Gino Paoli passed away on the night of March 24, 2026, at the age of 91. "Gino left us peacefully last night, surrounded by the love of his loved ones," his family announced.
Born in Monfalcone in 1934 and raised in Genoa, Paoli was one of the fathers of Italian songwriting and a key figure in the legendary Genoese school, along with Fabrizio De André, Luigi Tenco, Bruno Lauzi, and Umberto Bindi.
With his passing, the era of those Genoese singer-songwriters who, beginning in the 1960s, revolutionized Italian music definitively ended. Paoli was the last remaining.
The songs that made Italy
His repertoire is a cornerstone of Italian identity. "Il cielo in una stanza" (1960) was one of the first songs to break with Italian melodic tradition, describing intimacy with disarming simplicity. Then came "La gatta," "Senza fine," "Che cosa c'è," and "Sapore di sale" (1963)—arranged by a young Ennio Morricone—which has become perhaps the most beloved summer song of all time, a timeless classic that still today exudes the Mediterranean.
And also “Four Friends at the Bar,” “A Long Love Story,” pages of popular poetry that generations of Italians have sung, whistled, and dedicated.
With him goes an important piece of Italian music: farewell to the great Gino Paoli.
