Look up Antonio in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Antonio is a Greek, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish first name. In the English language it is translated as Anthony, and has some female derivatives: Antonia, Antónia, Antonieta, Antonietta, and Antonella. It also has some male derivatives, such as Anthonio, Antonis, Antoñito, Antonino, Antonello, Tonio, Toño, Toñín, Tonino, Nantonio, Totò, Tó, Toni and Toñito. The Portuguese equivalent is António or Antônio. In old Portuguese the form Antão was also used. The Greek versions of the name are Antonios and Antonis (Αντώνης).

The name derives from Antonius, a well known Latin family name, probably of Etruscan origin. Antonius has been said to derive from the Ancient Greek God "Adonis". This, however, is quite unlikely, since the Greek letter "δ" (delta) is equivalent to the Latin letter "d" and there is no recorded transformation of "δ" or "d" to "nt". The Roman general Marcus Antonius held that the origin of the name was Anthon, son of Hercules. This myth, recorded by Plutarch, was probably created by Marcus Antonius himself, in order to claim divine parentage. The name was in use throughout the Roman world which, at its height, comprised the whole of the Mediterranean and much of Europe as well as the Near and Middle East. When the Roman Empire became Christian, the name continued in popularity because of the many great saints who bore the name. Later, the name was spread all around the world as Christianity was introduced into indigenous populations (e.g. the Far East, the Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa).

Derived from the Latin Antonius, an old Roman family name of unknown etymology. “Priceless” and “of inestimable worth” are popular folk definitions of the name. Var: Anton, Antonio. Short: Toni, Tonio, Tony.

Famous male bearers[link]

Antonio[link]

