[Archive 2015-01-27] Greek singer Demis Roussos dies aged 68

Historical archive — originally published 2015-01-27. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Greek singer Demis Roussos died on Sunday in Athens. The 68-year-old Roussos, born in Egypt, died in a private hospital. No official cause of death has been announced but the hospital said he had been there for some time. Roussos reached international fame in the 1960s and 70s. His hits included Forever and Ever, Quand je t'aime, and Goodbye.

Roussos, whose musical career started with work in cabaret, had success both as a solo artist and as part of a group. He belonged to progressive rock group Aphrodite's Child. After a successful career with Aphrodite's Child, Roussos went solo. His single Forever and Ever reached number one in several Single charts in 1973 and topped the UK Singles chart in 1976.

He and his family left Egypt in 1961, when he was a teenager, in the aftermath of the Suez crisis. Before the move he had studied and performed music in a Greek church. He was 17 when he joined group The Idols; while with The Idols he met Vangelis, who he would go on to form Aphrodite's Child with.

In 1985 he was a captive in the TWA Flight 847 hijacking. He was held for five days, one of which was his 39th birthday.

During his later life Roussos lived in several countries including France, United States and England. In 2013 he was awarded the French Legion of Honour during a ceremony in Athens.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Greek singer Demis Roussos dies aged 68 by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.