Born in Vietnam, he moved to Rome, Italy, when he was 11 years old. He says that at first he had a hard time trying to handle that "cold" city.
Casting singers for his new opera, "Giulietta e Romeo",
based on Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". (November 2006)
In 1976, he covered the Beatles song "Michelle" for the musical documentary All This and World War II.
For Christmas 1997, his friend Plácido Domingo invited him to sing at Domingo's annual Christmas in Vienna concert, together with Sarah Brightman and Helmut Lotti.
He attended the Lycée français Chateaubriand.
In 1991, he won the Sanremo Festival with the song "Se stiamo insieme".
In 2013, Cocciante was a coach for The Voice Italy. Elhaida Dani, one of the contestants he coached, won the first season of The Voice Italy.
Also known in French-speaking countries and the U.S. as Richard Cocciante.
Cocciante's oeuvre includes recordings in Italian, French, English, and Spanish.
In 1983, Cocciante released his album "Sincerità", produced and arranged by the American composer James Newton Howard.
In 1983, Cocciante signed to Virgin Records as their first Italian artist.