It’s the Fame game for Franco de Vita…
The 60-year-old Venezuelan singer-songwriter will be feted with the Billboard Hall of Fame Award at this year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will take place on April 24.
The Billboard Hall of Fame Award is reserved for those artists who’ve achieved global recognition for a career that transcends genre and language.
de Vita is being recognized for his perceptive pop/rock ballads that have brought him international acclaim over his three-decade career.
He’s sold more than 25 million albums worldwide, achieving 11 top 10s and one No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.
One of Latin pop’s most revered artists, de Vita became known as the lead vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter of the trio Icaro before launching his solo career.
After a string of hits in the 1980s including “Solo Importas Tu,” “Te Amo,” and “Louis,” his song “No Basta” spent six weeks atop the Hot Latin Songs chart in 1991.
Most recently, “Te Pienso Sin Querer,” featuring Gloria Trevi, peaked at No. 17 on Latin Pop Airplay.
de Vita has also composed hit songs for other artists including pop star Chayanne (“Contra vientos y mareas,” “Y Tú Te Vas” and “Un Siglo Sin Ti”); and Ricky Martin (“A Medio Vivir,” “Vuelve,” and “Tal Vez”). Those collaborative works alone have sold more than 30 million albums around the world.
He’s known for his frequent collaborations with a broad spectrum of artists. He performed “The Good Life” with Tony Bennett on the American crooner’s 2012 Duets album. de Vita’s latest production, Vuelve en Primera Fila (Sony Music Latin) features urban artist Wisin, salsero Victor Manuelle and rising Spanish pop singer India Martinez, among others.
de Vita’s Vuelve en Primera Fila tour will take him to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina this spring. The Venezuelan leg of the tour, planned for March, was cancelled. “With the hope that my country achieves peace and harmony I hold the firm conviction that we will see each other soon,” The artist announced on his Website.
