Patty @ Sanremo Festival 1985: 30th anniversary

Pippo Baudo & Patty Brard on "Sanremo Festival" (1985)

On February 7th, 8th and 9th 1985, Patty Brard co-hosted the Sanremo Festival (the most popular Italian song contest) with Pippo Baudo. At that time, she was married to Carlo Nasi (a Los Angeles-based music publisher and record producer as well as one of the heirs to the FIAT empire). Because of her connections with the influential Nasi-Agnelli family and the composer and lyricist Alberto Testa, Miss Brard (who was unknown in Italy) had the privilege to present this legendary music show. Her appearance on a high-rated TV program (which drew 15 million viewers) was part of the strategy to organize her breakthrough in Dante's country. The Indo Dutch singer released a Dance-pop single entitled "Woman in Love" (produced by Carlo Nasi) that she performed during the festival. The official "Sanremo '85" LP compilation even featured this song:

      

Unfortunately, the ex-Luv' lady did not achieve her goal. Shortly after the festival, she didn't build a career in Italy. 

In 1995, Carlo Nasi discussed Patty's participation in the festival on Bart de Graaff's TV show "Onder de B van Brard". "If I had to go back, I would suggest not to do it. She was the first non-Italian host of Sanremo and that created a big, big problem," he explained. Indeed, Pippo Baudo (one of the famous TV personality in Italy) dissed his former colleague by telling that "she was not very talented and that she did not speak Italian very well". 

Pippo Baudo and Patty Brard on the cover of "Gente" magazine (Thanks René van Ooijen for the scan)

Last summer, La Brard appeared on Linda de Mol's talk show and told how her recruitment happened (see news posted on August 26th, 2014). "I lived in LA. Alberto Testa (a friend of my former husband) asked me to present the Sanremo Festival. I told him that I didn't speak Italian. I had to learn it in one month. I was selected from 300 beautiful applicants because of my humour...It was a difficult experience. Pippo Baudo (a kind of half Berlusconi) was very irritating," the diva said. 

Patty on her "Sanremo" experience on RTL 4's talk show Linda's Zomerweek (2014)

Source: Wikipedia, YouTube, Discogs...