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.
Mamy Blue
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I may be your forgotten son
who wandered off at twenty one
it's sad to find myself at home
oh ma.
If I could only hold your hand
I'm sure you really understand
oh
Ma
where are you now.
Oh
Mamy
oh
Mamy - Mamy - blue
oh
Mamy - Blue
The house we shared upon the hill
seems lifeless but it's standing still
and memories of childhood days
fill my mind
oh Mamy
Mamy
Mamy.
I've seen enough of different lights
seen tired days and lonely nights
and now without you by my side
I'm lost
how can I survive.
Oh
Mamy...
Nobody who takes care of me
who loves me
who has time for me
the walls look silent at my face
oh
Ma
so dead is our place.
The sky is dark
the wind is rough
and now I know what I have lost
the house is not a home at all
I'm leaving
the future seems so small.
The song "Mamy Blue" by Demis Roussos is a touching and sentimental tribute to a mother who has passed away. The lyrics suggest that the singer may have had a difficult relationship with his mother, and he may have left home at an early age. He expresses remorse and longing for his mother, wishing he could hold her hand and apologize for his past mistakes. The memories of his childhood days spent in the house on the hill with his mother fill his mind and make him nostalgic.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to become more and more isolated and lonely. He has seen many things in his life but realizes that none of it compares to the love and care he received from his mother. The house that he and his mother once shared is now just a lifeless shell, and without her, he feels lost and alone. The singer seems to have come to the realization that nothing can ever replace the love of a mother, and the future seems bleak without her.
Line by Line Meaning
I may be your forgotten son
I may have left home and been forgotten by you
who wandered off at twenty one
I left my home when I was 21 years old without a specific destination
it's sad to find myself at home
It's sad to realize that I'm back home and feel so lost
oh ma.
I miss you so much, mom
If I could only hold your hand
If only I could hug you and say I am sorry
and say I'm sorry yes I am
I want to apologize to you for my mistakes
I'm sure you really understand
I know you will forgive me and understand my situation
oh Ma where are you now.
I feel like I need your support now more than ever, but you're not here
Oh Mamy oh Mamy blue
This moment is making me feel very blue and I miss you, Mom
The house we shared upon the hill
The house that we used to stay in together
seems lifeless but it's standing still
The house seems empty and lifeless without you, even if it still stands there
and memories of childhood days
I am reminded of our wonderful childhood memories
fill my mind oh Mamy, Mamy, Mamy.
I cannot help but think about all of the wonderful moments we had together
I've seen enough of different lights
I've had my share of experiences and have seen different things
seen tired days and lonely nights
I've had to deal with exhaustion and loneliness
and now without you by my side
But now, without you, those experiences feel empty and meaningless
I'm lost how can I survive.
I don't know how to cope without you, Mom
Nobody who takes care of me
I feel like nobody is there for me anymore
who loves me who has time for me
Nobody seems to have the time or willingness to care for me or my feelings
the walls look silent at my face
I feel like even the walls are mocking me for my loneliness
oh Ma so dead is our place.
Without you, Mom, our home feels lifeless and empty
The sky is dark
The sky is bleak and gloomy
the wind is rough
The wind is strong and harsh
and now I know what I have lost
Now that you're gone, I understand what I've lost
the house is not a home at all
Without you, Mom, our house feels like it's no longer a home
I'm leaving the future seems so small.
I can no longer stay here without you anymore, and my future seems uncertain and small
Lyrics © BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Hubert Giraud
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-cp4fi7ls7n
An unforgettable and unique artists!!!
Thank you Demis for all your offers!!!
May you rest in peace like an angel!!!
@user-ru6kk6ui3n
Таких уже нет,боготворю его...его голос-это просто божественный и не повторимый,таких уже не будет,светлая ему память💐
@lextalionis9642
Only 2 performes filled to full capacity Maracanã stadium (Brasil), one being Frank Sinatra and the other one the out of this world voice of Demis! Love you Demis, Forever and Ever ❤🙏
@BeataMach-fy8dq
Cudowne nuty Roussosa wycieczka w cudowna przeszłość dzięki ❤ Beata
@teopilemalakia1444
ti liubish gruzia i ukraina?
@user-iv6wx7vs2r
Один из самых любимых певцов многих людей во всём мире! Уникальный голос! Светлая ему память!
@user-jy1rv8wl5y
Маша,ты прелесть.🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩❤❤❤✌✌✌✌✌✌✌🍓🍓🍓🫐🍓🍓🍓🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬🍬
@guccigucci5434
Любимый певец, любимая песня. Очень люблю его творчество, все песни! Необыкновенный уникальный голос. Вечная и светлая память ему.
@annamazzucchelli7652
Je t'adore toujour
@rasstriga
Лучшее исполнение одной из моих САМЫХ любимых песен.