| Andrea Bocelli (born September 22, 1958) is an Italian operatic pop tenor and a classical crossover singer who has also performed in operas. To date, he has recorded seven complete operas (La bohème, Tosca, Il trovatore, Werther, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana and Carmen) in addition to various classical and pop albums. He has sold over 65 million albums worldwide thus far. Born with congenital glaucoma, total blindness came to Bocelli at the age of twelve, after a football accident. The Hail Mary or Ave Maria (Latin) is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for the intercession of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Hail Mary is used within Roman Catholicism, and it forms the basis of the Rosary. The prayer is also used by the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox as well as by many other groups within the Catholic tradition of Christianity including Anglicans, Independent Catholics, and Old Catholics. Some Protestant denominations also make use of the prayer. Most of the text of the Hail Mary can be found within the Gospel of Luke. |
