Artemios "Demis" Ventouris Roussos (Greek: Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης Ρούσσος, born June 15, 1946) is a Greek singer and performer who had a string of international hit records as a solo performer in the 1970s after having been a member of Aphrodite's Child, a progressive rock group that also included the well renowned Vangelis. He has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.Roussos was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, in a family where both father George (engineer Yorgos Roussos) and mother Olga were of Greek origin. His parents lost their possessions during the Suez Crisis and consequently decided to move to Greece.After settling in Greece, Roussos participated in a series of musical groups beginning with The Idols when he was 17, where he met Evangelos Papathanassiou (later known as Vangelis) and Loukas Sideras, his future bandmates in Aphrodite's Child. After this he joined We Five (not the San Francisco, California folk-rock group), another cover band which had limited success in Greece.Demis came to a wider audience in 1967 when he joined progressive rock band Aphrodite's Child, with Vangelis and Sideras, initially as a singer but later also playing bass guitar, achieving big commercial success in France and other parts of Europe from 1968 to 1972. They set off for London to break into the international music scene but as a result of bad weather, the plane landed them in Paris - and they decided to stay there signing a record deal with Philips S.A. His distinctive operatic vocal style helped propel the band to international notoriety, notably on their final album 666, which became a progressive rock cult classic.After Aphrodite's Child disbanded, Roussos continued to record sporadically with former bandmate Vangelis. In 1970 the two released Sex Power (although the album has also been disputably credited to Aphrodite's Child), also recording the 1977 album Magic together. Their most successful collaboration was "Race To The End" (also sung in Spanish as "Tu Libertad"), a vocal adaptation of the musical theme from the Oscar winning film Chariots of Fire, whilst Roussos also guested on the soundtrack to Blade Runner (1982), with a song entitled "Tales Of The Future".
Emily Roussos, Cyril Roussos, Goodbye My Love Goodbye, Forever and Ever, My Friend the Wind
Parents
Yorgos Roussos, Olga Roussos, Goodbye My Love Goodbye, Forever and Ever, My Friend the Wind
Siblings
Costandinos Roussos
Star Sign
Gemini
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Trademark
1
Often wore kaftans
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Fact
1
He began his music career at 17, when he joined the a band called The Idols, where he met Vangelis.
2
He was caught up in a plane hijacking when flight TWA 847 from Athens to Rome was hijacked by members of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad in 1985. He and his third wife were held at gunpoint for five days before they were released. Some of his fellow passengers endured 17 days in captivity.
3
He was best known for his solo hits in the 1970s and 80s, including Forever and Ever, Goodbye and Quand je t'aime. He was also a member of progressive rock group Aphrodite's Child.
4
He was raised in Egypt until his parents moved to Greece in the early 1960s after losing their possessions during the Suez Crisis.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Land Van Lubbers
2016
TV Mini-Series performer - 1 episode
Yarden
2016
performer: "Forever and Ever"
En man som heter Ove
2015
performer: "Forever and Ever"
Starnacht am Wörthersee
2011
TV Movie performer: "September"
Memòries de la tele
2009
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Electric Dreams
2009
TV Mini-Series performer - 1 episode
Pagafantas
2009
performer: "Velvet Mornings"
Wild Child
2008
performer: "Forever And Ever"
Swede Prince from Imereti
1995
performer: "My Reason", "When I Am A Kid"
Blade Runner
1982
performer: "Tales of the Future" - uncredited
Top of the Pops
1976-1978
TV Series performer - 7 episodes
Play for Today
TV Series lyrics - 1 episode, 1977 performer - 1 episode, 1977
Las adolescentes
1975
performer: "Forever and Ever"
Derrick
1975
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Klimbim
1975
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Last Stop on the Night Train
1975
performer: "A Flower's All You Need"
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Tu honoreras ta mère et ta mère
2012
Le pope
L'homme qui venait du Cher
1969
TV Movie
Chanteur dans l'église (as Aphrodite's Child)
Na zi kaneis i na mi zi?
