Tiziano Ferro

Good friend of the blog, Record Man, wrote the other day: "One of the downsides to discussions of gay artists of any kind is the tragic endings that seem almost commonplace. I guess, given the circumstances, it's to be expected but it doesn't make it any easier to accept." Today I'm glad to write a post with a happy ending. To honor our Italian friends who visited this site en masse last week, here's Italy's own Tiziano Ferro.

Not that it was easy all the way for Tiziano: Aside from his success as an artist, Ferro is well known for his personal struggles. Having been overweight as a teenager, he has been outspoken about his battles with food addiction and eating disorders. In May 2006, several jokular comments he made during an interview on Italian television resulted in major controversy abroad, effectively ending his blossoming career in Latin America. In October 2010, at the height of his fame, Ferro came out as gay, admitting that he had remained closeted out of fear that his homosexuality was not compatible with a career as a Pop singer.

"The biggest freedom was being able to talk with the people closest to me, with my father, my family, my friends, the rest came naturally."

To arrive to this, it took some time: convinced that he would have to give up his singing career if the truth about his sexuality were ever revealed, he kept family and friends at a distance, living alone in England. He was diagnosed as depressed in 2008 and started taking antidepressants. In late 2009 he came close to taking his own life, going as far as to write a suicide note. In early 2010 his desperation led him to break down and come out to his father, an event that inspired the title of his first book, Trent'anni E Una Chiacchierata Con Papà (Thirty Years Old And A Chat With Dad). This book, published in October 2010, contains most of his personal diaries, dutifully kept since his teenage years. Its release was preceded by an interview with Vanity Fair in which he declared his homosexuality to the public. The following year Ferro moved back to Italy to end his isolation and live closer to his friends and family.

"One day I went to tell my father that I wanted to stop doing this job, that I also loved. The decision was the result of this paranoia which developed in years of solitary meditation. I went to him because it seemed honest to do so, and dad explained to me that it was stupidity: If the motive was because of homosexuality, I was making a big mistake. The problem was mine, it was me that lived like that, not sure who loved me. There and then I thought: OK, he's saying that because he’s my father, and instead even the others, my friends, have told me the same things. In the end it was my fault."

What were the reactions of the people around him?

"But yes, the reaction of all has been relief, finally a glimmer of dialogue, also because I never went well past a certain point. In the reaction between me and the others I always became distant, even physically. the first thing that they told me was: thank you for the confidence. My manager, Fabrizio Giannini confessed to me: your giving me a gift, I have never told you not to use your sensibility, but I was tired to see you sad after the concerts and to notice that you didn’t enjoy that which you had, I’ll help you, to find a path. The most absurd thing is that I can’t blame anyone: I haven’t lived in an environment that denied homosexuality, I did everything by myself, the problem has always been me."

Italian tabloids had published stories in the months before his coming out linking Ferro to a mystery man. Ferro said the articles hurt, but not because he was worried about being outed.

“I would get very upset because I wished I had a boyfriend, but I had no one,” he said.

How did he feel after coming out?

"Like I’m in a bubble where everything seems surreal. Two years ago I started theraphy, they told me: You are depressed, you need to cure it, If they told me that I would arrive at this point I wouldn’t have believed them, but I’m happy for my health. Because deep down I’m an extremist, I was scared to take drugs, not knowing whether I would be able to stop at a certain point. I trusted the taken path, even if at the start I pressed the accelerator blindly. Then my dad’s friends came in. I’m still confused, but I’ve never liked half ways. Either I’m on a diet or I’m snacking either we’re friends or nothing. I’m in a phase of curiosity. the world changes, I’m looking at it in a different way, and I hope this block disappears even if I have to work on it more. Now I hear that in front of me there is a life filled with opportunity."

Here's a video of Tiziano talking about accepting himself as gay:

Let's go back to the beginning: Tiziano Ferro was born in Latina, Italy, and his interest in music was born when he received a toy keyboard as a present, which was used to compose his first songs when he was seven. He later started taking guitar and piano classes at a local conservatory of music. When he was 16 years old, he joined a gospel choir and during the same years, he started performing in piano bars and karaoke contests.

In 1997, Ferro participated in the "Accademia della Canzone di Sanremo", a music contest created with the purpose to choose the contestants of the Sanremo Music Festival, but was eliminated during the first stage of the competition. The following year, Ferro participated again in the same contest, and despite being chosen as one of the 12 finalists, he did not make it to win the competition. However, during the selections, Ferro met music producers Alberto Salerno and Mara Maionchi, and started to collaborate with them.

