At 64, Blind Singer Andrea Bocelli Rides A Horse Almost 5 Years After Serious Fall & Head Injury

Mar 27, 2023

Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist Andrea Bocelli has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the world since he started out as an artist. Despite Andrea having formed an illustrious career, he remained down to earth and went on to work with more artists.

Born in Lajatico, Italy, on Sept. 22, 1958, Andrea was plagued with vision issues from birth. By five months of age, he was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma before becoming completely blind at 12 following a football accident. Showing a keen interest in music as a child, Andrea started piano lessons at the age of 6 and went on to learn the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar and drums.

Andrea won his first song competition at 14 when he sang “'O sole mio,” and would later perform in piano bars to earn money while he attended law school. He finished his degree and worked as a lawyer for one year before auditioning in 1992 for Italian rock star Zucchero’s demo tape of his song “Miserere,” which was sent to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Upon hearing Andrea’s demo, Pavarotti convinced the rock star to use that version. Afterward, Zucchero convinced Pavarotti to perform the song with Andrea, and it subsequently became a hit throughout Europe. Andrea then signed to a label, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While the world now knows Andrea for his musical talent, many people are also aware that the singer is fond of horseback riding. The passion that once resulted in an injury has proven to be something that Andrea keeps going back to as the 64-year-old was spotted riding a horse in New York in March 2023.

Andrea has managed to build his career over the period of nearly three decades and has worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Sarah Brightman, Ed Sheeran, Josh Groban, and even Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande. What makes each of Andrea’s collaborations worth listening to or watching is he always puts his heart into them.

Andrea also often performs with members of his family, who are all musically inclined. His eldest son, Amos Bocelli, whom Andrea had with his first wife, Enrica Cenzatti, was born in 1995. According to Andrea's official website, Amos "has a degree in piano performance, but he also studied spatial engineering, and this is the field in which he is working to build a career." Nonetheless, he has worked on some of his father's recordings, credited as a piano player.

A second son named Matteo Bocelli, who was born in 1997, has followed more closely in his father's footsteps, setting out on a career as a professional singer. On his father's official website, Matteo was described as living and breathing music, having studied piano at the local conservatory, where he studied opera singing. 

But Andrea’s sons aren’t the only ones who have been gifted with a talent in music; in fact, he has another child – a daughter – who shares an equal amount of talent with him. In December 2020, the musical maestro performed Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as a duet with his daughter Virginia Bocelli. More than just a sweet father-daughter moment, the duet was truly touching and proved just why we people love Andrea so much – all while introducing his daughter as a talent to watch.

While there’s no doubt that performing and family are some of Andrea’s biggest passions, the opera singer also seems to have a love for horses and horseback riding. However, this hobby has proven that it can be incredibly dangerous at times.

According to TMZ, Andrea suffered a head injury in September 2017 after falling off a horse while riding in Pisa, Italy. He was airlifted to the hospital following the fall. However, a representative at the time said that Andrea was doing well after his hospital stay.

In August 2018, almost a year after Andrea’s scary fall, he was seen riding horses yet again. And in March 2023, the Italian tenor was once again seen showing his love for horseback riding as he was spotted riding in Central Park in New York City. Andrea posted a video of the occasion on his Instagram account on March 25, 2023, with the caption, “Riding through Central Park, #NY.”

In the video, Andrea looked happy and strong, sitting on top of the horse as fans and everyday New Yorkers watched him stroll by. He was joined by his wife, Veronica Berti Bocelli. More of Andrea’s story, including his music and love for riding horses, is sure to be seen in his April 2023 special “The Journey.”

Many fans took to Instagram to share their adoration for the blind opera singer and his many talents, as well as their excitement for “The Journey.” One person commented, “You and your family remind me of my family growing up. My dad was blind, fearless and our family supported that and loved it! I am better for it!!” Another talked about the “soul of giving” and Andrea’s “journey” with his horse. 

A third person summed it up best:

“What a man, nothing stops him.”

Are you a fan of Andrea Bocelli? What do you think about him riding horses again? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends.