Vicky Leandros facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vicky Leandros
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Vicky Leandros in Franken, 2018
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Βίκυ Λέανδρος
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| Birth name | Vasiliki Papathanasiou |
| Also known as | Vicky Leandros |
| Born | 23 August 1949 Palaiokastritsa, Corfu, Greece |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, politician |
| Years active | 1965–present |
Vicky Leandros (born Vasiliki Papathanasiou on August 23, 1949) is a famous Greek singer. She lives in Germany and has had a very successful music career. Her father, Leandros Papathanasiou, was also a singer, musician, and composer.
Vicky became known around the world in 1967. She represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "L'amour est bleu". It became a huge hit everywhere. She later won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1972, again for Luxembourg, with her song "Après Toi".
Besides music, Vicky Leandros also worked in politics for a short time. In 2006, she was elected as a town councillor in Piraeus, a Greek harbour city. She helped with cultural projects and international development for the city. She was also the Deputy Mayor of Piraeus. In 2008, she decided to leave politics. She realized it was too much work to balance with her singing career.
Contents
Her Early Life and Music
Vicky Leandros was born Vasiliki Papathanasiou in Palaiokastritsa, a beautiful place on the island of Corfu, Greece. When she was young, her father moved to West Germany to grow his music career. Vicky stayed with her grandmother until she was eight years old.
In 1958, she moved to West Germany to live with her father after her parents divorced. She showed a lot of musical talent early on. She took lessons in guitar, music, dance, ballet, and singing.
Her first song, "Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht," came out in 1965. This started her amazing career. Her father helped her a lot as her composer, manager, and producer.
Eurovision Success
In 1967, Vicky was asked to sing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang "L'amour est bleu" and came in fourth place. Even though she didn't win, the song became a massive hit worldwide. Many other artists also sang their own versions of it. Soon, Vicky was singing in eight different languages. Her albums and songs were sold all over the world.
In 1972, she represented Luxembourg at Eurovision again. This time, she won the contest with her song "Après Toi." The English version, "Come What May," was also very popular in the UK. This song sold over six million copies globally and earned a gold record. Vicky recorded "Après Toi" in seven languages.
Vicky's Music Journey Through the Years
The 1970s: A Decade of Hits
In 1970, Vicky had her first TV show called Ich Bin. It was shown in 13 European countries. The show won many awards for being original and having interesting visuals. In 1971, it won the famous Bronze Rose of Montreux. This was also when Vicky started using "Leandros" as her stage name, like her father. Before that, she was just known as Vicky.
Throughout the 1970s, Vicky continued to release popular songs. In 1973, "When Bouzoukis Played" became another big worldwide hit. In 1974, her song "Theo, wir fahr'n nach Lodz" was a number one hit in Germany. She also became very popular in South Africa during this time.
In Japan, Vicky was very successful in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She recorded many songs in Japanese. Her song "Watashi no Sukina Chocolate" (The Chocolate That I Like) was a notable hit there. She also sang cover versions of famous songs like "Mamy Blue" and "My Sweet Lord".
In 1975, she recorded an album called Across the Water in the United States. This album was different because it mixed country, rock, and soul music. Critics liked it when it was released in the US.
Later in the 1970s, Vicky released albums with different types of music, including German folk and Christmas songs. She also recorded an album in Spanish. The song "Tu Me Has Hecho Sentir" became a big hit in Spanish-speaking countries in 1979.
The 1980s: New Beginnings
In 1981, Vicky released the album Love is Alive. It included duets with famous singers like Demis Roussos and Johnny Hallyday. She also released Ich gehe neue Wege and its Greek version, Irtha Yia Sena.
Her comeback was strong in 1982 with the song "Verlorenes Paradies." This song brought her back to the top of the music charts in many places. In 1983, her album Vicky featured the popular song "Grüße an Sarah." She often sings this song without instruments in her concerts.
In 1984, the French version of one of her songs, "A l'Est d'Eden," was a huge success in France. This song and album helped Vicky become popular again in Canada. She toured there in 1985 after many years.
After her 1985 album Eine Nacht in Griechenland, Vicky took a break to focus on her family. This album sold very well in Germany and nearby countries. In 1988, she released "Ich bin ich," which had a more rock sound. Vicky didn't tour much during this time, focusing on her three young children. In 1989, she returned to music in Greece with her album Piretos tou Erota.