• Antonio Abetti, Italian astronomer
• Antonio Abondio, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Aguilar, Mexican singer
• Antonio Bamboccio, Italian painter and sculptor
• Antonio Banderas, Spanish actor
• Antonio R. Barceló, Puerto Rican politician
• Antonio Bassolino, Italian politician
• Antonio Barolini, Italian writer
• Antonio Bazzini, Italian violinist and composer
• Antonio di Benedetto, Argentine writer
• Antonio Beretta, first mayor of Milan under the Kingdom of Italy from 1860 to 1867
• Antonio Bonazza, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Bosio, Italian scholar
• Antonio Broccoli Porto, Puerto Rican artist
• Antonio Bartolomeo Bruni, Italian violist, composer and conductor
• Antonio Cabán Vale, Puerto Rican singer
• Antonio Caldara, Italian composer
• Antonio Canaletto, Italian painter
• Antonio Candreva, Italian footballer
• Antonio Canova, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Benedetto Carpano, Italian distiller, famous for having invented the Vermouth and consequently the apéritif
• Antonio Marziale Carracci, Italian painter
• Antonio Cassano, Italian footballer
• Antonio Cavallucci, Italian painter
• Antonio Cervantes, Colombian boxer
• Antonio Citterio, Italian furniture designer
• Antonio Conte, Italian former footballer
• Antonio Corradini, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Correa Cotto, Puerto Rican criminal
• Antonio da Correggio, Italian painter
• Antonio Corti, Argentine boxer
• Antonio Davis, US Basketball player
• Antonio di Natale, Italian footballer
• Antonio Dixon, American football player
• Antonio de La Gandara, painter
• Antonio de la Rúa, former first son of Argentina
• Antonio de Nigris (1978–2009), Mexican footballer
• Antonio Escobar Núñez, Spanish music composer, music producer, sound designer
• Antonio Esparragoza, Venezuelan boxer
• Antonio Ferreira de Oliveira Junior, Brazilian soccer player
• Antonio Floro Flores, Italian footballer
• Antonio Fogazzaro, Italian novelist
• Antonio Gamoneda, Spanish poet
• Antonio Garay, American football players (San Diego Chargers)
• Antonio Gates, American player of American football
• Antonio Gherardi, Italian painter, architect, and sculptor
• Antonio Ghislieri, better known as Pope Pius V
• Antonio Gramsci, Italian writer, politician and political theorist
• Antonio Guzmán Blanco, former Venezuelan president
• Antonio Hernández, Spanish film director and screenwriter
• Antonio Inoki, Japanese wrestler
• Antonio Janigro, Italian cellist and conductor
• Antonio Carlos Jobim, Brazilian creator of the bossa nova
• Antonio Langella, Italian footballer
• Antonio Latimer, Puerto Rican basketball player
• Antonio Lo Surdo (1880–1949), Italian physicist and co-discoverer of the Stark effect
• Antonio Lombardo, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Lopez, United States illustrator who signed his work "Antonio."^[1]
• Antonio Lotti, Italian composer
• Antonio Maceo Grajales, Cuban general
• Antonio Machado, Spanish poet
• Antonio Mancini, Italian painter
• Antonio Manetti, Italian mathematician and architect
• Antonio Margarito, American boxer
• Antonio Martino, Italian politician
• Antonio McDyess, United States basketball player
• Antonio Tobias Mendez, American sculptor
• Antonio Meneses, Brazilian cellist
• Antonio Meucci, Italian-American inventor
• Antonio Monda, Italian film director
• Antonio Negri, Italian philosopher
• Antonio Nocerino, Italian footballer
• Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and his brother Antônio Rogério Nogueira, both Brazilian mixed martial artists
• Antonio Pantojas, Puerto Rican actor
• Antonio Paoli, Puerto Rican opera singer
• Antonio Pappano, British conductor
• Antonio S. Pedreira, Puerto Rican poet
• Antonio Pigafetta, Italian explorer
• Antonio Pignatelli, better known as Pope Innocent XII
• Antonio Pollaiuolo, Italian painter
• Antonio Prieto, Spanish long-distance runner
• Antonio Puerta, Spanish international footballer
• Antonio de los Reyes Correa, Puerto Rican military hero
• Antonio Rivera, Puerto Rican boxer
• Antonio Rodríguez Balinas, Puerto Rican U.S. Army General
• Antonio Rosmini-Serbati, Italian philosopher
• Antonio Rossi, Italian canoer
• Antonio Roybal, Spanish American painter
• Antonio Ruiz Soler, Flamenco dancer
• Antonio Rukavina, Serbian footballer
• Antonio Sabàto, Jr., Italian-American model and actor
• Antonio Sacchini, Italian composer
• António de Oliveira Salazar, 20th Century Portuguese Dictator
• Antonio Salieri, Austrian Court Composer, famous "mediocre" rival of Mozart
• António Salvador, Portuguese long-distance runner
• Antonio Sánchez, Mexican musician
• Antonio Sánchez, Puerto Rican show host
• Antonio Segni, Italian politician
• Antonio Semini, Italian painter
• Antonio Silio, Argentine long-distance runner
• Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Prime Minister of Italy between 1891 and 1892 and from 1896 until 1898
• Antonio Stradivari, Italian luthier
• Antonio Tabucchi, Italian writer
• Antonio Tarver, United States boxer
• Antonio Travi, Italian painter
• Antonio Valero de Bernabe, Puerto Rican, helped Simón Bolívar liberate South America
• Antonio Maria Maraggiano, Italian sculptor
• Antonio Maria Vassallo, Italian painter
• Antonio Valencia, Ecuadorian footballer
• Antonio Vivaldi, Venetian composer
• Antonio Zarro, Academy Award-winning Italian screenwriter

Antonio may also refer to:

• The Great Antonio, Canadian actor

Antonio as middle name[link]

• Carlo Antonio Buffagnotti, Italian painter
• Carlo Antonio Tavella, Italian painter
• Eugene Antonio Marino, first African American archbishop in the United States
• Francesco Antonio Franzoni, Italian sculptor
• Giacomo Antonio Arland, Italian painter
• Gioachino Antonio Rossini, Italian composer
• Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, Italian sculptor
• Giovanni Antonio Dosio, Italian architect and sculptor
• Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti, better known as Pope Innocent IX
• Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, Italian painter
• Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, Italian-Austrian physician and naturalist
• José Antonio de la Garza, Mexican-American politician
• Juan Antonio Marichal, Dominican baseball player
• Luis Antonio Valencia, Ecadorian footballer
• Marco Antonio Barrera, Mexican boxer
• Marco Antonio Etcheverry, Bolivian soccer player
• Marco Antonio Muñiz, Puerto Rican singer, better known as Mark Anthony
• Marco Antonio Regil, Mexican show host
• Marco Antonio Solís, Mexican singer
• Nicola Antonio Zingarelli, Italian composer
• Tomaso Antonio Vitali, Italian composer

