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Demis Roussos dies in hospital

January 26, 2015

Greek singer Demis Roussos has died in an Athens hospital aged 68. Popular in the 1960s and 1970s and famous for his extravagant outfits, he sold 60 million albums worldwide.

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Demis Roussos
Image: Getty Images/Keystone

The Ygeia Hospital in Athens confirmed Roussos' death on Monday from an undisclosed illness. He had been unwell for some time and passed away over the weekend.

Famous for extravagant outfits as well as for his music, Roussos was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1946 to a Greek father and Egyptian mother of Italian origin. His fondness for kaftans saw him dubbed "the Kaftan King" and he often wore them for his performances.

Roussos came to fame as part of the progressive rock band Aphrodite's Child which produced three albums and enjoyed huge success in Europe in the late 1960s, especially in France.

Roussos went on to have a solo career, and Forever And Ever topped the charts in several countries in 1973 and in the UK in 1976.

The singer had problems with his weight in the past and co-wrote a book about obesity.

jm/kms (AFP, AP)