Sabrina Salerno was born in Genoa on March 15, 1968. After growing up without her father, who left the family even before Sabrina was born, she lived from five to fourteen years old in Sanremo with her grandparents. Back in Genoa, while studying at the "Cesare Pavese" high school, she took part in a beauty contest and won first the title of "Miss Lido" and then of "Miss Liguria". Noted during the beauty contest by the talent scout Giampiero Menzione, she made her television debut in 1984 in the program "W le Donne" conducted by Amanda Lear and Andrea Giordana. In 1985 she joined Johnny Dorelli in the popular Saturday night show "Premiatissima" on Canale 5. She started out as a singer in 1986, with the song "Sexy Girl", produced by Claudio Cecchetto, that rapidly scaled the Italian and German sales charts and that will be chosen as the theme song of the 1986 Festivalbar. In the meantime she participated as a singer and showgirl in two other TV programmes on Canale 5: Grand Hotel (1986) and Sandra Raimondo Show (1987) with Sandra Mondaini and Raimondo Vianello. In 1987 she released her debut album "Sabrina" which, in addition to the first single "Sexy Girl", contained new songs, first of all "Boys (Summertime Love)". This single achieved particular success throughout Europe, reaching the top of the rankings of countries such as Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Norway, Australia and Italy. In England she reached the third position preceded only by Michael Jackson and Madonna.
