Farewell to Gianni Pettenati, sang ‘Gialla flag’

Goodbye to Gianni Pettenati: the singer of ‘Yellow Flag’, one of the songs symbol of fun in the 60s remained a classic of the revival evenings in the disco, died in the night in Albenga in the province of Savona, at the age of 79. It was his daughter Maria Laura who gave news on social media: “After a long and exhausting illness, dad left us. We never stopped loving you. We hug you strong”.

PETTENED WAS Born in Piacenza in 1945 And he had made his debut at the age of twenty, winning the Bellaria Festival. With his group, the juniors, in 1966 he had recorded his first 45 rpm, An Italian cover of ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ by Bob Dylan. In the same year I arrive ” ‘Yellow Flag’, the Italian version of ‘The Pied Piper’ of the English group Crispian St. Peters, which has become a real generational anthem.

The title was inspired by the Radio transmission by Gianni Boncompagni and Renzo Arbore On air in those years and the song was an invitation to dance and have fun: “As long as you see, I win the yellow flag, you will know that here you dance, and the weather will want”. The song was immediate success also because almost simultaneously was engraved in English by Patty Pravo who made the B side of the single ‘sad boy’ to promote the Piper Club disco in Rome, of which he became the symbol song.

In 1968 Pettenati had arrived fifth in Sanremo with ‘La Tramontana’sung together with Antoine, which then became an inevitable presence to his concerts. In addition to singing, Pettenati also distinguished himself as a musical critic, writer and theatrical author, with essays like “Those Eran days – 30 years of Italian songs” with Red Ronnie and “The 60s in America”.

In 2018, the annuity allowance of 24 thousand euros had been granted To the year provided by the Bacchelli law for illustrious citizens, with merits in different fields, which pay in a state of particular need.