1966
Singer
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Stop à la Grèce en slip
2013
Documentary
Himself
Starnacht am Wörthersee
2011
TV Movie
Himself
Vivement dimanche
2009
TV Series
Himself
Vivement dimanche prochain
2009
TV Series
Himself - Main Guest
On n'est pas couché
2009
TV Series
Himself
Le grand journal de Canal+
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself
Luar
2008
TV Series
Himself
TV tiglon
2007
TV Series
Himself
Kings of 70s Romance
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Gente de primera
2005
TV Series
Himself
Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel
2005
TV Series
Himself
Spike
2000
TV Series
Himself
Noche de fiesta
2000
TV Series
Himself
Demis: Forever and Ever
1997
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Esto es espectáculo
1996
TV Series
Himself
Querida Concha
1993
TV Series
Himself
De tú a tú
1991-1992
TV Series
Himself
Verán de estrelas
1992
TV Series
Himself - Guest (1992)
Champs-Elysées
1982-1990
TV Series
Himself
Viva el espectáculo
1990
TV Series
Himself
89+1
1989
TV Movie
Himself
Téléthon
1987
TV Series
Himself
The Dame Edna Experience
1987
TV Series
Himself
Fin de siglo
1986
TV Series
Himself
Wogan
1985
TV Series
Himself
Bananas
1982
TV Series
Himself - Singer
Stars
1980-1981
TV Series
Himself
Palmarès
1981
TV Series
Himself
The Basil Brush Show
1977-1980
TV Series
Himself
Numéro 1
1975-1980
TV Series
Himself / Himself - Host
WWF Club
1980
TV Series
Himself (Guest)
Les rendez-vous du dimanche
1976-1980
TV Series
Himself
The Shirley Bassey Show
1979
TV Series
Himself
Claude François - le film de sa vie
1979
Documentary
Himself
Christmas Snowtime Special
1978
TV Movie
Himself - Presenter
Big Night
1978
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Aplauso
1978
TV Series
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1978
TV Series
Himself - Vocalist
Musical de Mallorca 78
1978
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
Top of the Pops
1975-1978
TV Series
Himself
Our Show
1977
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Be My Guest
1977
TV Series
Himself
Bitte umblättern
1977
TV Series documentary
Himself
Arrivano i mostri
1977
TV Mini-Series
Himself
The Roussos Phenomenon
1976
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Saturday Night at the Mill
1976
TV Series
Himself
The International Pop Proms
1976
TV Series
Himself - Performer
Especial Nochevieja 1975
1975
TV Movie
Himself - Performer
Disco
1975
TV Series
Himself
Twiggy
1975
TV Series
Himself
Midi-Première
1975
TV Series
Himself
Musik aus Studio B
1975
TV Series
Himself / Singer
Die Drehscheibe
1975
TV Series
Himself - Musician
Nana Mouskouri
1974
TV Series
Himself
Top à...
1974
TV Series
Himself
Gala de l'Unicef
1973
TV Series
Himself
Luces en la noche
1973
TV Series
Himself
À bout portant
1972
TV Series
Himself
Samedi soir
1971
TV Series
Himself
4-3-2-1 Hot and Sweet
1969
TV Series
Himself - Musician
Show Pänggggg - oder: Gäste zum Fernsehen
1969
TV Movie
Himself - Musician (as Aphrodite's Child)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Festival
1973
TV Series
Himself
Top of the Pops: The Story of 1978
2013
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Anyone for Demis? How the World Invaded the Charts
2011
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Top of the Pops: The Story of 1976
2011
TV Movie documentary
Himself (uncredited)
A polos 25
2010
TV Series
Himself
Memòries de la tele
2009
TV Series
Himself
'Abigail's Party' Pack
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
La imagen de tu vida
2006
TV Series
Himself
50 y más
2005
TV Movie
Himself
Boom Boom! The Best of the Original Basil Brush Show