Vicky Leandros

Vicky Leandros (born August 23, 1952), daughter of musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (known as Leo Leandros), is a Greek singer with a long international career.

Related Topics:
August 23 - 1952 - Leo Leandros

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She was born Vassiliki Papathanasiou in Paleokastritsa, a resort on the island of Corfu, in the Ionian Sea. As her father wanted to expand his career, he went to Germany while Vicky grew up at her grandmother's house until the age of five. In 1957 her parents took her with them. They lived in Hamburg, where she went to a German school. When her parents divorced she stayed with her father. Vicky Leandros has been living in Germany ever since.

Related Topics:
Paleokastritsa - Corfu - Ionian Sea - Germany - 1957 - Hamburg

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She revealed her talent at a very young age and when she was 13 she released her first single, "Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht", which was an immediate success.

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In 1967, she received an offer to sing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "L'amour est bleu". She finished in fourth place. This was the beginning of a unique career for her and her father: She was singing in eight languages, with her albums being sold all over the world.

Related Topics:
1967 - Luxembourg - Eurovision Song Contest

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In 1972, she received the second offer to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision. She accepted and won the contest with the song "Après toi". Translated into English as "Come What May", it was also a big hit in the UK. The total sales of the album up to nowadays have far exceeded 10 million copies.

Related Topics:
1972 - English - UK

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In 1974 she recorded "Theo" a song that was a huge hit mainly in Germany but that also offered her many golden records around Europe.

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During her career Leandros worked with many well-known composers and producers, such as Kim Fowley, Brad Shapiro and Michel Legrand, and also with conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and C. Denjean. She has been awarded among others with the "Bronze Statue of Montreaux", "Golden Europa", "Record Award of USA", "Bronze Statue" (Japan) and many others.

Related Topics:
Kim Fowley - Brad Shapiro - Michel Legrand - Herbert von Karajan - C. Denjean

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In 1981 she recorded the album "Love is Alive" including duets with Demis Roussos, Johnny Hallyday and US-star David Soul for a United Nations Benefit. The album brought her successfully to the 80ies while her French single "A L'Est D'Eden" saw a huge success selling more than 1,5 million albums in France.

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Before returning to her private life in 1986 to raise her 3 children she made an album dedicated to her country, Greece. It saw gold to the Benelux and German speaking countries.

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She made a huge comeback in Greece in 1989 with the album "Piretos tou erota" and in Europe in 1994 with the duet with Tony Christie "We are gonna stay together". Since then she has been toured very successfully and gained for once again international acclaim.

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In 2000 she started producing her own records. The album "Jetzt" / "Now" was a big success and her own compositions were praised as the best ballads she has sung over the last decade. Her due with Chris De Burgh was one of the highlights of that album.

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In the meanwhile she sees again herself on the charts of several countries such as Canada, China, Japan, Belgium, South Africa and others due to the many Greatest hits collections that several companies released.

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In 2003 she recorded a new album with songs by Mikis Theodorakis with the Camerata Orchestra under Theodorakis's supervision. The album became a big success in Germany and central Europe and in Greece, too ("Tragoudi alliotiko"). TV stations and tabloid newspaper reviewers celebrated her comeback, while other publications and reviewers questioned the rationale behind Leandros' performance of left-wing political protest songs that according to them she could never even begin to understand. Leandros has appeared in many TV shows on German and Greek television, including a gala for Jose Carreras.The album made it to the 100 best selling records of 2003.

Related Topics:
2003 - Mikis Theodorakis - Jose Carreras

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Vicky Leandros has received innumerable awards, including gold and platinum records from all around the world for albums that have sold more than 100 million times.

Related Topics:
Gold - Platinum record

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From 1982 till 1986 Leandros was married to Greek entrepreneur Ivan Zissiades; he is the father of her son, Leo. In 2005, Leandros and her second husband, Enno von Ruffin, separated after 19 years of marriage. The couple has two daughters, Milana and Sandra.

Related Topics:
1982 - 1986 - Ivan Zissiades - 2005 - Enno von Ruffin

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Her Jubilee World Tour 2006 will start from Austria, Switzerland and Germany and countries such as Greece, France, Canada, Australia, UK, Belgium, Holland will follow. The tour will be followed by a new album with her best songs newly arranged and sung.

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