Vasilis Karras Dies at Age 70

Vasilis Karras has passed away at the age of 70. He had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit for the last few days due to coronavirus.

The beloved singer was also battling a terminal illness. On Sunday afternoon (24/12), he passed away from a stroke.

Born in Kokkinochori, Kavala, to Pontian parents. Vasilis Karras moved to Thessaloniki with his family when he was ten years old. At the age of 16, he made his first musical appearance at the nightclub "Prosfygas" in Evosmos, Thessaloniki. Alongside his singing career, he worked as a car mechanic, which was his second great passion. Karras also worked in the engine room of OSE in Thessaloniki, and this experience is reflected in his song "Ego agapi mou, ego".

Karras achieved gold and platinum records during his professional career in Thessaloniki. His biggest commercial success came with the record "You Made Me a Tramp", which sold over 180,000 copies and was composed and written by Michalis Rakintzis.

He collaborated with various composers and lyricists, including Dimitris Rakitzis Foivos, George Theofanous, Alekos Chrysovergis, Spyros Giatras, Evi Droutsa, Panos Falaras, Christos Dantes, Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Ilias Filippou, Michalis Hatzigiannis, Christos Nikolopoulos, and many others. Karras also had numerous duets with singers like Marianthi Kefala, Pyx Lax, Konstantina, Angela Dimitriou, Tolis Voskopoulos, Nikos Zoidakis, Kaiti Garbi, Despina Vandi, Elli Kokkinu, Irini Merkouri, Paola, Pantelis Pantelidis, and George Kakosao. He worked with most of them in live programs and was also a composer and lyricist, writing songs for many Greek singers.

His life partner, Christina Kesoglides, has been left in deep mourning. The couple, who had been married for an extended period, were known for their discretion regarding their private lives, shying away from media exposure. This privacy makes it challenging to delve into the specifics of their marital life, but it is understood they had been husband and wife for many years. Reports suggest that their wedding occurred in Thessaloniki, and they were a couple for over four decades.

The couple also had a daughter, Irene. Just like her parents, Irene has maintained a low profile, with very little known about her birth or current situation. She is also dealing with the grief of losing her father, who succumbed to the virus on December 24, 2023, in a Thessaloniki hospital.