Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros as she appears on her Greek website
Background information
Birth name	Vassiliki Papathanasiou
Also known as	Vicky Leandros
Born	August 23, 1952 (1952-08-23) (age 55)
Origin	Palaiokastritsa, Corfu, Greece
Genre(s)	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, Politician
Years active	1965 - present
Website	Hey! Vicky Leandros Vicky Leandros' Greek website

Vicky Leandros (born August 23, 1952 or 1948) is a Greek singer with a long international career.^[1][2] She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (known as Leo Leandros - composer pseudonym Mario Panas). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Palaiokastritsa (Παλαιοκαστρίτσα) is a municipality in the Corfu Prefecture, Greece. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Leo Leandros, born Leandros Papathanasiou, was born in 1926 in Astakos, Greece. ...

She was born Vassiliki Papathanasiou in Palaiokastritsa, a resort on the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. Her father wanted to expand his career and went to Germany while Vicky grew up at her grandmother's house until the age of five. In 1958 her parents took her to Germany where she stayed with her father permanently after her parents' divorce. Palaiokastritsa (Παλαιοκαστρίτσα) is a municipality in the Corfu Prefecture, Greece. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... The Ionian Sea. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Life as an Artist

Vicky's career spans five decades and spreads over the five continents. She is truly an international star with remarkable staying power. She revealed her talent at a very young age while taking guitar, music, dance, ballet and voice lessons.

The 1960s

In 1965, just before her 13th birthday, she released her first single "Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht" which was an immediate success. 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 and was disappointed but the song became an all-time classic and was a million selling single in all continents. This was the beginning of a unique career for her and her father as composer manager and producer. She was singing in eight languages with her albums, singles and EPs being sold all over the world. There were innumerable Top-10 Hits and sold out concerts as well as TV appearances. Not only did Vicky's record sales soar in Europe at this point but also in the Far East - particularly Japan - also her popularity in Canada was huge. Vicky toured extensively in all these locations. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... The modern logo was introduced for the 2004 Contest (in Istanbul) to create a consistent visual identity. ... Love is Blue (LAmour est Bleu) Love is Blue is a song written by André Popp and Pierre Cour in 1967. ...

The 1970s

Vicky appearing in the German Eurovision Preselection 9 March 2006

In 1970 her first TV show "Ich Bin" which was broadcast in 13 European countries received many awards for its originality and thought-provoking contemporary graphics including in 1971 the world famous "Bronze Rose of Montreux". It was also the first time that Vicky used the same stage surname as her father (actually his real Christian name) and became known from then onwards as Vicky Leandros having been known simply as Vicky during the 1960s. Guests appearing were Julien Clerc and Deep Purple. The show has been repeated many times over the years and is seen as a classic piece very evocative of the era, though at first it was not well received in all quarters owing to its surprising even shocking imagery. In an age when songs were not accompanied by visuals for marketing purposes it was years ahead of its time. Throughout the 1970s other film portraits by prominent film makers were to follow which attracted interest around the world. As well as this TV spectaculars and series were a regular feature all over Europe including Vicky's shows for the BBC "Music My Way". The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Paul-Alain Leclerc alias Julien Clerc (*October 4, 1947 in Paris) is a French singer. ... This article is about the rock band. ...

In 1972 she represented Luxembourg at the Eurovision for the second time 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 reaching No.2 on the charts. Vicky recorded the song in seven languages. The total sales of the single have far exceeded 10 million copies. In 1972 Vicky was the top selling recording artist in the world and her Eurovision winner was the largest selling single in the world. Smash hits and a series of golden singles & albums followed including another multi-million selling single in 1972/3 with "Ich Hab' Die Liebe Geseh'n" which again hit all over the world in various language versions. Later in 1973 "When Bouzoukis Played" became yet another massive selling world hit in several languages. In 1974 she recorded "Theo wir fahr'n nach Lódź" a song that was a huge hit mainly in Germany but that also offered her many golden records around Europe. Vicky also achieved enormous sales volume in South Africa during the 1970s following her Eurovision victory. It is worth noting with reference to the ESC that Vicky has the two largest selling songs of all time which is an amazing accomplishment in itself. Vicky's French hits also sold well in the Middle East and in Madagascar!! Smaller markets but Vicky's popularity was enormous in many corners of the globe. Albums and compilations have been released due to popular demand in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Taiwan, India, Korea, Israel, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and many more. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Après Toi (English translation: After You) was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1972 performed in French by Vicky Leandros representing Luxembourg. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Meanwhile her fame in Asia reached its peak. In Japan she is a huge star and her records sell millions of copies. She sings in Japanese and produces albums especially for the Japanese and Asian markets. Her second Japanese single has broken every record as the company decided due to her fame to release 500,000 copies as a first edition of "Watashi no Sukina Chocolate"! ( I Like Chocolate ). She also had success with cover versions of songs like "Mamy Blue", "You don't have to say you love me" and "My Sweet Lord" among others. Universal records had to release a Best Collection CD four times from 1989 due to the big demand of the public even though Vicky had not appeared in the country for many years.

