Throughout his childhood he was influenced by the musics that were coexisting in Egypt. The sound of Arabic music entered into his life at that time and has continued until today as one of his biggest influences. At the age of ten, he was intrigued by Jazz and learnt to play the trumpet. As a young boy he also attended the choir of the Greek Byzantine church of Alexandria and sang for five years as a soloist.
However, when Artemios reached the age of fifteen, his life changed. It was the time of the Suez Canal crisis. His family left Egypt and immigrated to their homeland Greece. Artemios then had to work to support his family. During the day he attended school and, at night, he played the trumpet in various clubs in Athens. Two years later, his first band, "The Idols" was formed. Artemios played the Bass Guitar and sang backing vocals as well. One day, as the lead singer needed to rest, he asked Artemios to replace him for a few songs. That night, when Artemios sang "The House Of The Rising Sun" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" the audience was amazed. From then on Artemios was asked to sing again and again.
Within a short period, Artemios was making a sound reputation. It was at this time that he met the man who would later become one of his most successful composer, Lakis Vlavianos. From that meeting a new band was born, the "We Five", with Artemios as the lead singer.
In 1968 Artemios’s journey crossed the road of two other top Greek musicians, Vangelis Papatanassiou and Loukas Sideras. Their associationbecame one of the biggest musical events of the seventies in the form of "Aphrodite’s Child". This ambitious band decided to travel to the United Kingdom for better commercial prospects. Artemios--who had now shortened his name to Demis--would be the singer and the bass player, Vangelis the main composer as well as the keyboard player, and Loukas would play the drums.
However, they were refused entry to the United Kingdom for lack of a work permit. Instead, Aphrodite's Child travelled to Paris, arriving just as the city was going through the May 68 revolution. After a few concerts in some trendy Parisian clubs, a major company offered to record a song of theirs, one that was inspired by Pachelbel‘s canon called "Rain And Tears". This first album of Aphrodite’s Child sold over a million copies in France alone.
Nine months later, as Demis first daughter, Emily, was born, "Rain And Tears" was the top single all over Europe and a top 20 single in the United Kingdom. The band experienced a huge success for three years.
They then released their legendary last album “666”, after which, for various reasons, Aphrodite's Child decided to split up.
Since Demis was one of the main elements of the band, the record company offered him a chance to recorded his first solo single, "We Shall Dance", which was released on the album "On the Greek Side of My Mind". This album and the single jumped into the top five of all the national hit parades of Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.
Some months later, Demis met with his old friend of the "We Five", Lakis Vlavianos. Lakis was then going through an inspired period and wrote many songs which Demis recorded; these turned into a string of number one hits all over the world, including: "Forever And Ever", "My Friend the Wind", and "Velvet Morning".
After his second child, Cyril, was born in 1975, Demis toured the globe for eight years with his second wife and child. In Brazil, he packed a stadium of 150 000 people--an event that was achieved in that particular stadium twice only. (The other previous artist was Frank Sinatra.) In fact, Demis sold enough records to gain a name in the Guinness Book of records among the personalities of show business in the 70’s and the eighties. He was awarded more than a hundred golden, platinum, and diamond albums and cassettes.
His unique dressing style was often considered eccentric but Demis was following his instinct which told him that the music he was performing should match with the combination of looks between the glorious Byzantine Empire and the Arabic Caftan.
In 1978 his instinct told him again that he should retire for a while, thinking of new things concerning his career and life. And so he took his family to an area of the world where he was unknown, Malibu Beach, California. There, Demis lost over 50 kilograms. He returned to Europe and lived a quieter life between England and Greece, alone with his son, Cyril.
On June 14 1985, wile he was travelling from Athens to Rome, a decisive event occurred. Demis’s TWA airplane was hijacked by terrorists. After two days in that plane praying, Demis was held three days in the prison of Beyrouth with his third wife. Like many other survivors, he went through the shock of a traumatic experience. After that, Demis said he had never understood so well the importance of the nations living in peace and how precious life is when you see death so close. He felt more than ever that his contribution for a better tomorrow could be via music and so decided to return to the recording and performance scene.
He recorded twenty songs and compiled an album called "The story of Demis Roussos". With this album, Demis started to world tour again and found a nostalgic audience who had missed his magic voice. In 1986 Demis toured the USSR for three weeks and was invited to join important scientists, writers and artists at the forum for peace and disarmament in Moscow, during February 1987.
