Mario Musella

Mario Musella was born in Piscinola 1 April 1945 to a Neapolitan mother and a father of Native American origins, who had been stationed in Naples as a soldier during the Second World War. From an early age Musella showed a particular interest in music; the drums, guitar and bass were his favorite instruments. In 1961, along with James Senese and other local friends, he founded "Gigi e i suoi Aster" in Terzigno, a small town at the foot of Mount of Vesuvius. Moving on to Aversa, alongside Senese, he continued his budding musical career with Vito Russo E I Conny. From 1966 to 1970 he went on to become the leader of the Neapolitan supergroup, the The Showmen (2). The group broke up in 1970, just as the members were beginning to hit the peak of their respective careers. Mario Musella embarked on his solo career and in 1975 he competed in the "Disco per l'estate" event, with the song "Innamorata", earning him first place in the competition. Backed by keyboardist, Silvio Iaccarino, Enzo Avitabile on saxophone, and guitarist Carlo Manguso, he followed with "Io l'amo di più", "Storia d'amore", "Come pioveva", "La notte sogno ancora te", "Primavera", "Verso le nove di sera" and "Domani tra un anno chissà". Sadly, he passed away prematurely at the age of 34 in Marano di Napoli, 6 October 1979.