In 1975 she released the album "Across the Water" in the USA that was recorded in Tennessee and Miami. Different from her European works the album combined country rock and soul rhythms and gained praising reviews from all over USA and Billboard. Accordingly she signed a multi-million contract with CBS for albums in the USA and started working in Hollywood with Kim Fowley. There was a very strong bias towards the promotion of American and English artists. Vicky did not feel at home and decided to move back to Europe. She was not happy with the support or rather lack of it from her record company.

After her American adventure she treated the market to albums of German Volkslieder, Christmas songs and even a Spanish album which became a success in Spain and all over Latin America. "Oh Mi Mama" was a hit but the second single "Tu Me Has Hecho Sentir" although not promoted by Vicky or CBS due to differences between the two and a reported health scare was a huge seller in Spanish speaking countries after a slow start in 1979. A rift developed between Vicky and CBS culminating in the company not releasing Vicky's prepared album - a masterpiece - "Wie am Allerersten Tag" CBS 83722. Later Vicky's pregnancy was announced. Because of this she took some time off 1979/1980. By that time she had become the most successful female singer of the 70s, having released top-selling albums all around the world, enjoying dozens of top ten hits, receiving countless awards and performing hundreds of sold out concerts in all 5 continents.

The 1980s

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 80s worldwide. This comeback was consolidated in 1982 by the success of the song "Verlorenes Paradies" which saw Vicky back in the upper reaches of the charts after a few years absence. Sung also in Dutch the success was repeated in the Benelux countries. In 1983 there followed another song specially for the Dutch-speaking market "Ver Van Het Leven". In 1984 the French version of this - "A l'Est d'Eden" saw a huge success (No.2) in France promoting sales of more than 1.5 million albums in France. The same disc and corresponding album gave Vicky a memorable comeback in Canada and she toured there after a gap of many years to a rapturous welcome in 1985. There were two more singles released from this album "VICKY" and both were also hits in Canada. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

Before returning to her private life in 1986 to raise her 3 children she made an album dedicated to her country Greece. It soon achieved Gold status in the Benelux and German speaking countries.

The 1990s

She made a huge comeback in Greece in 1989 with the album "Piretos tou erota", "Prosexe"(91) and "Andres"(93) and in Europe in 1994/5 charting first with a solo single " Du bist mein schoenster Gedanke " followed by a duet with Tony Christie "We're gonna stay together". Since then she has toured very successfully and gained once again international acclaim. Other hit singles and albums followed. The resurgence of popularity in Greece saw first the re-release on vinyl of Vicky's early albums (with different sleeves) and later a CD release of them all plus bonus tracks of many singles (both A and B sides) which had previously never been on an album. Sales were phenomenal in Greece and as always many more copies were exported. For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

From 1995 to 1998 she collaborated with German hit-maker Jack White and released three Top-10 albums including the German version of the Titanic song "My Heart will go on". Many compilations and a 3CD box followed with songs from this era.

2000 and beyond

Vicky's album: Sommernacht am Meer (Summer night by the sea)

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 duet with Chris De Burgh was one of the highlights of that album. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Chris de Burgh (born Christopher John Davison on October 15, 1948) is an Irish musician and songwriter. ...

In the meanwhile she featured again 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.

In 2003 she recorded a new album with songs by Mikis Theodorakis accompanied by the Kamerata Orchestra under Theodorakis's supervision. The album became a big success in Germany, 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 Vicky Leandros' performance of songs from a political composer like Mikis Theodorakis. Vicky Leandros has appeared in many TV shows on German and Greek television including galas for Jose Carreras. The album made it to the 100 best selling records of 2003 (released 29 Sept.) and Mikis Theodorakis wrote that " for her interpretations and work I consider her among the 2-3 most important interpreters of my work. " In 2003 Vicky received two very prestigious awards. One from the Greek government for her promotion of Greek culture and music abroad and the other from the Greek Orthodox Church in recognition of her work for poor children in Africa. The latter award was presented to her at her classical concert held at the Herod Atticus amphitheatre on 02 Oct 2003 and is the highest honour that the Greek Church can bestow. Vicky is one of only a very few to receive it and the only female ever. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mikis Theodorakis Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. ... The Catalan tenor Josep Carreras (born December 5, 1946) is a famous opera singer much admired for his Verdi and Puccini roles. ...

