Paolo Salvatore was born on January 27, 1941, in Sicily, Italy, and moved to Chile at the age of eight with his family, including his cousin and closest relative, Sergio Meli Grosso.

He was married twice: first in Chile to journalist María Inés Sáez, with whom he had two daughters, and later in Spain in 1995 to former Miss Euskadi Pilar Orive, with whom he had a son named Lazlo. He spent the northern hemisphere summers in Spain and the southern hemisphere summers in Chile.

His artistic career began in the 1970s. His charisma was such that Mario Kreutzberger (Don Francisco) made him a regular performer on Sábados Gigantes, the most popular family television program in Chile at the time, alongside Sábados en el 9, hosted by Enrique Maluenda. Fans admired both his distinctive voice and the cheerful, simple style of his songs.

In the summer of 1975, he participated in the 16th Viña del Mar International Song Festival, where he won the Silver Seagull for Best Performer with the song “Es de noche ya”, written by Reinaldo Tomás Martínez and Luis Miguel Silva.

During the 1980s, he moved to Spain to continue his career, achieving significant recognition as a singer in a style similar to that of French artist Georgie Dann and Argentine singer Luis Aguilé.

In the early 2000s, he returned to Chile, initially focusing on cosmetics businesses, including hair creams, shampoos, and perfumes. At the same time, he resumed his musical career and became an icon of the kitsch movement. Around this time, thanks to fellow Chilean singer Lucho Muñoz, he met Colombian producer Fabián Montoya, with whom he planned several tours and released his final album, “El Toro y La Luna”.

In 2006, he faced a serious health issue: after a week of severe headaches, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, which required hospitalization on April 17.

He passed away on July 3, 2007, at 2:00 a.m. local time in Santiago, Chile, at the age of 66, due to the brain tumor. His remains were cremated in the same city.