Gianni Pettenati, a singer who conquered the charts in the 1960s with his song “Bandiera Gialla”, which later became one of the symbolic songs of pop music, died at the age of 79 in his home in Albenga (Savona).
The announcement of his death, which occurred during the night, was given by his daughter Maria Laura with a post on social media: «In his own home, as he wanted, with his loved ones nearby, with the love of his children Maria Laura, Samuela and Gianlorenzo and his beloved cat Cipria, after a long and exhausting illness, dad left us. We have never stopped loving you. We hug you tightly. The funeral will be held in a strictly private manner».
Pettenati was born in Piacenza on October 29, 1945. His first successes came in 1965, with the victory of the Bellaria Festival and the entry into the Juniors band. In 1967, the song that earned him an entire career: Bandiera Gialla, an Italian cover of The pied piper. The artist's career also includes two Sanremo Festivals; in 1967, together with Gene Pitney, he competed with the song written by Mogol La Rivoluzione, finishing 13th. The following year, he competed with Antoine with La tramontana, qualifying for the final and snatching a fifth place.
(Unioneonline/vf)
