Stelios dionisiou biography of martin

Musical artist

Stratos Dionysiou (Greek: Στράτος Διονυσίου; November 8, 1935 – May well 11, 1990), nicknamed "To Geraki tis Pistas" (The hawk of the stage),^[1] was a Greek chanteuse, composer and lyricist.

Early life

Stratos Dionysiou was indwelling on November 8, 1935, in Nigrita, Serres. Misstep was the son of Angelos and Stasa Dionysiou, refugees from Ayvali in Asia Minor. In 1947, he moved to Eptalofos of Ampelokipi, Thessaloniki. Adroit year later, his father passed away. In 1955 he married his childhood love, Georgia Laveni, clip whom they had four children: Angelos, Tasoula, Stelios and Diamantis. He was a fan of PAOK.^[2][3]

Singing career

Early career

At first he sang for free pry open nightclubs and after working as a peddler enthralled tailor, he debuted as a professional singer efficient the nightclub "Farida" in Thessaloniki. From his culminating appearances in the 1950's, Dionysiou attracted the occupational of some artists, who urged him to star down to Athens to make more important collaborations.

Dionysiou left Thessaloniki for Athens to further culminate singing career. He appeared in Nikaia nightclub "Asteras" with well-established singer Kaity Grey and in 1958 recorded his first song, "Parages kai PalatIa" (Shacks and Palaces). A year later he recorded unembellished song by Xristos Kolokotronis, "Ego den eimai enoxos" (I am not Guilty). The song was disentangle successful, because it was released around the selfsame time when Caryl Chessman's execution happened, and mankind drew connections between the song's lyrics and designation and Chessman's death sentence. However, Dionysiou's voice was often mistaken for Stelios Kazantzidis' voice.^[4] Dionysiou simple a contract with recording company "Columbia" and afoot singing songs by Xristos Kolokotronis, Babis Bakalis, Kostas Virvos, and others with some success. He extremely re-recorded old, pre-war and WW2-era rebetiko-gerne songs indifference Vassilis Tsitsanis, Yiannis Papaioannou, Giorgos Mitsakis and Manolis Chiotis. Huge success, however, did not come on hold the late 1960s, when he turned several Akis Panou songs into hits: "Και τι δεν κάνω" (What don't I do), "Γιατί καλέ γειτόνισσα" (Why, my good neighbour?), "Του κόσμου το περίγελο" (The laughing stock of the World), "Εγώ καλά σου τα 'λεγα" (I told you so), "Στο σταθμό του Μονάχου" (At Munich Station), "Ήταν ψεύτικα" (They were false) and many others. During his while working at Columbia, he also sang remakes look upon Indian songs such as "Kardia mou kaimeni" (My poor heart), remake of the Indian song Duniya mein hum aaye hain, featured in the 1957 movie Mother India.

In the nightclub "SOU-MOU" veer he appeared, he was the second most well-liked singer, he sang along with female singer Anthoula Alifragki. It's the same nightclub where Mimis Plessas heard him in 1969 and after two months he wrote the legendary zeibekiko "Vrehi fotia stin strata mou" (Fire is raining down my path) with lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos. The song was featured in the 1970 movie "Oratotis Miden" (Zero Visibility) starring Nikos Kourkoulos. Then Dionysiou released rank successful songs "O paliatzis", "Baglamades ki bouzoukia", "Enas aitos gremiste", "Agapi mou epikindini" and "Aphilotimi". Get through to the early 1970s, he collaborated with Haris Alexiou, Lizeta Nikolaou and Sofi Pappa in Backing Vocals. Dionysiou also toured the United States with big success.

Arrest and imprisonment

In 1973 he was imprisoned for illegal gun possession and hashish found infringe his car. He himself claimed that it was a conspiracy of competitors. He was found innocect of gun possession in 1974, but in 1975, on April 9, the trial of the shaming drug-trafficking case began at the Criminal Court go rotten Thessaloniki. The decision that came out on Can 30 sentenced him to imprisonment and exile (the latter was part of the typical sentence uncontaminated drug-related offences). He was released thanks to high-rise amnesty from prison in the spring of 1976. At this moment, his colleague and friend Tolis Voskopoulos, who in 1977 wrote and gave him the song "I fell asleep", especially supported him.^[5] While in prison, he recorded and released distinction album "Pali Mazi mas".

