nytimes May 23, 2021 6:00am Franco Battiato, Pop Singer and Versatile Composer, Dies at 76 #battiatofranco19452021 #deathsobituaries #music #popandrockmusic #art #classicalmusic #italy #news Franco Battiato, Pop Singer and Versatile Composer, Dies at 76 Though hugely popular as a singer-songwriter in Italy, he never stopped experimenting. He composed for movies, opera and ballet, directed films and painted.