Prominent Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla dies at 68

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lucio Dalla, one of Italy's most prolific singer-songwriters, died Thursday, March 1, in Switzerland during a European concert tour, AP reports.

Dalla, 68, apparently died of a heart attack in a Montreux hotel after eating breakfast, according to his agency, Ph.D srl Music Management, which is based in Dalla's native city of Bologna, Italy.

Dalla had just given a concert Wednesday evening in the Swiss city known for its music and "was in fine form," said Pascal Pellegrino, the director of Montreux's "culture season." Pellegrino said the performance was warmly applauded and Dalla stayed on to chat with fans.

Dalla wrote all of his own lyrics in a career that spanned decades. He was also a noted musician, playing the clarinet, saxophone and piano.

Dalla's haunting melody "Caruso" sold 9 million copies worldwide and was sung by the late opera great Luciano Pavarotti with Dalla at a 1992 concert in Modena.