Today marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Greek singer Demis Roussos (born June 15, 1946).
The musician died on January 25, 2015 in Athens at the age of 68, but his rich work remains eternal.
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, with the birth name Artemios Ventouris Roussos. He grew up in a family of a Greek engineer and a mother of Egyptian-Italian origin.
His family lost all their property during the Suez Crisis (1956) and moved to Greece in 1958. In Athens he studied music and learned to play the guitar, trumpet, double bass and piano.
In 1968, Demis Roussos, together with the legendary composer Vangelis, founded the progressive rock band Aphrodite's Child. Their breakthrough in Europe was exceptional, and their joint album “666“ is considered a masterpiece.
During the 70s and 80s, Demis Roussos became a global pop phenomenon. He sold over 60 million albums worldwide. His specific and dramatic lyrical tenor gave birth to iconic ballads such as: "Forever and Ever", "Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye", "From Souvenirs to Souvenirs", "Quand je t'aime".
Demis Roussos has a special relationship with the Bulgarian audience. He first visited the country in 1995 at the iconic "Golden Orpheus" festival. In March 2006, he performed a major charity concert at the National Palace of Culture in a duet with the prima donna of the Bulgarian pop music, Lili Ivanova.
The singer spoke 7-8 languages fluently, including Greek, French, English, Spanish, Italian and Arabic. On stage, he was recognizable by his lavish tunics and long beard. Off stage, he fought a tough battle with his weight and even published an autobiographical book on the subject in 1982.
In 1985, Roussos was among the passengers on a TWA airliner hijacked by terrorists. He spent several days in captivity in Beirut before being released.
In 2013, France awarded him its highest state award for his contribution to culture.
The asteroid (279226) Demisroussos is named after him.