Folk singer Stamatis Kokotas passes away at the age of 85

The great folk performer Stamatis Kokotas passed away in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 85.

He was recently hospitalised at the Askplipiio hospital in Voula and passed away in the early hours of the morning after a rapid deterioration in his health.

He was born in Athens on March 23, 1937.

He had a significant recording presence during the 1960s and 1970s, when he collaborated with some of the most important Greek composers of the time, such as Stavros Xarchakos, Dimos Moutsis, Apostolos Kaldaras, George Hatzinassios, Yiannis Spanos, Giorgos Zambetas, Antonis Katinaris, Haris Lymberopoulos, Vangelis Pitsiladis, Lykourgos Markeas, Andreas Karagiannopoulos and others.

A famous characteristic feature of Stamatis Kokotas was his long sideburns.

He revealed that a razor company offered him a staggering sum to shave his sideburns with their blade on camera for a commercial.

"It's true" he said when asked. "They gave me 50 million drachmas, it was a lot of money back then, but I told them, thank you very much, but you knocked on the wrong door."

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