Later that year, during a tight TV schedule in Chile, Demis insisted on fitting in a visit to the Earth summit in Rio to get a clearer picture of the environmental problems, which were a main concern for Demis.
Since then Demis had been a regular visitor of the charts with singles such as "Quand je t’aime" and "On écrit sur les murs", and albums such as "Voice and Vision" and "Immortel".
Since 2008, Demis had been living in Greece by the sea. After being one of the most talented singers of his century, Demis was still working on more magical offerings, with the blessing of music and God.
He died aged 68, on the Hygeia Hospital in Athens on January 25, 2015.
Funny Man
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He stood almost unoticed
No one really knew about his name
He spoke of love and mostly of justice
And never even pointed to blame
As long as I remember
He's always been standing there
His eyes I know have never surrendered
As if there's nothing more
We could hide from him
You got to know
Time has stopped all around him
And stands besides him
And his words fly above hats and trees
FUNNY MAN
He can make you discover
How you could smile in rain
He knows that times are getting harder
And keeps on trying over again
He's a FUNNY MAN
He can make you discover
How you could smile in rain
He knows that times are getting harder
And keeps on trying over again
The song "Funny Man" by Demis Roussos is a tribute to a person who has lived a life fighting for justice but whose name remains unknown. The singer describes him as someone who no one really knows or notices, but who has always stood up for love and justice without pointing fingers or placing blame. The title "Funny Man" might sound like a comedic figure, but in the context of the song it refers to someone whose actions and beliefs are so unconventional and pure that they seem almost humorous to those who are used to the cynicism of the world.
As the song progresses, we learn that this person has an unwavering spirit and remains unbroken by the trials of life. Time seems to have stood still around him, as if he exists outside of the regular cycle of existence. His love for people and his tireless efforts to bring light into the darkness are rendered with a sense of reverence and awe in the lyrics. The funny man, according to the singer, has a gift for making people see the beauty in life even when it's raining, and is always willing to try again when times get tough.
"Funny man" is a song of praise for a person who has lived a life of compassion, empathy, and commitment to justice. The lyrics are full of admiration for this enigmatic figure, who seems to embody the best of humanity without ever seeking recognition for his deeds.
Line by Line Meaning
He stood almost unnoticed
He was not the center of attention
No one really knew about his name
He wasn't famous
He spoke of love and mostly of justice
He talked about love and fairness
And never even pointed to blame
He didn't blame anyone for anything
As long as I remember
For as long as I can recall
He's always been standing there
He has always been present
His eyes I know have never surrendered
He never gave up
As if there's nothing more we could hide from him
He saw everything
You got to know Time has stopped all around him
He seemed timeless
And stands besides him
He was not alone
And his words fly above hats and trees
His words were powerful
He can make you discover
He can help you find
How you could smile in rain
How to find happiness in difficult times
He knows that times are getting harder
He understood life's challenges
And keeps on trying over again
He persisted despite obstacles
He's a FUNNY MAN
He was an unusual, unique person
Lyrics © ALLO MUSIC EDITIONS
Written by: Robert CONSTANDINOS, Michel CYWIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sidiney Violeiro
Aqui em nosso planeta Terra Demis Roussos já era um cantor extraordinário que dirá agora cantando em mundos mais evoluídos ... só Deus sabe quão maravilhosamente estará cantando o Seu pássaro Artemios Venture Roussos! Jesus Cristo o guarde de todo o mal , Deus ilumine e abençoe Foverer And Ever !
Lavínia Antonietti
Muita paz e luz Demis Roussos onde estiver. Eterno em nossos corações.
bn0102
Ele está num lugar bem melhor que aqui, pode ter certeza. Além de ser uma pessoa boa com letras surreais e pacíficas.
Lavínia Antonietti
Belíssimo único encantador extraordinário e muito mais...
Margo Sipman
Nog nooit eerder gehoord!!! Prachtig!!🎈🎈🎈🎆🎆🎆💚💛💜💖💕💕
Leila Zanatta Giordani
❤😍🙏
Anna Mazzucchelli
Grazie mille x la canzone di Demis stupenda un po diversa... ❤️
ابومروه عبدالكاظم
oh my hard best and best 1976