Gianfranco Manfredi
Gianfranco Manfredi was an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, author, screenwriter, actor and cartoonist.
Life and career
Born in Senigallia, Manfredi graduated in History of Philosophy at the University of Milan with a thesis on Jean-Jacques Rousseau.Manfredi debuted as a singer-songwriter in 1972 with La crisi, an album filled with political and social themes. In 1973 he started working at the Italian Institute of History of Philosophy. Since 1974 he was also active as a songwriter for other artists, including Mia Martini, Mina, PFM, Wess & Dori Ghezzi, Drupi, Heather Parisi, Donatello.
Starting from the early 1980s Manfredi almost completely abandoned the music to focus on writing. He then published over a dozen novels and short stories, collaborated in various roles to several films, TV-series and plays, and created several comic series. He was also active as a musical critic and wrote essays on Adriano Celentano, Lucio Battisti, Enzo Jannacci and other Italian music artists.
Manfredi lived with his wife Mirella in Italy. His first daughter Diana Manfredi is a film director. He died on 24 January 2025, at the age of 76.
Discography
;Album- 1972 – La crisi
- 1976 – Ma non è una malattia
- 1977 – Zombie di tutto il mondo unitevi
- 1978 – Biberon
- 1981 – Gianfranco Manfredi
- 1985 – Dodici
- 1993 – ''In paradiso fa troppo caldo''
Novels
- Magia rossa, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1983. ; Rome, Gargoyle, 2006..
- Cromantica, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1985. ; Milan, Tropea, 2008..
- Ultimi vampiri, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1987. ; extended version, Rome, Gargoyle, 2009..
- Trainspotter, Milan, Feltrinelli, 1989..
- Il peggio deve venire, Milan, Mondadori, 1992..
- La fuga del cavallo morto, Milan, Anabasi, 1993..
- Una fortuna d'annata, Milan, Tropea, 2000..
- Il piccolo diavolo nero, Milan, Tropea, 2001..
- Nelle tenebre mi apparve Gesù, Milan, Tropea, 2005..
- Ho Freddo, Rome, Gargoyle, 2008..
- Tecniche di resurrezione, Rome, Gargoyle, 2010..
- La freccia verde, Milan, Mondadori, 2013..