Known as Tony[link]

• Tony Alvarez (baseball), Major League Baseball center fielder
• Tony Alvarez (singer), Cuban singer
• Tony Alvarez (actor), Spanish-Australian actor
• Tony Ayala, Mexican-American boxer
• Tony Baltazar, Mexican-American boxer
• Tony Campos, Mexican-American musician
• Tony Danza, Italian-American boxer and actor
• Tony Fratto, Deputy Press Secretary
• Tony Plana, Cuban actor
• Tony Romo, American football quarterback
• Tony Sanchez, Texas businessman
• Tony Vega, Puerto Rican singer
• Tony Pena, retired Major League Baseball player
• Tony Perez, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player

Fictional characters[link]

Antonio may refer to the fictional characters:

• Antonio (Merchant of Venice), the title character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
• Antonio, a character in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
• Antonio, a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest
• Antonio, a character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night
• Antonio Bologna, a character in Webster's The Duchess of Malfi
• Antonio, a character on the television show Monster Warriors
• Tony Montana, the main character in the film Scarface (1983 film)
• Antonio, a character in the video game Assassin's Creed II
• Antonio the male otter, a character in the animated TV show The Penguins of Madagascar
• Antonio Fernández Carriedo, the personification of Spain in Axis Powers Hetalia

Other uses[link]

• MV Antonios, a number of motor vessels with this or a similar name

References[link]

José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza^[1] (May 17, 1919 – June 19, 2007) most commonly known as Antonio Aguilar, nicknamed "El Charro de México", was a Mexican film actor, singer, producer and screenwriter. During his career, he made over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and made 167 movies.^[2] Aguilar was best known in cinema for his participation in films concerning the Mexican Revolution, its heroes, and its folk songs or corridos. He won the Premio ACE for Best Actor for his eponymous role in Emiliano Zapata.^[3] Aguilar was also awarded with the Special Golden Ariel for his invaluable contribution and spreading of Mexican cinema.^[3]

He married actress-singer Flor Silvestre after meeting her during the filming of a motion picture. Their sons, Antonio Aguilar Jr. and Pepe Aguilar also entered into the film and music industry. Antonio Aguilar along with his family are known together as La Dinastía Aguilar, or "The Aguilar Dynasty".

Antonio de Jesús: Dueño de Perapple

Acting career[link]

Aguilar began his acting career in 1952 during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. He is credited with popularising la charrería, considered to have originated in Mexico, to international audiences.^[2]

Antonio Aguilar was the first Mexican performer to mix rodeos and concerts while touring his show in Latin America and the United States.^[4] He made 167 movies and has been compared to American actors like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Ronald Reagan.

In the 1950s, Aguilar was cast in a series of films centered on rural hero "Mauricio Rosales" in El rayo justiciero (1955), La barranca de muerte (1955), La sierra del terror (1956), La huella del chacal (1956), La pantera negra (1957), La guarida del buitre (1958), and Los muertos no hablan (1958). A total of seven low-budget ranchera films produced by Rosas Films S.A.

Aguilar gained cinematic notice when cast in Ismael Rodríguez's Tierra de hombres in 1956. Other collaborations with Rodríguez include La Cucaracha (1959) and Ánimas Trujano (1962), where he received starring roles. Amongst his best ranchera films are Yo... el aventurero (1959), Caballo prieto azabache (1968) El ojo de vidrio (1969), and Valente Quintero (1973). Aguilar appeared in American western films like 1969's The Undefeated starring John Wayne.^[2] He also made a memorable starring role alongside Flor Silvestre in Triste recuerdo (1991).