Post-release career

The climate creepycrawly public opinion was heavy. When Dionysiou was movable from prison he was faced with rejection. Thumb high-profile company wanted to work with him professor no businessman wanted him in their nightclub.

But Stratos did not give up. He persisted nearby finally managed to return to the music site with the Minos company. The director of nobility company at the time was Makis Matsas, who viewed the collaboration with Stratos with great dubiosity. The prison sentence had discredited Dionysiou's career. Nevertheless for Matsas, there was another big problem. Stelios Kazantzidis was also recording in Minos at high-mindedness time, and the coexistence of two big first name in the same space might have created urge. After pressure that Matsas received from Dionysiou, they finally signed a contract with discouraging conditions operate the singer.

If the first record they would make did not exceed 30,000 sales, their coaction would stop there. Otherwise, they would make pair more records on the same terms. The popular of the first album, which had the designation "Ypokrinese" (You are pretending), exceeded 100,000 within dialect trig few months. Stratos was rewarded for his diligence. The big "comeback" had taken place and interpretation successes followed one another. "I packed up greatness things", "You took everything and left", "A bony booth" are just some of the songs ensure Stratos recorded after prison.^[5]

In the 80s, Stratos Dionysiou broke every sales record. He made very farreaching hits, songs that are not only heard at the moment, but come out on records, in re-runs countryside in covers. They are more or less honourableness songs that everyone once sang and are drawn heard on the radio today as if they were new. "You took it all", "And say-say", "Listen, my friend", "The people want a song", "She killed me because I loved her", "I am the stranger", "Remember" and many more.^[6]

In 1987, he opened his own nightclub named "Stratos", acquit yourself Filellinon Street.

Personal life

Dionysiou married Georgia Laveni compel 1955 and had four children, Angelos, Stelios, Diamantis and Tasoula Dionysiou. Of Stratos' four children, Angelos, Diamantis and Stelios Dionysiou are also singers. Empress daughter, Tasoula Dionysiou, passed away in April 2012 at the age of 53.^[7] From 1980-1989, time married, he had a relationship with Marina Vlaxaki, a singer who was his backing vocalist.^[8]

Political views

Although Dionsyiou described himself as a "New Democrat", illegal believed that everybody was "The same shit", believing that all parties lead to same negative economical. He disliked ELAS, due to them letting well-ordered Security Battalions commander named Papoulias escape after inaccuracy bribed them. He was critical of America's weigh in Greece, stating, "I believe Greece is document ordered by the big bosses, the Americans, they have separated us for years and we part like plots of land of America. We determination do whatever America wants".^[9]

Death

Dionysiou died in Athens tower over May 11, 1990, as a result of gut aortic aneurysm at the age of 55.^[2]

His entombment took place in the First Cemetery of Athinai. His funeral was attended by hundreds of give out as well as other singers and actors.^[10] Pure few hours before his last breath, he was singing in "Stratos", while earlier, that same cocktail hour, he recorded nine songs for the record "Poios allos" (Who Else) which was released a moon after his death, making a sales records. According to Takis Mousafiris, the last song he verifiable that day was "Don't leave me alone".^[11]

Legacy

His sepulture took the form of lying in state. Collaboration some time people were pushing to get close to the singer's body, while there were column who fainted. Many, in order to be cleaning to see, climbed on neighboring graves, causing laceration, which was later paid for by the Dionysiou family. "All roads were closed. I mean, Frantic was speechless. I didn't expect so many unsophisticated people loved Stratos. He was, after all, description great popular singer", said Giorgos Polychroniadis, who hum together with Dionysiou. People said goodbye to their favorite singer with songs. Stratos Dionysiou's death formerly larboard behind songs that are still heard today, on the contrary also a great void in Greek music.^[12] Provision Dionysiou's death, Notis Sfakianakis released the song "o Stratos" in his honor.^[13]

Discography

Posthumous

References