In 2001, Ferro signed a contract with EMI Music Italy. On 22 June 2001, he released his first single, Perdono (Forgive Me) (also released under the title Xdono). During the first months after the release, the song was received poorly, but it later became a hit and, after topping the Italian Singles Chart in September 2001, it was certified double platinum. Here it is:

The song was included in Ferro's debut album, Rosso Relativo, released on 26 October 2001. Following the commercial success obtained in Italy, in 2002 the album was released in several European countries. A Spanish-language version of the record, titled Rojo Relativo, was also released in Spain and Latin America. Rosso Relativo obtained success in different markets throughout its various editions and had sold more than 1,000,000 copies worldwide by 2004.

Imbranato (Clumsy) was an even bigger hit:

Then there was the album's title track, Rosso Relativo (Relative Red):

In November 2003, Ferro released his second studio album, 111, recorded both in Italian and Spanish. The album was preceded by the release of lead single Xverso / Perverso:

Another single was Sere Nere / Tardes Negras (Dark Nights):

The next single was Non Me Lo So Spiegare / No Me Lo Puedo Explicar (I Do Not Know How To Explain). In 2006, Ferro re-recorded the song as a duet with Italian singer Laura Pausini. This version of the song was included in Pausini's 2006 album Io canto and it was released as a single in March 2007. This is the version that we'll be listening to:

111 has sold more than 1,000,000 copies worldwide.

In July 2004, Ferro also released his first English-language single in Europe, Universal Prayer, a duet with British R&B singer Jamelia recorded to promote the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Ferro's third studio album, Nessuno è solo / Nadie está solo (No One Is Alone), was released in June 2006, following the lead single Stop! Dimentica (Stop! Forget), which became a number-one hit in Italy and Austria.

The second single from the album was Ed Ero Contentissimo (And I Was So Happy):

The album, described by music critics as more intimate and melancholic, was an even bigger success in Italy than his previous ones, reaching diamond certification for its domestic sales, and becoming the best-selling album of 2007 in Italy. The third single from the album, Ti Scatterò Una Foto (I'll Take A Picture Of You), was included in the soundtrack of the movie Ho Voglia Di Te.

The fourth single was a tribute to singer and TV presenter Raffaella Carrà and was called E Raffaella È Mia (And Raffaella Is Mine).

In June 2008 Ferro co-wrote with Roberto Casalino the single Non Ti Scordar Mai Di Me (Never Forget Me) for X Factor Italy's first edition's runner-up Giusy Ferreri. The song became a huge success in Italy, topping the Italian Singles Chart for 12 non-consecutive weeks.

Ferro also produced Giusy Ferreri's debut album, Gaetana, containing 6 songs penned by him, including L'amore E Basta! (Love Is Enough), a duet between Ferro and Ferreri.

On 7 November 2008 Ferro released his fourth studio album, Alla Mia Età / A Mi Edad (At My Age), preceded by the same-titled single.

Alla Mia Età debuted at number one on the Italian Albums Chart and became the best-selling album of 2009 in Italy, also achieving his second diamond certification. The album contains a duet with singer-songwriter Franco Battiato, called Il Tempo Stesso (The Same Time).

Indietro (Backwards) was the third single off the album. The English version of Indietro was also included. It was called Breathe Gentle and it was a duet with Kelly Rowland.

In October 2011 Ferro released La Differenza Tra Me E Te (The Difference Between Me And You), the first single from his fifth studio album L'amore È Una Cosa Semplice / El Amor Es Una Cosa Simple (Love Is A Simple Thing). The album was released on 28 November 2011 and spent five weeks on top of the Italian Albums Chart. At least six more singles were released from the album; all in total ended up matching the success of the singles of Ferro's previous albums. In Italy, it was certified eight times platinum and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the country. It was the first album to be released after his coming out. Apparently the public knowledge of his homosexuality did not hurt the people's love for him. Thankfully. Here's La Differenza Tra Me E Te:

Here's second single L'ultima Notte Al Mondo (The Last Night In The World):

In the same album, there was a collaboration with John Legend called Karma.

Ferro released his first greatest hits album TZN - The Best of Tiziano Ferro in November 2014. Both the lead single Senza Scappare Mai Più (No Escape, No More) and the second single Incanto (Enchantment) reached the top five in Italy and were certified platinum. The album itself spent six non-consecutive weeks at number one, the last of which came after his acclaimed guest performance at the Sanremo Music Festival. It was eventually certified seven times platinum and spent almost a year in the top ten on the Italian album chart. In Spain, it was Ferro's first top ten album in more than ten years.

Here's Senza Scappare Mai Più:

Here's Incanto:

He has recently recorded a new album called Il Mestiere Della Vita (The Craft Of Life), which is set to be released on December 2 2016. Hopefully it'll do as well as his previous albums.

To close this tribute, here he is, sharing his thoughts on love, emotional liberation, and the importance of educating people on all aspects of the gay experience.