Greek singer Demis Roussos: biography and personal life

Childhood and youth

Demis was born on June 15, 1946 in the city of Alexandria, Egypt. He was the first-born, and also his parents, Nelly and Yorgos, after some time had a second son, Kotas, who became Demis’s younger brother.

During a serious crisis, the family of the future singer was forced to change their place of residence - they moved to the homeland of their ancestors, to Greece. Demis's parents were creative people, so the fact that the boy chose a musical career for himself is not surprising. Demis's mother, Nelly Mazlum, worked as a professional dancer, and his father, despite the fact that he made his living as an engineer, was excellent at playing the guitar.

The future world-famous performer was a smart and talented boy as a child. From a very early age he sang well, so his parents decided to send him to the choir of the Greek Byzantine church. Demis spent 5 years there, which were not in vain: he studied musical theory, mastered the skill of playing the double bass, trumpet, and organ.

Childhood

Demis Roussos (at baptism he received the name Artemios Ventouris) was born on June 15, 1946 in Alexandria, an Egyptian city considered one of the centers of the emergence of Hellenic culture.

Demis Roussos in his youth and childhood

His mother Olga, an Egyptian with Italian roots, was a singer. His father, the Greek Yorgos Roussos, was an engineer. He was also interested in music and played the acoustic guitar. In a word, Demis grew up in a creative atmosphere, and it was quite natural that the boy showed musical talents from an early age. While studying at school, he played the trumpet, guitar, organ and double bass. He was also a soloist in the church choir in the Greek Orthodox Church. I listened to jazz, Arabic and Greek music.

In the mid-50s, the Suez crisis broke out in Egypt - the country's authorities tried to take the Suez Canal out of British control. Due to the unrest that followed these events, in 1961 the Demis family had to flee to their historical homeland - Greece.

Legendary singer - Demis Roussos

Demis's parents went bankrupt, and their homeland did not accept them kindly. In order to somehow support them, the young man began playing the trumpet in jazz ensembles, then the bass guitar in a pop group. One day the vocalist lost his voice. Demis decided to stand up to the microphone and was surprised to discover that he could sing.

Personal life

The singer didn’t particularly like to touch on the topic of his personal life. His first wife was a girl named Monique. The lovers got married at the very beginning of Demis’s creative career. After several years of marriage, the couple had a daughter, Emily, but Monique did not agree to share her husband with his many fans, and therefore the family broke up. Demis’s wife realized that Roussos was not a supporter of a calm and measured family life and preferred fame and popularity to it, and literally two months after Emily’s birth, she filed for divorce. With the baby in her arms, the woman moved to her relatives in Florence.

Less than a year after the divorce, Demis married for the second time. The new wife of singer Demis Roussos was called Dominica. The girl gave birth to a son to the Greek singer, to whom the couple gave the name Cyril.

Dominique was so in love with Demis that she closed her eyes and did not believe the news in all the newspapers that Roussos was having an affair with yet another fan. The girl sincerely believed that during his tours the performer remained faithful to her, until the moment when Demis himself told her about the sexual relationship that happened between him and his fan at one of the concerts. Dominique could not forgive her husband’s betrayal.

Unlike Monique, Demis’s second wife did not take away their joint child. She considered it appropriate to give her son to the performer’s mother in Greece.

For the third time, Roussos married an American model, Pamela. The performer met her in a bookstore, and even before tying the knot, the couple was on the brink of death.

In the summer of 1985, lovers became hostages on a plane from Athens to Rome. Then, for a whole week, passengers were held at gunpoint, and one of them was even shot right in front of adults and children.

The Greek performer was well known in Arab countries, and when the terrorists recognized the passenger as Demis Roussos, he had to perform songs for them.

When the lovers recovered a little from the shock and shock, they legalized their relationship and officially became husband and wife. After some time, this marriage also broke up.

