NEED TO KNOW
Growing up with a famous father had its perks for Matteo Bocelli.
The 27-year-old musician, whose upcoming album Falling in Love comes out Sept. 12, is looking back on an unforgettable moment in his childhood: the time his father, Andrea Bocelli, surprised him with meeting his crush, Angelina Jolie.
“When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Angelina Jolie,” Matteo tells PEOPLE. “I remember I was probably 6 years old, and my father was having a performance in Rome during this movie event. He was like, ‘There might be Angelina Jolie, your love.’ And I was like, ‘No, I can’t believe it.'”
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An hour before the event, however, Matteo was told Jolie, 50, ultimately wouldn’t be able to make it, and he felt “so sad” — but only briefly.
“Basically, everything was planned,” he says. “I remember they opened the door of the car, and she was right there standing in front of me. I was petrified, completely frozen.”
Matteo describes the moment as a “fun, beautiful memory,” one of many superstar encounters he’s had the chance of experiencing.
“Last year, my father had that show in Lajatico, his hometown. It was the 30th anniversary of his career, so he invited lots of celebrities, [including] Johnny Depp and Ed Sheeran,” he explains.
“After the show, they came over to our place and we hung out together. It was me and my brother, a couple of friends, Ed and Johnny Depp,” says Matteo. “It’s definitely one night I’ll never forget, because I had the chance to talk a lot with them.”
“They’re two incredible people to me, honestly,” he adds of Sheeran, 34, and Depp, 62. “They’re both very sensitive people.”
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Andrea, 66, previously told PEOPLE about the star-studded evening in a November 2024 interview about the concert, which featured Sheeran, Depp, Shania Twain, Jon Batiste, Russell Crowe, Sofia Vergara, David Foster, Christian Nodal, Sofia Carson and others.
“At the end of every night, we organized a party in the backstage,” said the legendary Italian tenor at the time. “At the end of the second concert… Ed Sheeran, Johnny Depp and Matteo, they all went to my house in Lajatico where I was born and raised.”
“They made pasta together. They drank some wine, I’m sure, and they were partying until 6 a.m.,” recalled Andrea. “Just to give you an idea on the magic atmosphere that was there during those nights.”
