Profile of Vicky Leandros on Famous Like Me

Vicky Leandros (born August 23, 1952), daughter of musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou (known as Leo Leandros), is a Greek singer with a long international career.

She was born Vassiliki Papathanasiou in Paleokastritsa, a resort on the island of Corfu, in the Ionian Sea. As her father wanted to expand his career, he went to Germany while Vicky grew up at her grandmother's house until the age of five. In 1957 her parents took her with them. They lived in Hamburg, where she went to a German school. When her parents divorced she stayed with her father. Vicky Leandros has been living in Germany ever since.

She revealed her talent at a very young age and when she was 13 she released her first single, "Messer, Gabel, Schere, Licht", which was an immediate success.

In 1967, she received an offer to sing for Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "L'amour est bleu". She finished in fourth place. This was the beginning of a unique career for her and her father: She was singing in eight languages, with her albums being sold all over the world.

In 1972, she received the second offer to represent Luxembourg at the Eurovision. She accepted and won the contest with the song "Après toi". Translated into English as "Come What May", it was also a big hit in the UK. The total sales of the album up to nowadays have far exceeded 10 million copies. In 1974 she recorded "Theo" a song that was a huge hit mainly in Germany but that also offered her many golden records around Europe.

During her career Leandros worked with many well-known composers and producers, such as Kim Fowley, Brad Shapiro and Michel Legrand, and also with conductors such as Herbert von Karajan and C. Denjean. She has been awarded among others with the "Bronze Statue of Montreaux", "Golden Europa", "Record Award of USA", "Bronze Statue" (Japan) and many others.

In 1981 she recorded the album "Love is Alive" including duets with Demis Roussos, Johnny Hallyday and US-star David Soul for a United Nations Benefit. The album brought her successfully to the 80ies while her French single "A L'Est D'Eden" saw a huge success selling more than 1,5 million albums in France.

Before returning to her private life in 1986 to raise her 3 children she made an album dedicated to her country, Greece. It saw gold to the Benelux and German speaking countries.

She made a huge comeback in Greece in 1989 with the album "Piretos tou erota" and in Europe in 1994 with the duet with Tony Christie "We are gonna stay together". Since then she has been toured very successfully and gained for once again international acclaim.

In 2000 she started producing her own records. The album "Jetzt" / "Now" was a big success and her own compositions were praised as the best ballads she has sung over the last decade. Her due with Chris De Burgh was one of the highlights of that album.

In the meanwhile she sees again herself on the charts of several countries such as Canada, China, Japan, Belgium, South Africa and others due to the many Greatest hits collections that several companies released.

In 2003 she recorded a new album with songs by Mikis Theodorakis with the Camerata Orchestra under Theodorakis's supervision. The album became a big success in Germany and central Europe and in Greece, too ("Tragoudi alliotiko"). TV stations and tabloid newspaper reviewers celebrated her comeback, while other publications and reviewers questioned the rationale behind Leandros' performance of left-wing political protest songs that according to them she could never even begin to understand. Leandros has appeared in many TV shows on German and Greek television, including a gala for Jose Carreras.The album made it to the 100 best selling records of 2003.

Vicky Leandros has received innumerable awards, including gold and platinum records from all around the world for albums that have sold more than 100 million copies.

From 1982 till 1986 Leandros was married to Greek entrepreneur Ivan Zissiades; he is the father of her son, Leo. In 2005, Leandros and her second husband, Enno von Ruffin, separated after 19 years of marriage. The couple has two daughters, Milana and Sandra.

Her Jubilee World Tour 2006 will start from Austria, Switzerland and Germany and countries such as Greece, France, Canada, Australia, UK, Belgium, Holland will follow. The tour will be followed by a new album with her best songs newly arranged and sung.

DISCOGRAPHY (SELECTED) 1960's

Germany Songs und Folklore
Canada Songs And Folklore
Germany A Taste Of Vicky/international
Japan A Taste Of Vicky/L'amour Est Bleu
Canada Love Is Blue
Canada L'amour Est Bleu
USA A Taste Of Vicky
Germany Summertime Forever
Greece Vicky (To mystiko sou)
Germany Ich Glaub' An Dich
Japan Kleiner Prinz
Greece I Mikri Mas Istoria

1970's

Japan By Request
USA I Mikri Mas Istoria (8-track)
Canada Les Grands Succes De Vicky
Germany Ich Bin
England I Am
Japan My Sweet Lord
Greece Pes Mou pos Bories
USA Vicky (8-track)
Japan My Sweet Lord (club edition)
France Apres Toi
Japan Apres Toi
Canada Apres Toi
Greece Mono Esi
England Vicky Leandros
Israel Vicky Leandros
Japan Come What May/Vicky Sings in English
USA Come What May
S-Africa Vicky Leandros/Come What May
Holland My Favourite Songs In Greek
Germany Meine Freunde Sind Die Traume
Greece Itan Mia Vradia
England Dreams Are Good Friends
France Ceux Que J'aime
S-Africa Just Vicky!
Canada The love In Your Eyes
Korea Those Were The Days
Germany Mein Lied Fur Dich
England My Song For You
Greece Your World - My World
Canada Ma Chanson Pour Toi
Colombia Apres Toi
Europe Across The Water
USA Across The Water
Japan Across The Water
Portugal Greatest Hits
Germany Ich Liebe Das Leben
Belgium J'aime La Vie
France J'aime La Vie
Greece Ine Zoi Ine Oreia
Germany V.L.
France Vicky Leandros
Greece V.L.
Greece Omorfa Chronia
Germany Du, Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen
Bolivia El Disco De oro De Vicky Leandros
Greece Poso S'agapo
Germany Ich bin ein Maedchen
USA Vicky Leandros (Kim Fowley)
Spain Oh Mi Mama

1980's

Germany Ich Gehe Neue Wege
Europe Love Is Alive (U.N. Benefit)
Japan/ Love is Alive
Greece Irhta Yia Sena
Greece Vicky Leandros And Demis Roussos/Sing Greek Songs
Germany Verlorenes Paradies
Holland Verloren Zijn We Niet
Germany/Holland/France Vicky
Canada Vicky
S-Africa The Greatest Gift Of Vicky Leandros (2 albums)
Holland Eine Nacht In Griechenland
S-Africa 16 Greatest Love Songs
Germany Ich Bin Ich
Japan Tripple Best/Le Temps Des Fleurs
Greece Piretos Tou Erota

1990's

Germany Starkes Gefuhl
Germany Nur Einen Augenblick
Greece Prósehe!
Greece Andres
Germany Lieben Und Leben
Germany Gefuele
Germany Weil Mein Herz Dich Nie Mehr Vergisst
Netherlands Das Beste
Netherlands The Hitsingles
Japan Vicky
South Africa Greatest Hits

2000's

Germany Jetzt!
Polland Jetzt!
Greece  Now!
Germany Mit Offenen Armen
Canada  L'Amour Est Bleu vol.1
Japan   Best Collection
Netherlands/Europe The Singles+
Germany/Central Europe ...Singt Mikis Theodorakis
Greece Tragouthi Alliotiko
Germany ..Singt Mikis Theodorakis (Olympia Edition/2004)
France Made In France
South Africa An Evening With Vicky Leandros
China/Taiwan Vicky- Club Edition
Germany Ich Bin Wie Ich Bin 

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