Andrea Bocelli Says He Was 'Humiliated and Offended' By Lockdown Rules

Andrea Bocelli recently spoke out against the lockdown rules set in place by the Italian government during the pandemic, saying he was "humiliated and offended," Opera Wire reports.

These comments were made at a panel before Italy's Senate held last Monday.

"I could not leave the house even though I had committed no crime," Bocelli said. He admits that he disobeyed the lockdown rules and believed the severity of the health crisis was overblown.

He also encouraged others to break the rules about wearing masks and social distancing, saying, "Let's refuse to follow this rule. Let's read books, move around, get to know each other, talk, dialogue."

Bocelli later claimed that his remarks were "misunderstood," and cited the fact that his foundation has helped many people that got sick with COVID-19.

Bocelli himself was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year, and fully recovered, as BroadwayWorld previously reported.

In 1994 Andrea Bocelli exploded onto the world stage with the hit song "Time to Say Goodbye," topping charts all across the world. In 1999, his nomination for Best New Artist at the GRAMMY AWARDS marked the first time a classical artist had been nominated in the category, since 1961. "The Prayer," his duet with Celine Dion for the animated film, "The Quest for Camelot," won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category.

With the release of his classical album, "Sacred Arias," Bocelli captured a listing in the Guinness Book of World Records, as he simultaneously held the top three positions on the U.S. classical albums charts. Five of his albums have since reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200, and record-setting seven, have topped the classical albums charts in the United States.

In 2006, Bocelli was made a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, and on March 2, 2010, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been a guest at New York City's historic Carnegie Hall, and this past February, made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House. He is widely regarded as the most popular Italian and classical singer in the world.

A completely new hardcover translation of Bocelli's memoir, Andrea Bocelli: The Music of Silence, will be published by Amadeus Press in September.