The longest relationship in the biography of Demis Roussos was the relationship with his last lover, Maria Teresa. The girl was from France and worked as a yoga instructor. The first meeting of the future spouses took place in 1994. Maria, turning a blind eye to everything and abandoning her family and friends, went to Greece for her lover. Demis spent the rest of his life with Maria, for some reason never proposing to the girl - the performer preferred ordinary cohabitation to marriage.

Demis Roussos: biography, family

Our hero can well be called the conqueror of women's hearts. In his youth, he often lost his head and saw a young beauty on the street. His love of love is also evidenced by the fact that Demis formalized relationships with women four times. Let's take a closer look at this.

At the very beginning of his career, Demis met a beautiful French woman named Monique. Their relationship developed rapidly. Soon the lovers got married. They had a daughter together. The baby was named Emily. During that period, Demis Roussos gained popularity. He spent more and more time away from his wife and daughter. Monique didn't want to put up with it. As a result, the marriage broke up. Demis's wife went home to France, taking their daughter Emily with her.

The famous singer did not have the status of a bachelor for long. While touring Europe, he met a charming woman, Dominique. A couple of months later, the lovers formalized their relationship. And soon their son Cyril (or in Russian - Kirill) was born. And again, family happiness did not last long. The wife could not turn a blind eye to Demis’s constant infidelities. The woman filed for divorce. Son Cyril stayed with his dad. Due to his tight work schedule, Roussos could not spend enough time with the boy. Therefore, grandmother Olga (Demis’s mother) was involved in raising Cyril.

The third wife of the Greek singer was the American model Pamela. They met in a bookstore. Then Demis and Pamela were captured by terrorists. This happened in June 1985 during a flight from Athens to Rome. Thank God there were no casualties. This terrible incident brought Pamela and Demis closer together. They began a romantic relationship that developed into marriage. The singer was confident that he would live with this woman until the end of his days. However, fate had its own way. After living together for several years, the couple divorced.

Demis's next lover was the Frenchwoman Maria Theresa. It has nothing to do with music and stage. This girl was a professional yoga instructor. Their acquaintance with Roussos took place in 1994. It only took a few days for the girl to understand that this was her man. For the sake of her lover, Maria quit her prestigious job and went to Greece. Demis appreciated the Frenchwoman’s action. Soon he proposed. However, Maria Teresa chose to live in a civil marriage.

Carier start

In 1963, a fateful event occurred in the biography of Demis Roussos - he met talented musicians who, like Demis himself, dreamed of a successful career in this field. Some time after they met, the group Aphrodite's Child appeared, in which Demis was the vocalist. Then the songs The other people and Plastics nevermore brought the group its first popularity. In 1968, there was a military coup in Greece, due to which the group was forced to move to the capital of France - Paris.

The cause of death of the famous Greek singer Demis Roussos remains a mystery

The famous tenor Demis Roussos has died in Greece. He died on the night of January 25, 2020 in a hospital in Athens, but the singer’s relatives only reported the singer’s death on the afternoon of Monday, January 26, 2015. The cause of death of the famous performer has not yet been disclosed. Read more about the biography of Demis Roussos, his family and hits, in the material below.

The famous singer Demis Roussos died in Greece at the age of 69. He died on the night of Sunday, January 25, 2020, in a hospital in Athens, but the message about the performer’s death appeared only a day later, on Monday, January 26, 2015. Greek-French journalist Nikos Aliagas was the first to report the death of the famous tenor on his microblog on Twitter. It was Demis Roussos’s relatives who decided not to immediately report the singer’s death; they decided not to overshadow the parliamentary elections that took place in Greece on January 25, 2015.

The cause of death of Demis Roussos remains unknown. When and where the farewell and funeral will take place is also not reported. This information will appear later.

Demis Roussos, who died in Athens, was born in 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt. His family comes from Greece and is closely associated with music. The artist's mother was a singer, and his father played the classical guitar. Demis Roussos graduated from music school, he learned to play guitar, trumpet, double bass and organ. In the mid-1950s, the singer's family moved to Greece.

