Our three handsome Italians here are adorned with yet another beautiful Italian…Barbara, their devoted Road Manager.
How many of us have said we would give ANYTHING to have HER job?
When the IL VOLO team is ON THE ROAD…there you will find Barbara leading the way with a smile on her face and the patience of a saint. Yet she always stays in the background and wants it that way. The guys have lovingly referred to her like she is an aunt or second mother. She takes good care of them and they know it.
To awaken each morning and say, “Oh, gee, I’d better check on the guys and make sure they are all up and ready to hit the road”…or “Oh, gee, I’d better be sure the coiffeur (hairdresser) will be here in plenty of time before we leave this city”…or “Oh yes, make sure we have Nutella on hand for Gianluca, fruit for Piero and sushi for Ignazio!” What a job, right?
Yes, I DO realize her job is not all fun and games. She no doubt has the huge task of keeping them on a tight and at times grueling schedule, let alone airline and hotel reservations, safety issues, venue transportation…the list must go on and on. I am thinking she must be the ultimate multi-tasker of us all! A job she does impeccably well.
Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio have given up any sort of normal lifestyle years ago in pursuit of their dream. I would think Barbara has also given up a normal lifestyle as well. Granted in our eyes she has the dream job of all time, but I’m sure the long hours and constant travel are not easy on her either. All the more reason I admire her for her devotion to these three!
You will find this lovely woman standing quietly off to the side at the Meet and Greets. Yes, she is more than happy to chat with YOU (and yes, she speaks wonderful English) while you wait your turn to see the guys. She appears friendly and professional at all times, yet I am thinking that one on one with these three hunks has GOT to be more fun than she would lead us to believe! She couldn’t possibly let on to us how unbelievably extraordinary it is to be with these guys day in and day out now could she? We’d all be tackling her down and trying to pay HER to take a day off where WE’D watch over her charges for her…just for ONE day…pulleeezzzeee?
14 thoughts on “Personally Speaking ~ Barbara! ~ by Jane”
Nice article , Jane! She has also grown into a very lovely Lady. I have had the pleasure of meeting her several times. I have asked her for a formal interview twice (both in person and in writing). She graciously refused both times. She says it’s not about her and would prefer to remain on the side lines. Too bad! The stories she could tell…
Hey Barb! I think you need a vacation. All that travel must be tiresome. I’ll take over for a while!
Before I go off camping today (our last nice day), I wanted to share some lovely words from Ignazio’s Instagram “ignazioboschetto It’s nice to come home, to the origins, to real life .. When I get home it’s like if you go back into the past .. When the desire to make this life was just a dream .. I think because of what I can do today more appreciative of what home means to me! I love my life, I love my roots, I love my family, and I hope to love you, too …
Well…that will keep me warm and comfy at the lake!
Jane, thanks for this tribute to the one and only “BARBARA”! She is truly a wonder! Would I like to have her job? Yes! Could I do it? No! They did a good thing when they found Barbara!! I hope I get to meet her at the M&G at the San Antonio Concert!! Sign me, “counting the days” in Texas! Dot…..
Barbara is a very warm, beautiful, gracious person. At the Stamford concert I had the opportunity to talk with her and I said how wonderful it was that they all loved each other so much. She said ” we are family and they are fun and good ” I said good all the time and she replied ” all the time !! ” I said that she has a great job and she replied ” Yes but hard ”
We can all be comforted and relieved that such a wonderful and loving person has been taking care of our precious boys day in and day out for the last six years. She has sacrificed a lot in her personal life to take care of them and for that we are forever grateful.
I am looking forward to seeing her again in Las Vegas !!
Jane, What a lovely well deserved accolade to Barbara. It must be a comfort to the boys’ mothers to know that she is watching over their sons. Also to the many fan “mothers” and “grandmas” who love them as well. Thanks, Barbara.
Yes, this article is true but that is not all. Jeannette and I had a “down-to-business” time with Barbara last week in Vegas (see previous report on this web site ). She can be all business and she can be very firm – no doubt. But when all is said and done she is very gracious. Last year I spent a good part of day waiting on her and following her around back stage during the prep and rehearsal time and I will tell you she is always, always busy and has a lot tasks to do in each town. It also is not always easy to deal with the big production company they deal with – this year it is CAA. for a while it was Live Nation. They both have problems and sometimes things don’t go Il Volo’s way so she has to get tough.
Don’t kid yourself, it is a rough business. But for us she was very nice and always has the good of the boys on priority.
Thanks, Jane and Myron! I have been amazed for a long time that Barbara has managed everything so well! It must be an absolute nightmare sometimes with all the planning as mentioned! Yes, a dream job, but, as I mentioned, can also be a nghtmare dealing with outside businesses; airlines, hotels, etc!
She is an absolute jewel! Can’t wait to meet her and everyone in Vegas!
I pray everyday that God, Jesus, and Mary, will ALWAYS keep Il Volo, their crew, and families safe!
