Giannis Poulopoulos marked the Greek music scene of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s before noting a revival in the 1990s.
He died at the age of 79, shortly after 11pm on Sunday, at a private clinic following chronic heart problems.
Giannis Poulopoulos is a Greek singer-songwriter, who had several hits in Greece during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. In terms of total album sales, he is the fourth biggest-selling Greek singer of all time.
He interpreted songs of Mimis Plessas and Lefteris Papadopoulos in Dromo, the biggest selling Greek release of all time with more than 1.5 million sales – though some say the actual figure is twice that amount.Aged 19, Poulopoulos secured auditions with Mikis Theodorakis, Apostolos Kaldaras, Vassilis Tsitsanis, and Giannis Papaioannou, and sang two songs, Mana mou kai panagia ("My Mother and the Madonna") and Parapono ("Complaint").
Poulopoulos impressed Theodorakis at his first audition, and Theodorakis arranged for Poulopoulos to sing three songs in a theatrical production by Nikos Kourkoulos and Tzeni Karezi of Iakovos Kambanellis's play, The Neighbourhood of Angels. Grigoris Bithikotsis later performed cover versions of the first three songs ("Set a table for two," "Glory to God" and "Bread is on the Table") that Poulopoulos recorded.
Poulopoulos sang regularly in a music hall in Plaka. He recorded four or five 45rpm disks for Columbia Records, which are now difficult to find as he soon agreed to record for Lyra, for whom he recorded three songs by Mikis Theodorakis. In 1965 he was the first performer of four songs written by Manos Loïzos. Around the same time he also had a successful hit with Mi mu thymonis matia mou (Don't be angry with me, my love) composed by Stavros Koujioumtzis.
By 1966, his records were being distributed more widely, and his songs were featured in movies. In Oi Stigmatismenoi ("The Stigmatized"), which starred Giorgos Foundas and Maro Kodou, he sang "Very late" and "I love you" with Helen Kladi. In O Tetraperatos ("The Cunning") with Kostas Chatzichristos he sang "In Piraeus, in Piraeus" by Giorgos Katsaros, and in the romantic comedy Tzeni-Tzeni he and Tzeni Karezi performed a song by Giannis Markopoulos.
Lets remember Giannis with his Greatest hits.
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