ANDREA BOCELLI BIOGRAPHY - AGE, CAREER, SONGS & FACTS

Andrea Bocelli, the 68-year-old Italian tenor, is classical music's biggest-selling living artist — the voice behind "Time to Say Goodbye" and "The Prayer", blind since age 12, with 80M+ records sold.

Early Life

Born on 22 September 1958 in Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy — now 68 years old — Andrea Bocelli is the son of Alessandro and Edi Bocelli and grew up on the family farm in La Sterza. Born with congenital glaucoma, he became completely blind at age 12 after being struck in the eye while playing football. He started playing the piano at six, and later learned the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar and drums. At 14 he won his first singing competition, performing "'O sole mio" at the Margherita d'Oro in Viareggio. He went on to study law at the University of Pisa, earning his Doctor of Law degree, and spent a year working as a court-appointed lawyer while singing in piano bars at night.

Career

Bocelli's breakthrough came in 1992, when he recorded a demo of Zucchero's "Miserere" that was heard by Luciano Pavarotti. He won the newcomers' section at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1994 with "Il mare calmo della sera". His 1996 duet of "Con te partirò" — released in English as "Time to Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman — broke sales records worldwide. "The Prayer", his 1998 duet with Celine Dion, won a Golden Globe. The album Romanza became a global phenomenon, and he later made his operatic debut in La Bohème. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010, has collected 7 Classical BRIT Awards and 7 World Music Awards, and was appointed a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of Italy in 2006 before being elevated to Knight Grand Cross in 2025. With more than 80 million records sold, he stands as classical music's biggest-selling living artist, with duets alongside Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo and his son Matteo Bocelli. As Celine Dion once put it: "If God had a singing voice, he would sound a lot like Andrea Bocelli."

For more on his most famous collaborators, read our Celine Dion biography, Ed Sheeran biography and Dua Lipa biography.

Recent Work

Bocelli celebrated his 30th recording anniversary in 2024 with the album Duets. On October 17, 2025, he visited the White House, meeting the president in the Oval Office. He is set to headline the Royal Variety Performance 2026 lineup at London's Royal Albert Hall in December 2026, and he is scheduled to sing at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

On 27 October 2026 (AP report), Bocelli's promoter Shoemaker Live confirmed his two Indonesia concerts will proceed as planned - 31 October 2026 at Borobudur Temple and 3 November 2026 at JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta - despite the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)'s 10 October demand for cancellation over Bocelli's past support for Israel. On 29 October, the promoter told detikNews the shows carry a peace theme and pledged to donate 100,000 pairs of shoes to children in Palestine and other conflict zones.

Watch the Official Video

Watch the official live performance of "Time To Say Goodbye" with Sarah Brightman below, uploaded by Andrea Bocelli's official channel:

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Andrea Bocelli become blind?
Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma. He lost his sight completely at the age of 12 after being hit in the eye while playing football.

What is Andrea Bocelli's most famous song?
His most famous song is "Time to Say Goodbye" ("Con te partirò"), his 1996 duet with Sarah Brightman, followed closely by "The Prayer" with Celine Dion.

How many records has Andrea Bocelli sold?
Andrea Bocelli has sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him classical music's biggest-selling living artist.

Is Andrea Bocelli performing in 2026?
Yes — he is set to headline the Royal Variety Performance at London's Royal Albert Hall in December 2026 and to sing at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.