Gianluca Ginoble and the Grandfather Who Shaped His Song Behind Every Powerful Voice Lies a Quiet Influence—and for IL Volo’s Gianluca Ginoble, That Influence Was His Grandfather. In the Sun-Kissed Village of Roseto Degli Abruzzi, Gianluca Found Not Just a Mentor, but a Soul Who Taught Him That Music Is a Prayer and Kindness Is Power.
Gianluca Ginoble and the Grandfather Who Shaped His Song
Behind every artist is a story. Behind every voice, a whisper from the past. And for Il Volo’s Gianluca Ginoble, that whisper was his grandfather—a man whose strength, warmth, and wisdom helped shape the baritone beloved by millions.
Long before he filled the world’s great concert halls with songs of love and longing, Gianluca was just a wide-eyed boy in the small town of Roseto degli Abruzzi, Italy. There, amid olive trees, cobblestone streets, and the scent of home-cooked meals, he found the greatest teacher he would ever know—not in a classroom, but sitting beside a gentle, silver-haired man with tired hands and a radiant smile.
His grandfather was the kind of man who believed that kindness was a strength and music was a form of prayer. He wasn’t famous. He didn’t crave attention. But in the quiet moments—in the garden, on evening walks, during family meals—he passed down something far more valuable than fame: a sense of self, of roots, of quiet dignity.
When Gianluca began singing at family gatherings, his grandfather would beam with pride. He was always the first to clap, the first to say, “Never forget who you are, even when the world tells you who to be.” That phrase became a compass for Gianluca, especially as his fame soared.
Il Volo’s global rise brought stages, fans, and dizzying success. But even in the midst of that whirlwind, Gianluca often returned home—if only for a day—to visit the man who still called him “il mio piccolo campione” (my little champion). When Il Volo won Sanremo or performed in front of popes and presidents, his grandfather’s voice echoed in his heart: stay grounded, stay grateful.
In a touching moment once shared on social media, Gianluca wrote, “You are the song I will always carry in my heart.” Those who know him well say that every ballad, every love song he performs, carries a piece of the man who first believed in him.
When his grandfather passed, the loss was deep. But Gianluca, ever the romantic, turned grief into tribute. He began visiting the places they once shared together, bringing flowers, sometimes simply sitting in silence. And when he sings now, there’s a certain ache behind the beauty—a tenderness that seems to speak to someone beyond the crowd.
Fans, especially those from Italy, often remark on how his performances feel “like a letter to someone he misses.”
“There’s a weight in his voice sometimes, like he’s remembering something important,” one fan commented after a recent concert in Verona. “You don’t even need to understand the language to feel it.”
The bond between Gianluca and his grandfather wasn’t just familial—it was foundational. It helped build the artist, the gentleman, the dreamer we see today.
And while the world applauds Il Volo for their polished harmonies and cinematic presence, it’s these intimate threads—the ones tied to love, to memory, to home—that make Gianluca’s voice so achingly human.
Because behind the stage lights and applause is still a boy who learned to sing with his heart, guided by a grandfather who taught him the most beautiful songs are the ones sung with love.
