Departures of note

Piero Antonio Franco De Benedictis was born in Gallipoli, Italy, on 19 April 1945 and moved to Argentina at the age of three. He began his professional singing career in 1964 on Argentine television and, from 1968, formed a songwriting partnership with José Tcherkaski that produced enduring hits including "Mi viejo" and "El jardín de los sueños," making him one of the most popular singer-songwriters in Latin America. His socially conscious music, including albums such as Para el pueblo lo que es del pueblo, became anthems of protest during the 1970s. After the 1976 Argentine coup he went into exile in Spain and later developed a deep connection with Colombia, receiving Colombian citizenship in 1994 and working as a peace advocate. He received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. He also acted in films, served as Undersecretary of Culture of Buenos Aires Province in 1998, and remained active in music and humanitarian causes until his death in Buenos Aires on 7 October 2026 at the age of 81.