Aguilar's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

For contributions to the recording industry, Antonio Aguilar Barraza was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7056 Hollywood Boulevard.^[5] He was similarly honored with his handprints and star on the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City for his work in movies and in the recording industry.

Musical career[link]

Antonio Aguilar began his recording career in 1950, eventually making over 150 albums and selling more than 25 million records. He was known for his corridos with some of his best known songs, including "Gabino Barrera", "Caballo Prieto Azabache", "Albur de Amor", and "Un Puño De Tierra".^[2] Antonio was also largely responsible for the renewed popularity of the tambora music in the mid 1980s, when he single-handedly resuscitated the genre with the hit "Triste Recuerdo". To this day he has been the only Hispanic artist to sell out the Madison Square Garden of New York City for six consecutive nights on 1997.^[6][7]

Family[link]

Ángela and Jesús, Antonio's parents, had six other children: José Roque, Salvador (dec.), Guadalupe (dec.), Luis Tomás (dec.), Mariano (dec.) and Josefina. Aguilar was married to actress Flor Silvestre (born Guillermina Jiménez Chagoya), and one of their children, José "Pepe" Aguilar, is among Mexico's most popular modern singers. In addition to Pepe Aguilar, he had another child with Flor Silvestre who is the eldest, Antonio Aguilar, Jr. Aguilar's grandchildren include Emiliano, Aneliz, Leonardo, and Ángela are Pepe Aguilar's children. María José and Flor Susana are Antonio Aguilar Jr's. children.^[2]

Death[link]

Portrait of Antonio Aguilar at his funeral.

On June 18, 2007, Doctors announced that Antonio was no longer responding to treatment and was expected to pass away before the end of the night. On June 19, 2007, the doctor spoke out to the media that Aguilar was still alive, and his body was responding to the medication but was still in critical condition. While there, the family received visits from many famous people including Vicente Fernández.

Aguilar died on June 19, 2007 at 11:45 p.m. from pneumonia. His coffin was carried through the streets of Zacatecas, the state capital, and was honored at a memorial service attended by hundreds at a church there.

His body was then taken to the hamlet of Tayahua, about 100 kilometers (62 mi) to the south, where residents waited in the streets to bid Aguilar a final farewell before he was buried at his family's "El Soyate" ranch nearby, the government news agency Notimex reported.

Obituaries appeared in many newspapers, including Los Angeles Times (US), New York Times (US), Washington Post (US), The Guardian (UK) and The Independent (UK). News of Antonio’s death were reported in newspapers of many Spanish-speaking countries, including Guatemala (El Periodico), Honduras (La Tribuna), El Salvador (El Diario de Hoy), Nicaragua (El Nuevo Diario), Costa Rica (Diario Extra), Venezuela (Correo del Caroní), Peru (Crónica Viva), Colombia (El Tiempo), Ecuador (El Diario) and Chile (El Mercurio).

References[link]

External links[link]

• Antonio Aguilar at the Internet Movie Database
• Antonio Aguilar's movies at TKcine
• Pepe Aguilar's website - Antonio Aguilar's son
• Obituary in the Houston Chronicle

José Antonio Domínguez Banderas (born 10 August 1960), better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer. He began his acting career at age 19 with a series of films by director Pedro Almodóvar and then appeared in high-profile Hollywood films, especially in the 1990s, including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire, Philadelphia, Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Spy Kids, the Shrek sequels and Puss in Boots.

Early life[link]

Banderas was born in Málaga, Andalucía, Spain, in 1960, to Ana Banderas, a school teacher, and José Domínguez, a police officer in the Guardia Civil.^[1][2] He has a younger brother, Javier. Although the family name is Domínguez, he took his mother's surname as his stage name.^[3] As a child, he wanted to become a professional football player until a broken foot sidelined his dreams at the age of fifteen. He went on to enroll in some drama classes, eventually joining a theater troupe that toured all over Spain. His work in the theater, and his performances on the streets, eventually landed him a spot with the National Theatre of Spain.^[4]

Career[link]

Early work, 1982–90[link]