Vicky Leandros has received innumerable awards including gold and platinum records from all around the world for discs that have sold in excess of 150 million copies. She has worked with many well-known composers and producers such as Kim Fowley, Leo Leandros, Brad Shapiro and Michel Legrand and also with conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and C. Denjean. She has been awarded with the "Bronze Rose of Montreaux", "Golden Europa", "Record Award of USA", "Bronze Statue" (Japan) and many others. The description Gold Album is applied to recorded music albums that have sold a minimum number of copies (in the US, currently 500,000 sales). ... The description Gold Album is applied to recorded music albums that have sold a minimum number of copies (in the US, currently 500,000 sales). ... Kim Fowley (born 1942) is an American pop and rock singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known for helping record the 1966 novelty record Theyre Coming to Take me Away, Ha Ha, recorded by Jerry Samuels under the name of Napoleon XIV. The B-side consisted of the A... Michel Legrand (born February 24, 1932 in Paris) is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor and pianist. ... Herbert von Karajan (April 5, 1908 – July 16, 1989) was an Austrian conductor. ...

Collaborations also with Jose Carreras, Chris De Burgh, Demis Roussos, Costa Cordalis, James Last, Johnny Hallyday, David Soul, Tony Christie, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Roger Whittaker, BBC Orchestra, Berlin Philarmoniker among others.

2005 saw the release of a 2CD "Ich bin wie Ich bin" containing many new recordings of classic Vicky Leandros songs. The album has been greeted with great enthusiasm as it contains tasteful updates of evergreens in a variety of genres and is testament to a many sided Vicky whose interpretations are ever fresh and young. The album has charted in Germany Austria and Switzerland. Vicky's Jubilee Tour of Europe started in Feb 2006. This will later spread outside European boundaries when Vicky will revisit many countries Worldwide which have given her success.

March 2006 saw Vicky sing in the German pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest - sensationally after 34 years since Après Toi. Needless to say millions of fans were hoping for her success and maybe even another world classic song via ESC participation. This was not to be as in spite of a great performance (under difficult circumstances) of her song "Don't Break My Heart" which had already entered the charts, Vicky failed to win the most votes from the televoting public. The show was hampered by technical failures and this contributed to a poorer overall sound to Vicky's rendition of her song. She could only hear her musical accompaniment and backing intermittently coming and going and was forced to abandon her ear-piece mid performance . Furthermore there was controversy concerning prior disclosure and opening of a voting line number - the one of the winning song - and lines were only open for a few minutes meaning that many people could not get through to vote . Following on from the Jubilee Tour there were concerts in Cyprus during 2006 . Then Christmas concerts through November and December as well as live appearances in Holland . Early 2007 sees the extension to the Jubilee Tour by popular demand .

Personal life

From 1982 until 1986 Vicky Leandros was married to Greek entrepreneur Ivan Zissiadis. He is the father of her son Leo (Born 06 Jun 80). In 2005 Vicky and her second husband Enno von Ruffin separated after 19 years of marriage. The couple has two daughters: Milana (Born 31 Jan 85) and Sandra (Born 06 Dec 86). On October 15th, 2006, Vicky Leandros (as Vassiliki von Ruffin) was elected town councillor of the Greek harbour town of Piraeus on the Pasok list. Vicky's task concerns the Cultural and International development of Piraeus . She is also Deputy Mayor of Piraeus . Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Kaminia (Piraeus), Greece be merged into this article or section. ... The Panhellenic Socialist Movement, better known as PASOK (Greek: Πανελλήνιο Σοσιαλιστικό Κίνημα, Panellinio Sosialistiko Kinima, ΠΑΣΟΚ), is a Greek social democratic political party. ... The Deputy Mayor of a community is the number two official to the mayor. ... It has been suggested that Kaminia (Piraeus), Greece be merged into this article or section. ...

Selected discography

Vicky Leandros on the cover of her hit album: the singles

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000 and beyond

See also

• Best selling music artists — World's top-selling music artists chart
• Vicky's age by means of the Way Back Machine (Internet Archive)

This is the list of best selling music artists (including groups) worldwide, alltime. ...

External links

• Official Homepage of Vicky Leandros
• Greek Official Political Homepage of Vicky Leandros
• German Homepage and Fanclub of Vicky Leandros

Citations and notes