Goodbye to Franco Tozzi, Umberto’s brother

Franco Tozzi, singer-songwriter and older brother of Umberto Tozzi, has passed away in Cuneo at the age of 79.

Born in Rodi Garganico, in the province of Foggia, Tozzi moved with his family to Turin at a young age: after working at the Lancia factory in Chivasso, the artist first played in the Pard’s, and then won (as a soloist) the Festival by Castrocaro with the song “Due case, due windows” in ’64. Signed to Fonit, the following year he took part in the Sanremo Festival with “Non casualty (he made us meet)”, presented together with the American Johnny Tillotson.

After returning to the Festival the following year with “I can’t believe you” paired with Bobby Vinton, in ’68 he moved to Carish, and then joined the roster of Kansas, for which he published with the band – in which he played also his brother Umberto on guitar – Franco Tozzi Off Sound, who in 1970 released the single “Qui”, Umberto’s first attempt as a singer – as a supporting voice.

His greatest success, “Your Green Eyes”, was published in 1965, selling over 800 thousand copies.

Tozzi released five albums starting from the mid-1990s, including “Ecochè” (1995), “Make me Crash / Message on the Air” (1997, as Tozzi) and “Cinquanta”, in 2016.

“I thank from the bottom of my heart all the people who are close to me at this moment”, wrote his brother Umberto on his social channels: “Rest in peace, Franco”.