His acting career began at the age of 19,^{[citation needed]} when he worked in small theatres during Spain’s post-dictatorial cultural movement known as the 'Movida'.^[5] While performing with the theatre, Banderas caught the attention of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in his 1982 film debut, Labyrinth of Passion. Five years later he went on to appear in the director's Law of Desire, making headlines with his performance as a gay man, which required him to engage in his first male-to-male onscreen kiss. After Banderas appeared in Almodóvar's 1986 Matador, the director cast him in his internationally acclaimed 1988 film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The recognition Banderas gained for his role increased two years later when he starred in Almodóvar's controversial Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as a mental patient who kidnaps a porn star (Victoria Abril) and keeps her tied up until she returns his love.^[4] It was his breakthrough role in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, that helped spur him on to Hollywood.^[6] Banderas' having become a regular feature of Almodóvar's movies all throughout the 1980s, Almodóvar is credited for helping launch Banderas's international career.^[7]

Breakthrough, 1991–94[link]

In 1991 Madonna introduced Banderas to Hollywood in the documentary film Madonna: Truth or Dare. In the film, Madonna says she wants to seduce Banderas even though she knows he was married.

The following year, still speaking minimal English, he began acting in U.S. films. Despite having to learn all his lines phonetically, Banderas still managed to turn in a critically praised performance as a struggling musician in his first American drama film, The Mambo Kings (1992).

Banderas then broke through to mainstream American audiences in the film, Philadelphia (1993), as the gay lover of AIDS-afflicted lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks). The film's success earned Banderas wide recognition, and the following year was given a role in Neil Jordan's high-profile adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, which allowed him to share the screen with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.^[4]

Worldwide recognition, 1995–present[link]

He appeared in several major Hollywood releases in 1995, including a starring role in the Robert Rodriguez-directed film Desperado and the antagonist on the action film Assassins, co-starred with Sylvester Stallone. In 1996, he starred alongside Madonna in Evita, an adaptation of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and in Tim Rice in which he played the narrator, Che, a role played by David Essex in the original 1978 West End production. He also made success with his role as the legendary masked swordsman Zorro in the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro.

In 2001, he collaborated with Robert Rodriguez who cast him in the Spy Kids film trilogy. He also starred in Michael Cristofer's Original Sin alongside Angelina Jolie the same year. In 2002, he starred in Brian De Palma's Femme Fatale opposite Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and in Julie Taymor's Frida with Salma Hayek. In 2003, he starred in the last installment of the trilogy Once Upon A Time In Mexico (in which he appeared with Johnny Depp and Salma Hayek). Banderas' debut as a director was the poorly-received Crazy in Alabama (1999), starring his wife Melanie Griffith.^[8]

In 2003, he returned to the musical genre, appearing to great acclaim in the Broadway revival of Maury Yeston's musical Nine, based on the film 8½, playing the prime role originated by the late Raúl Juliá. Banderas won both the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards, and was nominated for the Tony Award for best actor in a musical.^[9] His performance is preserved on the Broadway cast recording released by PS Classics. The following year (2004), he received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).

Banderas in June 2007

His voice role as Puss in Boots in Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and the last film in the Shrek franchise, Shrek Forever After, helped make the character popular on the family film circuit. In 2005, he reprised his role as Zorro in The Legend of Zorro, though this was not as successful as The Mask of Zorro. In 2006, he starred in Take the Lead, a high-set movie in which he played a ballroom dancing teacher. That year, he directed his second film El camino de los ingleses (English title: Summer Rain), and also received the L.A. Latino International Film Festival's "Gabi" Lifetime Achievement Award on 14 October.^[10] He hosted the 600th episode of Saturday Night Live (during season 31).

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in 2005.

