Demis Roussos, former progressive rock group Aphrodite’s Child and solo singer, died January 25, 2015. Mr. Roussos died at Ygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece. Struggle with weight issues for many years, Mr. Roussos has suffered ill effects and had been hospitalized for some time with an undisclosed condition. He was 68.
Born Artemois Ventouris Russos on June 15, 1946 in Alexandria, Egypt to a Greek father and an Egyptian mother, started out his musical career in Greece with the group The Idols at the age of 17. He would soon hook up with Evangelos Papathanassiou, more popularly known as Vangelis, and Loukas Sideras, both who would become fellow band mates of Aphrodite’s Child in 1967. Starting out as a singer for the group, Mr. Roussos also took up playing bass guitar for the group. The group would find success in Europe before signing a record deal with Philips S.A. and finding an international following with the 1968 release of End of the World, the 1969 release of It’s Five O’Clock and the popular 1972 release of 666, which propelled the group to cult status.
Despite the break up of Aphrodite’s Child, Mr. Roussos would continue to collaborate with Vangelis that resulted in the 1970 release of Sex Power, the 1977 album Magic, the vocal adaptation “Race to the End” or “Tu Libertad” from the film Chariots of Fire and the song “Tales of the Future” from the soundtrack to the 1982 film Blade Runner.
Mr. Roussos embarked on a solo career during the 1970s and 1980s and garnered success with the hits “Forever and Ever,” “Quand Je T’aime” and “When Forever Has Gone.”
In 2013, Mr. Roussos received France’s Legion of Honor medal for his life’s collected work.