Riccardo Cocciante

Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and English-speaking countries as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian and French singer and songwriter. His work includes recordings in Italian, French, English and Spanish. Early and personal life Cocciante was born on 20 February 1946 in Saigon, French Indochina (now Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam), to an Italian father from Rocca di Mezzo, L’Aquila, and a French mother. At the age of 11, he moved to Rome, Italy, where he attended the Lycée français Chateaubriand. He has also lived in France, the United States, and Ireland. Cocciante has been married to Catherine Boutet since 1983. They have one child together. Career An R&B enthusiast, Cocciante began his musical career as an organ player, and in the late 1960s began performing as a singer at L’Approdo, a Roman club for foreign students. The same year, he covered the Beatles song “Michelle”, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, for the musical documentary All This and World War II, and he released his sole English album in the US, with the single “When Love Has Gone Away” peaking at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1980, Cocciante began a decade-l