In 2011, the horror thriller The Skin I Live In marked the return of Banderas to Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director who launched his international career. The two had not worked together since 1990 (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!). In The Skin I Live In he breaks out of the "Latin Lover" mold from his Hollywood work and stars as a calculating revenge-seeking plastic surgeon following the rape of his daughter. According to the Associated Press Banderas' performance is among his strongest in recent memory.^[7] He again lent his voice to Puss in Boots, this time as the protagonist of the Shrek spin-off family film, Puss in Boots. This film reunited Banderas with Salma Hayek for the sixth time.^[11]

Business activities[link]

He has invested some of his film earnings in Andalusian products, which he promotes in Spain and the US.^[12] He owns 50% of a winery in Villalba de Duero, Burgos, Spain, called Anta Banderas, which produces red and rosé wines.^[13]

He performed a voice-over for a computer-animated bee which can be seen in the United States in television commercials for Nasonex,^[14] an allergy medication, and was seen in the 2007 Christmas advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer, a British retailer.^[15]

He is a veteran of the perfume industry. The actor has been working with fragrance and beauty multinational company Puig for over ten years becoming one of the brand's most successful representatives. Banderas and Puig have successfully promoted a number of fragrances so far – Diavolo, Diavolo for Women, Mediterraneo, Spirit, and Spirit for Women. After the success of Antonio for Men and Blue Seduction for Men in 2007, launched his latest Blue Seduction for Women the following year.^[16]

Personal life[link]

Banderas with Melanie Griffith at the Shrek Forever After premiere.

Banderas divorced his first wife, Ana Leza, and on 14 May 1996, married American actress Melanie Griffith in a private, low-key ceremony in London.^[5][17] They had met a year earlier while shooting Two Much.^[18] Both Griffith and Banderas were married to other people when they first met.^[5] They have a daughter, Stella Banderas, who appeared with her parents in the 1999 film Crazy in Alabama, in which Griffith starred and which Banderas directed.^[12] In 2002, the couple's dedication to philanthropy was recognized when they received the 'Stella Adler Angel Award' for their extensive charity work.^[5]

In 1996, Banderas appeared among other figures of Spanish culture in a video supporting the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party lists in the general election.^[19]

He is a long time supporter of the Málaga CF.^[20]

He is an officer (mayordomo de trono) of a Roman Catholic religious brotherhood in Málaga and travels, with his wife and daughter, during Holy Week to take part in the processions,^[21] although in an interview with People magazine Banderas had once described himself as an agnostic.^[22] In May 2010, Banderas received his honorary doctorate from the University of Málaga in the city where he was born.^[6]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Director and producer[link]

Theater[link]

See also[link]

• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Antonio Banderas

• Antonio Banderas appointed Goodwill Ambassador at Bay Ledger
• Antonio Banderas at the Internet Movie Database
• Antonio Banderas at the TCM Movie Database
• Antonio Banderas at the Internet Broadway Database
• Antonio Banderas at Emmys.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

Antonio González Flores (November 14, 1961 – May 30, 1995) was a Spanish singer-songwriter and actor.

He was the only son of singers and actors Antonio González 'El Pescaílla' and Lola Flores. He was the brother of actresses Lolita Flores and Rosario Flores. He was divorced from Ana Villa with whom he had a daughter, Alba.

Career[link]

His first album, Antonio, was released in 1980 and included the hit "No dudaría" and a cover of Joaquín Sabina's "Pongamos que hablo de Madrid". The album was a complete commercial failure. His next two albums, Al caer el sol (1984) and Gran Vía (1988), also passed unnoticed. Despite of his unsuccessful attempts, he was encouraged to continue his music career by his sister's album De ley (1992) which he had mostly composed.

In 1994, thanks to the support of his fellow influencing musicians, he was invited to the Gijón concert of the Mucho más que dos (Much more than two) tour, where he sang "Sólo le pido a Dios" (I only ask of God) in a duet with Ana Belén.

He achieved commercial success with his album Cosas mías (1995,) which would also be his last.

Death[link]

Shortly after the release of Cosas mías, Flores' mother, Lola Flores, died, sending him into a deep depression. Two weeks after his mother died, he was found dead of a drug overdose. It was ruled a suicide.

Legacy[link]

After Flores' death, his music started to gain recognition. To date, numerous tributes and posthumous reissues have been made of his work.