I agree what a god send Barbara is to IL Volo. She has looked after them so well what a great job she has done I’m glad they have someone like her in their corner. Hopefully we will get to talk to her in March.
Barbara has given up her own personal life for the boys. What total dedication. If she was with my sons , I would feel that they are safe. Thanks Barbara. Joanie g
I could not do her job. First off I would probably be drooling too much. Secondly I would probably lose my mind trying to keep up with all the demands of her work. Just imagining that event of nearly losing Ignazio would have been enough to make my hair go white
Its just not the life of a pirate. It is the perfect job for her. Thanks for this topic!
Yes, I’ve often thought she needed an assistant? I would happily volunteer, as long as they paid me enough to keep my apartment and minimal expenses! I keep the calendar of a busy chief engineer at Ford whose calendar can literally change with the wind – I think I could help her out? lol! 🙂
j
Nice article , Jane! She has also grown into a very lovely Lady. I have had the pleasure of meeting her several times. I have asked her for a formal interview twice (both in person and in writing). She graciously refused both times. She says it’s not about her and would prefer to remain on the side lines. Too bad! The stories she could tell…
Hey Barb! I think you need a vacation. All that travel must be tiresome. I’ll take over for a while!
I think Barbara is strickingly beautiful. The perfect lady for the boys
Before I go off camping today (our last nice day), I wanted to share some lovely words from Ignazio’s Instagram “ignazioboschetto It’s nice to come home, to the origins, to real life .. When I get home it’s like if you go back into the past .. When the desire to make this life was just a dream .. I think because of what I can do today more appreciative of what home means to me! I love my life, I love my roots, I love my family, and I hope to love you, too …
Well…that will keep me warm and comfy at the lake!
Jane, thanks for this tribute to the one and only “BARBARA”! She is truly a wonder! Would I like to have her job? Yes! Could I do it? No! They did a good thing when they found Barbara!! I hope I get to meet her at the M&G at the San Antonio Concert!! Sign me, “counting the days” in Texas! Dot…..
Barbara is a very warm, beautiful, gracious person. At the Stamford concert I had the opportunity to talk with her and I said how wonderful it was that they all loved each other so much. She said ” we are family and they are fun and good ” I said good all the time and she replied ” all the time !! ” I said that she has a great job and she replied ” Yes but hard ”
We can all be comforted and relieved that such a wonderful and loving person has been taking care of our precious boys day in and day out for the last six years. She has sacrificed a lot in her personal life to take care of them and for that we are forever grateful.
I am looking forward to seeing her again in Las Vegas !!
Jane, What a lovely well deserved accolade to Barbara. It must be a comfort to the boys’ mothers to know that she is watching over their sons. Also to the many fan “mothers” and “grandmas” who love them as well. Thanks, Barbara.
Volare….
http://www.radioitalia.it/multimedia/video/artista/1/il_volo/2275.php
Yes, this article is true but that is not all. Jeannette and I had a “down-to-business” time with Barbara last week in Vegas (see previous report on this web site ). She can be all business and she can be very firm – no doubt. But when all is said and done she is very gracious. Last year I spent a good part of day waiting on her and following her around back stage during the prep and rehearsal time and I will tell you she is always, always busy and has a lot tasks to do in each town. It also is not always easy to deal with the big production company they deal with – this year it is CAA. for a while it was Live Nation. They both have problems and sometimes things don’t go Il Volo’s way so she has to get tough.
Don’t kid yourself, it is a rough business. But for us she was very nice and always has the good of the boys on priority.
Thanks, Jane and Myron! I have been amazed for a long time that Barbara has managed everything so well! It must be an absolute nightmare sometimes with all the planning as mentioned! Yes, a dream job, but, as I mentioned, can also be a nghtmare dealing with outside businesses; airlines, hotels, etc!
She is an absolute jewel! Can’t wait to meet her and everyone in Vegas!
I pray everyday that God, Jesus, and Mary, will ALWAYS keep Il Volo, their crew, and families safe!
I agree what a god send Barbara is to IL Volo. She has looked after them so well what a great job she has done I’m glad they have someone like her in their corner. Hopefully we will get to talk to her in March.
Barbara has given up her own personal life for the boys. What total dedication. If she was with my sons , I would feel that they are safe. Thanks Barbara. Joanie g
Thank you Barbara and all the comments from those who have met her.
I could not do her job. First off I would probably be drooling too much. Secondly I would probably lose my mind trying to keep up with all the demands of her work. Just imagining that event of nearly losing Ignazio would have been enough to make my hair go white
Its just not the life of a pirate. It is the perfect job for her. Thanks for this topic!
Yes, I’ve often thought she needed an assistant? I would happily volunteer, as long as they paid me enough to keep my apartment and minimal expenses! I keep the calendar of a busy chief engineer at Ford whose calendar can literally change with the wind – I think I could help her out? lol! 🙂
j