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1977 Little Tony (The Italian Elvis) & Orietta Berti play The Olympia Theatre to packed houses.

Photo - From left to right - Peg Benito / Promoters Ben & Anna Parri / Oriana Parri / Robert Parri /LITTLE TONY / ORIETTA BERTI & owner of Sorrento Restaurant, Ribaudo / Giuseppe Bertinazzi.

Described as “the Italian Elvis”, Little Tony was a rock'n'roll pioneer whose rebel look and interpretation of the rock'n'roll repertoire shook up his home country in the late 1950s, writes Pierre Perrone. But his fame also spread across Europe, including France and the UK, where he scored a Top 20 hit with “Too Good” in 1960.

Little Tony was born in Tivoli, Italy, but was a citizen of San Marino, where his parents were born and never applied for Italian citizenship. He formed a rock and roll group with his two brothers, Alberto and Enrico, in 1957, naming himself Little Tony in emulation of Little Richard. The following year, the group were signed by Durium Records, who released a series of covers of American rock and roll songs by them in Italy. Little Tony was now widely regarded as the Italian equivalent of Elvis Presley.

He also began to work as a film actor and appeared in a number of successful motion pictures. One of his biggest hit songs was Cuore matto (Heart Of The Matter), which was no 1 for nine consecutive weeks in 1967. Two years later, he formed his own record label.

Little Tony’s first wife was called Giuliana Brugnoli, who worked as a flight attendant. The two married in 1973 and had one daughter: Christine Ciacci and three grandchildren: Martina, Mirko and Melissa. Giuliana died in 1993 due to a tumor. A few years later, in 1999, the singer married Luciana Manfra: their relationship caused a stir since Manfra is the same age as her daughter Cristiana.

During 1977 he came to Australia for promoters Ben & Anna Parri performing to sell-out crowds at the Olympia Theatre in Leederville. After enjoying a successful career he suffered a heart attack during a concert in 2006 in Ottawa. This was organised by the local Italian-Canadian community. He fully recovered and returned to the San Remo festival in 2008

Little Tony, (real name Antonio Ciacci) died at the age of 72 on the evening of May 27, 2013 at the Villa Margherita clinic in Rome where he had been hospitalized due to cancer. The funeral ceremony took place on May 30 at the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Divino Amore, after which his remains were taken to the Tivoli cemetery. After his death, a memorial was dedicated to him presented by Fanny Cadeo and Fernando Monteleone.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -