The unique Greek singer and performer Demis Roussos was born on this day in 1946
The artist achieved the peak of his popularity during the 1970’s with songs such as “Forever And Ever”
The unique Greek singer and performer Demis Roussos was born on this day in 1946
The Greek singer Artemios Ventouris-Roussos was born on June 15, 1946, in Alexandria, Egypt. One of Greece’s most famous performers, Roussos started his career during the 1960’s in Progressive Rock and Psychedelic Rock bands, being the most famous Aphrodite’s Child, that he formed with another famous Greek artist, Vangelis (that became one of the most famous music scores composers in the world). During the late 1960’s the band tried to move to London, England, trying to break into the international music scene but were turned back due to visa problems and settled in Paris, France. There they signed a deal with Phillips Records and soon had some hits all over Europe with songs such as “Rain and Tears”. During the early 1970’s, Aphrodite’s Child disbanded, but Roussos continued to record sporadically with his former bandmate Vangelis (including a collaboration on the soundtrack of the 1982 movie “Blade Runner”). Demis Roussos first solo hit was “We Shall Dance” in 1971, op ten hit in both the Netherlands and Belgium. His solo career peaked in the mid-1970’s with several hit albums and singles. The song “Forever and Ever” topped the charts in several countries in 1973 and it was No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1976. Other hit songs for Roussos were “My Friend the Wind”, “My Reason”, “Velvet Mornings”, “Goodbye My Love, Goodbye”, “Someday Somewhere” and “Lovely Lady of Arcadia”. By the mid-1970’s, Roussos already had cultivated his trademark figure of long hair, beard and always wearing a kaftan, “an unlikely kaftan-wearing sex symbol” and a symbol of kitsch. Despite his huge popularity in Europe, Demis never was able to break into the North American market and had limited success outside Europe. Towards the end of his career though, he did concerts in Russia and the United Arab Emirates. A big man, Roussos struggled with his weight for years. He passed away on 25 January 2015, from stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer while hospitalized at Ygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece age 68. Today he would have turned 78.
Watch Demis Roussos performing his hit “Forever And Ever” circa 1976
Discover Demis Roussos music by listening to the compilation “Universal Masters” on Spotify
Watch more 1970’s related videos
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