The outcome was good both in terms of his health and artistically, and at only fourteen years of age, he was engaged to play at a New Eve's party and earned his first paycheck of 1,000 lire.

Subsequently, he began to frequent the Santa Tecla, a venue in Milan where he had the chance to meet musicians of the time, including Luigi Tenco, Gian Franco Reverberi, Adriano Celentano, Ricky Gianco, and Mogol, who obtained a contract for Gaber with Dischi Ricordi.

Gaber paired up with Enzo Jannacci as I Due Corsari, who made their debut at the end of 1958 with two vinyl singles—"Come Facette Mammeta", a classic song of Neapolitan humour, and "Non occupatemi il telefono".

After a sentimental-artistic companionship with singer and actress Maria Monti, he married Ombretta Colli in 1965, then a student of languages (Chinese and Russian) at the University of Milan.

The following year, he showed at Piccolo Teatro di Milano his first edition of Il signor G ("Mister G"), a recital he repeated in many Italian squares.

A lifelong smoker, Giorgio Gaber died on New Year's Day 2003 after a long battle with lung cancer, in his country house in Montemagno, near Camaiore, Tuscany, and his body was buried at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan.