Dori Ghezzi is an Italian singer who was active as a recording artist between 1966 and 1989. In the 1970s, Ghezzi worked mainly in a duo with American singer Wess, and the couple represented Italy in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest.
In 1972, Ghezzi's fellow Durium recording artist Wess suggested that the pair team up as a duo to record "Voglio stare con te", a version of British hit "United We Stand". This proved a big chart success, and Durium proposed that Wess and Ghezzi become a regular recording partnership. Ghezzi had a solo album ready for release in 1973, which, along with a single "Adamo ed Eva", would be her last solo recording venture of the 1970s. Thereafter, Wess and Ghezzi became a successful and prolific duo, releasing seven albums and many singles before they parted ways in 1979. They took part in San Remo twice, coming sixth in 1973 and second in 1976.
In 1975, Wess and Ghezzi were chosen by broadcaster RAI to be Italy's representatives at that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Era". They went forward to the 20th Eurovision, held on 22 March in Stockholm, where "Era", an unusual song for Eurovision at the time, proved different enough to impress the voting juries and placed third in a field of 19.
Kidnap
In 1974 Ghezzi became the partner of singer Fabrizio De André and the couple had set up home in Sardinia, where Ghezzi had given birth to a daughter in 1977. On the evening of 27 August 1979, Ghezzi and De André were kidnapped by members of Sardinia's Anonima sequestri, and were held captive in the Supramonte mountains for almost four months before being released on payment of a ransom, reportedly in the region of 500 million lire, believed to have been raised by De André's family. The pair subsequently stated that they had been well-treated by their captors; when the kidnappers were apprehended and put on trial, De André would show understanding and sympathy in his testimony.
1980s
Following the split from Wess, Ghezzi resumed her solo career in 1980 with the release of the albumMamadodori, dedicated to her daughter. Piccole donne followed in 1983 and the song "Margherita non-lo sa" earned Ghezzi third place at that year's San Remo. 1987 saw the album Velluti e carte vetrate and 14th place at San Remo with "E non-si finisce mai", while her last album Il cuore delle donne, the title track of which became Ghezzi's final San Remo entry, came in 1989. Ghezzi and De André married on 7 December 1989.
Retirement
Ghezzi retired from her singing career on medical advice in 1990, having developed a serious problem with her vocal cords, and has since made only infrequent and secondary contributions to recordings by other artists. De André died of lung cancerin 1999 and Ghezzi has since dedicated herself to preserving and promoting his artistic heritage. She is the president of the Fondazione Fabrizio De André.
