Fred Bongusto

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Alfredo Bongusto (Campobasso, April 6, 1935), known with his stage name Fred Bongusto, is an Italian light music singer and songwriter, who was very popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

He debuted with the song "Bella Bellissima", written by his friend Ghigo Agosti and produced by the Milan-based label Primary. It was released on 45 rpm record in 1960, with "Doce Doce" as B-side. Some of his most successful songs include "Malaga", "Una rotonda sul mare", "Spaghetti a Detroit" and "Prima c'eri tu", that won the 1966-edition of Un Disco per l'Estate.

Bongusto had great success in South America, too, especially in Brazil; he collaborated with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes.

Bongusto composed the soundtrack to 24 movies, such as Malizia, Superfantozzi and Fantozzi contro tutti. He starred in Obiettivo Ragazze (1961) and Peccato Veniale (1974).

He is married to Gabriella Palazzoli, an Italian soubrette, very famous in the 1950s and 1960s, who also starred in the film Buonanotte... Avvocato! with Alberto Sordi. In 1960 she had a brief marriage with American actor John Drew Barrymore, who is the father of her daughter Blyth Dolores. Blyth was raised up by Bongusto.

He likes playing football and tennis; he is very good at both. He loves antiquing and he enjoys reading Tex Willer comics.

Bongusto currently spends most of his time in Ischia, in the village of Sant'Angelo, in the places which inspired him some of his most beautiful songs.

In the 1990s he was elected as a PSI town councillor in Bari. On March 18, 2005, the President of the Council, Silvio Berlusconi, gave him a silver plate for his 50 years of career. On July 2, 2006, he was nominated Commendatore by the President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.