An important milestone in the biography of Demis Roussos was the creation of the group Aphrodite's Child in 1963, which also included Vangelis and Lucas Sideras. In 1968, there was a military coup in Greece, after which the group had to move to Paris. There they achieved success thanks to the song Rain & Tears, which became a hit.

The solo career of Demis Roussos, as stated in his biography, began in 1971. Already in 1974 he became famous thanks to the album Forever & Ever.

The hits were Demis Roussos' songs My Friend The Wind, Velvet Mornings, Goodbye My Love, Goodbye. You can still listen to them on the Internet. In 1975, the Greek tenor conquered England with the composition Happy To Be On An Island In The Sun.

Demis Roussos had four wives. The last wife was a Frenchwoman from Paris, Marie. The singer also has two children - daughter Emily and son Cyril. Emily lives in Paris and works as a DJ, and Cyril lives in Greece. Demis Roussos owned a house in France, but still spent most of the year in Greece. The tenor also wrote the book “How I Lost Weight.” Throughout his musical career, the singer has sold more than 60 million records.

Demis Roussos died in Athens at the age of 69. Video: Channel One

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Music

In Paris, the musicians had already begun active creative activity and soon it was known throughout the country. Their legendary song Rain and tears literally topped the charts throughout Europe in just a few days. Some time after this, the albums End of the world and It's five o'clock were released.

The group's popularity grew by leaps and bounds, but despite this, the Greek performer made the difficult decision to leave it and try to achieve success in a solo career. Aphrodite's Child's last album, “666,” was finalized and released by the group after its breakup.

Nationality

Many fans argued about what nationality Demis Roussos is, but the answer to this question is clear. Demis has Greek roots, and the performer himself is Greek by nationality, which his compatriots are very proud of. In what language did Demis Roussos write his songs?

Demis did not limit himself to one language. His discography included English, French, and Greek songs. Demis released one of his albums in four languages!

Demis Roussos died of cancer: Details of the singer’s death

The other day, a pop legend and an entire era of musical history, the famous singer with Greek roots, Demis Roussos, passed away. The artist died in a hospital in his homeland in Athens. Until now, the details of Roussos' death remained unclear, as close stars kept them secret. But the musician’s daughter decided to be the first to talk about her father and why he died.

The woman gave a short interview to a French publication in which she said that Demis Roussos suffered from cancer. She also described her relationship with the musician, saying that he was “more of an artist than a father.” The Greek singer, whose real name is Artimios Venturis Roussos, has been performing on stage for almost five decades. A few days later he had a concert planned in Moscow in honor of the 50th anniversary of his creative activity. But now Russian fans of Roussos can only mourn their idol.

Demis Roussos died last Sunday

Demis Roussos died of cancer at 9.30 local time last Sunday. They say that the artist suffered for a long time from cancer of the stomach, pancreas and liver. “Our family members, including myself, were shocked. Although I knew that he had been ill for the last few months, and I understood perfectly well that one day this moment would come. My brother, my mother and I were with him in the last hours of his life,” the daughter said about the death of her father Demis Roussos.

The singer died of cancer

Emily Roussos also said that the funeral ceremony will take place on Friday at one of the largest cemeteries in Athens. She added that each of the singer's fans can come to the ceremony and pay tribute and respect to the artist. “The ceremony will be open to journalists, fans and fans. My father’s friends, other musicians and other people who looked up to him will be present,” Emily said.

The artist suffered from stomach and pancreatic cancer

Demis Roussos was born in Alexandria (Egypt) in 1946, his parents were from Greece. The boy was brought up in a musical family, so it was as if he was destined for the fate of an artist. In 1963, at the age of 16, Demis Roussos created a musical group. But success came to the artist only 10 years later with the album “Forever & Ever”. Demis left two children - daughter Emily and son Cyril, who also followed in his father's footsteps and began to study music.

Legendary artist in his youth

Demis Roussos will be buried on Friday in Athens

Demis Roussos was called a living legend of music and a unique singer who had amazing talent. His death shocked the whole world, which continues to grieve about the great loss.