The 1990s: Continued Success
In 1990, Vicky released "Starkes Gefühl" (Strong Feeling). This album included a new version of "Après Toi," her Eurovision winning song. She continued to have successful albums in Greece, like "Prosexe" (1991) and "Andres" (1993). In Germany, she had hits with "Du Bist Mein Schönster Gedanke" (1994) and a duet with Tony Christie, "We're Gonna Stay Together" (1995).
Her popularity grew again in Greece. Her early albums were re-released on vinyl and then on CD with extra songs. From 1995 to 1998, she worked with German producer Jack White. They released three albums that made it to the top 10. She also sang the German version of the Titanic movie song, "My Heart Will Go On". This song, "Weil mein Herz dich nie mehr vergisst," was one of her highest-charting songs since 1982.
The 2000s: Producing Her Own Music
In 2000, Vicky Leandros started producing her own music. Her album Jetzt / Now was a success, and her own songs received good reviews. A duet with Chris De Burgh was a highlight of the album. Many "greatest hits" collections were released, bringing her back to the charts in countries like Canada, China, Japan, Belgium, and South Africa.
In 2003, she recorded a new album called Tragoudi Alliotiko. It featured songs by the famous Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. The album was popular in Germany, central Europe, and Greece. Theodorakis himself said that Vicky was "among the two or three most important interpreters of [my] work."
In 2003, the Greek government gave her two awards for promoting Greek culture and music abroad. The Greek Orthodox Church also honored her for her work helping poor children in Africa. This award was given to her at a concert in October 2003. Vicky Leandros is the only woman to receive such a high honor from the Greek Orthodox Church so far.
In 2005, she released a double album called Ich Bin Wie Ich Bin. It had new recordings of her songs and was popular in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Her Jubilee Tour of Europe began in 2006. A month later, she took part in the German pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her song "Don't Break My Heart" was already on the charts, but it didn't win the public vote.
In March 2009, Vicky released the CD Möge der Himmel. This album had new sounds, mixing soul with R&B, hip hop, and rap. This change was big news and received mixed reviews.
Recent Music and Farewell Tour
Her next album, Zeitlos (2010), focused on recording French and World hits in the German language. In 2011, she re-recorded her hit "L'amour est bleu" as "C'est Bleu" for the Scooter album The Big Mash Up. This unusual collaboration was released as a single.
A new studio album called “Ich weiss, dass ich nichts weiss” came out in 2015. Vicky helped write most of the songs and lyrics on this album. The songs were inspired by her own life experiences. Vicky Leandros is planning to retire from touring in 2024 and is currently on her sold-out farewell tour.
Life Outside Music
Vicky Leandros has been married twice. From 1982 to 1986, she was married to Greek businessman Ivan Zissiadis. They have one son, Leandros Zissiadis, born in 1980.
In May 1986, she married Enno von Ruffin. He owns and manages a country estate called Gut Basthorst. In 2005, Vicky and Enno separated after 19 years of marriage. They have two daughters: Maximiliane (born 1985) and Alessandra (born 1986).
Awards and Collaborations
Vicky Leandros has received many awards, including gold and platinum records from all over the world. She has worked with many talented composers, producers, and conductors.
Some of her awards include:
- 1967: Fourth place at the Eurovision with the song „L´amour est bleu“
- 1968: Goldene Europa
- 1971: Bronze Rose von Montreux for the TV-Show "Ich bin"
- 1971: Bronze Lion of the Radio Luxembourg
- 1972: First Place at the Eurovision with the song "Aprés toi“
- 1972: Best Selling Artist Internationally
- 1974: Goldene Europa
- 2001: Goldene Stimmgabel German pop
- 2001: Internationaler Schlagerpreis in the category of „Beste Künstlerin International“
- 2003: Hospitality Zeus
- 2005: Woman of the year in Greece
- 2009: Orinocoradio bubbling after hitsong "Theo wir fahr'n nach Lodz"
- 2011: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- 2018: Orinocoradio bubbling after hitsong "Verloren zijn wij niet"
See also
In Spanish: Vicky Leandros para niños
