Sergio Franchi (April , â€" May , ), born Sergio Franci Galli, was an
Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United
States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the
early s. In , RCA Victor signed him to a seven-year contract and in
October of that year Franchi appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and
performed at Carnegie Hall. Sol Hurok managed Franchi's initial
American concert tour.Franchi became a headliner in Las Vegas, and
starred in concerts and cabarets on several continents. His earliest
ambitions and studies had been directed toward an operatic career, but
he instead found his niche in popular and romantic music. Franchi
performed musical comedies on stage, appeared on numerous television
variety shows, and starred in a major motion picture. He became an
American citizen in . After gaining success, Franchi was a benefactor
and philanthropist, donating his time and talent to many causes. For
his longtime support of Boys' and Girls' Towns of Italy, he was
posthumously awarded the title of cavaliere in the Order of Merit
(Stella al merito del lavoro) by the Italian Government.Franchi was
one of three children born to a Neapolitan father and Ligurian (Genoa)
mother. Sergio, Mirella, and Fausta (born years after the older two)
were all born in the Lombardy District. This includes Milan, Cremona,
and the smaller village of Codogno - where he was born. Some
geographical over-simplifications resulted in listing Franchi's
birthplace as Cremona, and Fausta's (Dana Valery) birthplace as "near
Milan." Because the family also lived in Cremona, Franchi called both
Codogno and Cremona his "hometown" at different periods in his life.
Franchi stated for the record several times in later life that his
birthplace was Codogno in the province of Lodi, An uncle who owned a
vineyard in Alassio (near Sanremo on the Italian Riviera) was
instrumental in family life on various occasions.As a child, Franchi
sang for the family with his father, who played the piano and guitar.
At age ten, he sang a comic role as a hunchback in a school play.
Young Franchi formed a three-piece band at age sixteen to earn pocket
money, and then later sang with a male vocal group in local jazz
clubs. But, in spite of his musical talents, he soon followed his
father's wishes that he pursue a career in engineering. Franchi
pursued, but did not finish this training. The senior Galli had been a
successful businessman who owned several shops, but lost all of his
assets during World War II and the German occupation. After the war,
he became friendly with a Captain in the South African medical corps
who was stationed nearby. He soon followed the officer's suggestion
that South Africa would be a land of more opportunity, and he
immigrated to Johannesburg. The family followed in (Fausta was four
years old) when Franchi completed his compulsory military service at
age twenty-one.
Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United
States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the
early s. In , RCA Victor signed him to a seven-year contract and in
October of that year Franchi appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and
performed at Carnegie Hall. Sol Hurok managed Franchi's initial
American concert tour.Franchi became a headliner in Las Vegas, and
starred in concerts and cabarets on several continents. His earliest
ambitions and studies had been directed toward an operatic career, but
he instead found his niche in popular and romantic music. Franchi
performed musical comedies on stage, appeared on numerous television
variety shows, and starred in a major motion picture. He became an
American citizen in . After gaining success, Franchi was a benefactor
and philanthropist, donating his time and talent to many causes. For
his longtime support of Boys' and Girls' Towns of Italy, he was
posthumously awarded the title of cavaliere in the Order of Merit
(Stella al merito del lavoro) by the Italian Government.Franchi was
one of three children born to a Neapolitan father and Ligurian (Genoa)
mother. Sergio, Mirella, and Fausta (born years after the older two)
were all born in the Lombardy District. This includes Milan, Cremona,
and the smaller village of Codogno - where he was born. Some
geographical over-simplifications resulted in listing Franchi's
birthplace as Cremona, and Fausta's (Dana Valery) birthplace as "near
Milan." Because the family also lived in Cremona, Franchi called both
Codogno and Cremona his "hometown" at different periods in his life.
Franchi stated for the record several times in later life that his
birthplace was Codogno in the province of Lodi, An uncle who owned a
vineyard in Alassio (near Sanremo on the Italian Riviera) was
instrumental in family life on various occasions.As a child, Franchi
sang for the family with his father, who played the piano and guitar.
At age ten, he sang a comic role as a hunchback in a school play.
Young Franchi formed a three-piece band at age sixteen to earn pocket
money, and then later sang with a male vocal group in local jazz
clubs. But, in spite of his musical talents, he soon followed his
father's wishes that he pursue a career in engineering. Franchi
pursued, but did not finish this training. The senior Galli had been a
successful businessman who owned several shops, but lost all of his
assets during World War II and the German occupation. After the war,
he became friendly with a Captain in the South African medical corps
who was stationed nearby. He soon followed the officer's suggestion
that South Africa would be a land of more opportunity, and he
immigrated to Johannesburg. The family followed in (Fausta was four
years old) when Franchi completed his compulsory military service at
age twenty-one.
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