Born in Rome in 1977, Italian pop musician Simone Cristicchi started forming rock groups in his late teens, and discovered an aptitude for composing songs around his 20th birthday. After winning an SIAE award for his song "L'uomo dei Bottoni," he began touring regionally and in 2000 signed with Carosello Records, releasing the single "Elettroshock." He appeared at the Sanremo Festival in 2002, and in 2006 issued his first major-label album, Fabbricanti di Canzoni, which reached number 11 on the Italian pop music charts. Cristicchi subsequently won the Sanremo competition with "Ti Regalero una Rosa," which made it to number three on the national charts and was featured on his 2007 release, Dall'altra Parte del Cancello. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez