arno 1939 births Living people {{Italy-singer-stub