Photo source: index.hu, parismatch.com

Solo career

Demis's first solo disc, entitled Fire and Ice, appeared to the world in 1971. A couple of years after this event, the second work of the Greek singer was released - Forever and ever, which includes a huge number of world hits.

By 1973, Demis was performing in concerts and touring around the globe. In 1975, three albums by the Greek artist topped the top ten albums in England.

Demise's album, Universum, released in 1974 in four languages, was a huge success in France and Italy. Most likely, the record owes its popularity to such singles as Loin des yeux and Loin du coeur, which were released about a month before its release.

In 1982, Demis Roussos released the album Attitudes, which did not achieve much commercial success. To rise again in the eyes of his loyal fans, the Greek performer released his new work, where he covered tracks from the 50s and 60s. After that, Demis went to Greece and recorded the singles Island of love and Summerwine there, and then released another album called “Greater love”.

In 1987, Demis Roussos returned to his hometown, where he worked hard on an album with digital recordings of versions of his most popular and greatest hits. A year later, the artist’s next album, Time, was released.

In 1993, a modern version of the song Morning has broken from the artist’s album called Insight was released. Subsequently, in nine years (from 2000 to 2009), Demis Roussos released only three albums: Auf meinen wegen, Live in Brazil and Demis.

Below is Demis Roussos' video for the legendary song Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye.

Death

Unfortunately, relatively recently - on January 25, 2020 - the talented Greek singer died. His family and friends did not want the shocking news of Roussos’ death to have any impact on the parliamentary elections scheduled for the same day, so the press and fans of the singer found out about it only a day later - on January 26.

Fans of the performer suspected something was wrong, drawing attention to the excessive secrecy of relatives. The family of Demis Roussos did not want to talk about the cause of the singer’s death; for a long time they could not set the exact date and place of the funeral ceremony.

Often, fans from whom they are hiding something begin to give out their versions of what happened. It was the same this time. According to one of the many theories, Demis died of obesity amid an exacerbation of a chronic illness; according to another, he died of a serious illness that he did not want to advertise.

After some time, the artist’s daughter, Emilia, clarified the situation. The girl said that her father fought pancreatic cancer for two years, unfortunately, without success.

The funeral ceremony took place on January 30, 2020. The grave of the famous artist is located in the First Cemetery of Athens - according to tradition, only noble and famous Greeks are buried there.

In the photo, Demis Roussos is already in old age.

When did Demis Roussos die?

The public did not immediately learn about the death of the great singer. On this day, parliamentary elections were held in Greece and Roussos’s relatives decided not to overshadow such a day with sad news. They told reporters a day later. And the cause of the singer’s death was not immediately announced, which caused untrue rumors among the public. Demis Roussos died on January 25, 2020. After 5 days, a public farewell to the singer took place. He was buried in the cemetery in Athens, where all famous and revered people are buried.

On 15 June 2020, his children Emily and Kirill opened the Demis Roussos Museum in Nijkerk, the Netherlands. This unique museum shows how a musician, singer and performer lived. The museum displays photographs, memorabilia, awards and other exhibits. But the main memory of the singer is the musical heritage that he left for many generations.

Bottom line

The biography of Demis Roussos is full of various bright events; his story will be interesting to read not only for fans of his work, but also for people who are simply interested in music. The artist’s discography includes a huge number of wonderful compositions, which at one time caused a storm of emotions among fans around the world. And despite the fact that the singer is no longer alive, his songs continue to be listened to and re-sung. One thing is for sure - thousands more covers of Demis’ songs will be recorded, and more than one generation of young music connoisseurs will listen to his legendary albums.

Demis Roussos: short biography (childhood)

He was born in 1946 (June 15) in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. What kind of family did Demis Roussos grow up in? His biography indicates that his parents are creatively gifted people. Our hero's mother Olga was a professional dancer. She performed under the pseudonym Nelly Mazlum. And what about the father? George (Yorgos) Roussos graduated as an engineer. In his free time, the man played the guitar.

In the mid-1950s, the family moved to Greece. It was in this country that the future singer spent his childhood.