Cannavò was born in Cataniadescendant of the compositor Vincenzo Bellini and begun to work as sport journalist for La Sicilia when he was nineteen.

He was president of CUS Catania from 1952 until 1955, when he was hired by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Cannavò gained national popularity also for his numerous TV appearances in connection with the Giro d'Italia and Serie A football.

He continued to write for Gazzetta until two days before his death; he was also author of an autobiography and of essays about social themes, such as Italian prisons, as well as handicapped and homeless people.

He died of cerebral hemorrhage in Milan in 2009, aged 78, and is buried at the city's Monumental Cemetery.