Discography[link]

• Antonio (1980)
• Al caer el sol (1984)
• Gran Vía (1988)
• Cosas mías (1995)

Posthumous and tributes

• Antología (1996)
• Arriba los corazones (1999)
• Para Antonio Flores (2002)
• 10 años: La Leyenda de un Artista (2005)

Filmography[link]

• El Taxi de los conflictos (1969) - De Mariano Ozores hijo
• Colegas (1980) Colegas - De Eloy de la Iglesia
• Calé (1987) Calé - De Carlos Serrano
• Sangre y arena (1989) - De Javier Elorrieta
• La Femme et le pantin (1990) - De Mario Camus
• Cautivos de la sombra (1993) - De Javier Elorrieta y Chechu y familia

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Antonio Flores at the Internet Movie Database
• "Antonio Flores". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7541289. Retrieved September 2, 2010. 

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Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman performing at the World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka
Background information
Born	(1960-08-14) 14 August 1960 (age 51)
Origin	Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England
Genres	Classical crossover, operatic pop, symphonic rock, symphonic metal, pop, new age, rock, dance, electronica, techno, folk, traditional
Occupations	Singer, actress, songwriter, dancer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards
Years active	1976–present
Labels	A&M (1993) East West (1995–2001) Angel/EMI (1997–2007) Manhattan/EMI (2008–present)
Website	www.sarah-brightman.com

Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves.^[1][2] She sings in many languages including English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese.^[3]

Brightman began her career as a member of the dance troupe Hot Gossip and released several disco singles as a solo performer. In 1981, she made her West End musical theatre debut in Cats and met composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, whom she married. She went on to star in several Broadway musicals, including The Phantom of the Opera, where she originated the role of Christine Daaé. The Original London Cast Album of the musical was released in CD format in 1987 and sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the biggest-selling cast album of all time.^[4]

After retiring from the stage and divorcing Lloyd Webber, Brightman resumed her music career with former Enigma producer Frank Peterson, this time as a classical crossover artist. She is often credited as the creator of this genre and remains among the most prominent performers, with worldwide sales of more than 30 million records and 2 million DVDs, establishing herself as the world's best-selling soprano of all time.^[5][6][7] Her duet with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, "Time To Say Goodbye", topped charts all over Europe and became the highest and fastest selling single of all time in Germany, where it stayed at the top of the charts for fourteen consecutive weeks and sold over 3 million copies.^[8][9] It subsequently became an international success selling 12 million copies worldwide.^[10] She has now collected over 180 gold and platinum sales awards in 38 different countries.^[11] In 2010 she was named by Billboard the 5th most influential and top-selling classical artist of the 2000s decade in the US.^[12]

Brightman is the first artist to have been invited twice to perform at the Olympic Games, first at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games where she sang "Amigos Para Siempre" with the Spanish tenor Jose Carreras with an estimated global audience of a billion people, and sixteen years later in Beijing, this time with Chinese singer Liu Huan, performing the song "You and Me" to an estimated 4 billion people worldwide.^[13] Since 2010, Brightman is Panasonic's global brand ambassador. Together they launched the song "Shall Be Done" at the 2010 Winter Games held in Vancouver, Canada.^[14] Brightman is the element of union in Panasonic's signing of Strategic Partnership Agreement with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as she stars the campaign "The World Heritage Special" that is being aired on the National Geographic Channel in 183 countries and areas.^[15]

In early 2012 Brightman was appointed as the UNESCO artist for peace for the period 2012–2014 for her “commitment to humanitarian and charitable causes, her contribution, throughout her artistic career, to the promotion of cultural dialogue and the exchanges among cultures, and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the Organization”.^[16]

In 2012 In conjunction with Virgin Galactic, The Brightman STEM Scholarship program (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) was launched. It will help young women in the US pursue STEM education across their four year college careers.^[17]

Apart from music, Brightman has begun a film career, making her debut in Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008), a rock opera-musical film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, and in autumn 2011 and early 2012 Stephen Evans' "First Night", starring opposite Richard E. Grant.^[18][19] In addition, she formed her own production company, Instinct Films, where her first film is in pre-production.^[20] Brightman is the world's richest female classical performer with a fortune of £30m (about US$49m).^[21]