Stefano D’Orazio, historic member of the famous Italian band I Pooh, has died of Coronavirus, Italian media report.
D’Orazio, 72, for decades was the band’s drummer but also wrote songs and sand some of them.
He joined I Pooh in 1971, and left the group in 2009, but returned in 2015 to take part in the grand tour celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary.
D’Orazio married his long-time companion Tiziana Giardo in 2017, on the day of his 70th birthday. They had no children.
I Pooh member Dodi Battaglia, in announcing the death, said it was devastating to know that “Stefano died on his own” in a hospital bed. “He was not well, but it did not appear to be so serious. He was being treated in a Rome Hospital. I was expecting news of his recovery but instead received the blow that he had died.”
On the social media, I Pooh said that they had lost a brother.
D’Orazio was born in Rome in 1948, and joined I Pooh in 1971. He was part of the band when I Pooh won the Sanremo festival in 1990 with “Uomini soli”.