Leo Leandros, Composer and Mentor to Daughter Vicky Leandros, Dies at 102

Vicky and Leo Leandros. Public Domain

Leo Leandros (born Leandros Papathanasiou), the Greek singer, composer, and lyricist, has passed distant astatine the property of 102.

He was internationally known for his ain philharmonic vocation and, crucially, arsenic the begetter and main originative unit down the legendary singer, Vicky Leandros.

Born connected August 23, 1923, successful Astakos, Aetolia-Acarnania, Leo Leandros moved to Germany successful the 1950s to prosecute his euphony career. He utilized the signifier names Leo Leandros and Mario Panas.

Leandros was 1 of the archetypal artists to execute the anthem for the Greek shot nine Panathinaikos.

In Germany, helium achieved large occurrence arsenic a composer, producer, and lyricist.

He chose to measurement distant from his idiosyncratic performing vocation to dedicate himself to cultivating the vocation of his daughter, Vicky Leandros, transforming her into an planetary star.

Leo Leandros: The Eurovision triumph

Leandros’s astir celebrated publication to his daughter’s success—and to European euphony history—was his enactment arsenic a composer connected the opus “Après Toi” (Come What May).

The opus led Vicky Leandros to triumph successful the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg, solidifying some their planetary reputations.

Overall, Leo Leandros near an indelible people arsenic a multifaceted creator and arsenic the mentor and driving unit down his girl Vicky Leandros’s enduring planetary success.