Born in Llanfrenchfa, at young age Mal moved to Oxford, where he worked as an electrician and was vocalist in a number of local groups.

[4] The same year, Gianni Boncompagni and Alberico Crocetta offered the band a contract to perform at Piper Club [it] in Rome.

[4] Mal's first solo hit was "Bambolina", which was followed by his Sanremo Music Festival 1969 entry "Tu sei bella come sei" and by "Pensiero d'amore", a cover of Bee Gees' "I've Gotta Get a Message to You", which was also adapted in a musicarello film with the same title starring the same Mal and Silvia Dionisio.

[4] In 1975, his career was relaunched by the unexpected success of his cover version of 1932 song "Parlami d'amore Mariù", which topped the Italian hit parade.

[3] In 1982, Mal made his return to the Sanremo Music Festival with "Sei la mia donna".