Giorgio Gaber

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.

Giorgio Gaber and Ombretta Colli in 1970
Gaber's grave at the Monumental Cemetery of Milan , Italy