Who is the opera star they are calling The Fourth Tenor

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A.� That accolade is being bestowed on Andrea Bocelli, a star who has managed to create a dual career as both an opera and a pop star.

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Q.� What's the story

A.� Andrea Bocelli was born in 1958 in rural Tuscany. As a child he endured various operations to cure his poor eyesight.�While playing football aged twelve, Bocelli�was struck in the face by a ball, and his sight was permanently lost.

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Q.� That would end any hopes of fame for most people.

A.� True, but Andrea Bocelli was never destined to be 'most people'. His parents believed the Sigmund Freud maxim�'If you love your children, give them a hard life' and they adopted that philosophy with their son. Throughout his childhood, no concession was ever given to his handicap.�Bocelli's mother encouraged his love of horses, and as an adult he has enjoyed raising thoroughbred horses, and rides regularly.

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Q.� Where did his musical talents come from

A.� Andrea Bocelli always loved to sing�- from the age of four onwards he would sing for family and friends, and always enjoyed opera, which made him something of a loner at school.

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Q.� Was he always destined for fame as a singer

A.� No.�Bocelli's family believed he should pursue a career, and from 1979 to 1986, he attended university in Pisa, achieving a Doctorate Of Law, and for a year, he practised as a lawyer, although he was always keen to make his living as a musician.

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The turning point in Bocelli's career came during his time as a lawyer.�He heard that the world famous tenor Franco Corelli was conducting a master class. Bocelli attended, and his evident ability persuaded the master to offer him private lessons. In order to support himself, Bocelli played and sang in local piano bars, and it was during this time that he met his wife.

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Q.� So he went on to opera from there

A.� No, unusually, Bocelli's first introduction to fame as a singer came via pop music. In 1992, the famous Italian pop star Zucchero Fornaciari wrote a duet for pop and classical voices�- Miserere, with a view to asking Luciano Pavarotti to perform it. Bocelli sang on the demo tape, which eventually reached the great man, who advised Fornaciari to let Bocelli sing the song, his voice was more than good enough. Pavarotti did sing on the final version, and it was a massive European hit, but he took Bocelli with him on a promotional tour, and the new tenor proved hugely popular.

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In 1993, at a preliminary Festival before the main San Remo Festival, Bocelli achieved the highest marks ever for a New Entrant, singing both parts of Miserere. The following spring, Bocelli won the New Entrants section, and released his first pop album Il Mare Calmo Della Sera.

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Q.� So Bocelli was all set to make his name and fame as a pop star

A.� Although he enjoyed his success as a pop singer, Bocelli's first love remained opera, and he was determined to explore that musical aspect of his career. After being invited by Pavarotti to sing in the television special Pavarotti And Friends 2, the two tenors became firm friends, with Bocelli staying with Pavarotti, and learning some valuable tips during that time.

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Q.� How did Bocelli's career develop

Having released a second album, Bocelli recorded a duet with Sarah Brightman, Time To Say Goodbye, which was to prove a pivotal moment in his career. Consolidating his growing fame as a European pop star, Bocelli toured with Night Of The Proms, singing Miserere with British pop star John Miles, but it was a German boxer who was to turn Bocelli into a superstar.

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Q.� Where does a boxer fit in with an opera-singing pop star

A.� In 1996, German boxer Henry Maske,�a national sporting hero in his home country, decided to retire from the ring, and invited Sarah Brightman to sing on his gala TV farewell.� Brightman asked Bocelli to sing Time To Say Goodbye with her, and the national television audience made the single a Number One for 14 weeks, it still holds the record for the best selling German pop single of all time. Bocelli's success as a pop star was assured, and he took the unusual step of releasing a classical album Viaggio Italiano, a tribute to Caruso.

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Q.� So Bocelli's tandem career continued

A.� It did�- in 1997 Bocelli released Romanza, his third pop album, and he toured extensively, though as an opera performer, even though is audiences probably expected a pop repertoire, such was the power of his voice, the Bocelli managed to encourage all comers to enjoy all aspects of his musical output. In 1998 he released an opera album�- Aria, and in 199 his fourth pop album Sogno was issued. A third classical album�- Sacred Arias was next.

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Q.� Is Bocelli concentrating more on opera than on pop

A.� It would appear so. It is thanks to the open-mindedness of European musical lovers that Bocelli has managed to thrive in both classical opera, and pop area with his music, although the release last year of full cast opera albums La Boheme, a personal favourite, and Verdi, and the release of the Verdi Requiem album this year do seem to indicate that Bocelli is following his operatic instincts. It seems that Bocelli can move in any direction he chooses, his growing army of fans appear to love what ever he does, so his musical future, what ever he may choose it to be, is assured.

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By Andy Hughes