Leo Leandros

{{Short description|Greek musician, composer, singer, songwriter, lyricist and record producer (born 1923)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Leo Leandros

| native_name = Λεό Λέανδρος

| native_name_lang = el

| other_names = Mario Panas

| birth_name = Leandros Papathanasiou

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1923|8|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Astakos, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece

| nationality = Greek

| citizenship = {{plainlist|

Greece
Germany

}}

| occupation = Musician, composer, singer, songwriter, lyricist, record producer

| years_active = 1956–2012

| notable_works = Hymn of Panathinaikos (1958)

| spouse = {{unbulleted list

| Mpoumpou Papathanasiou

| {{marriage|Venetia Dimakarakou|1985}}

}}

| children = 4, including Vicky

}}

Leo Leandros ({{langx|el|Λεό Λέανδρος}}; born Leandros Papathanasiou; 23 August 1923) is a Greek musician, composer, singer, songwriter, lyricist and record producer.

Biography

Born on 23 August 1923 in Astakos, Leandros left in the 1950s for Germany to pursue a career in singing and composing. He had some success, but shifted his focus to his daughter, Vicky, who had been singing from a very early age. He became her manager, composer and producer when she was 13 and took charge of her training and career. Under his pseudonym Mario Panas ({{langx|el|Μάριο Πάνας|link=no}}) he was the co-composer (together with Klaus Munro) of "Après toi", the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, which Vicky performed for Luxembourg.

Leandros has composed and produced for many other artists such as Julio Iglesias, Demis Roussos, Nana Mouskouri, Ulli Martin, Freddy Quinn and Jairo, among others. In 1983, he retired but returned exclusively to the studio in the early 1990s for three albums with Vicky Leandros. His albums have sold over 120 million worldwide. A low-profile personality, Leandros avoids public appearances. In October 2005 though, he appeared on German/Austrian TV as a surprise guest for his daughter who was celebrating her 30-year stage Jubilee. He was also the first singer of the Hymn of Panathinaikos.{{Cite web|date=2018-02-03 |title=Σύλλογος μεγάλος... δεν υπάρχει άλλος (pics, vids) |url=https://panathinaikos24.gr/2018/02/03/47651/syllogos-megalos-den-yparxei-allos-pics-vids/ |access-date=2024-06-13 |website=Panathinaikos24.gr |language=el}}

He turned 100 on 23 August 2023.{{Cite web |last=Ρουμελιώτου |first=Μαρία |date=2023-08-24 |title=Λεό Λέανδρος: Ο πατέρας της Βίκυς Λέανδρος έκλεισε τα 100 και το γιόρτασε |url=https://www.okmag.gr/people/leo-leandros-o-pateras-tis-vikys-leandros-ekleise-ta-100-kai-to-giortase/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=OK! Magazine |language=el}}{{Cite web |title=Λέο Λέανδρος: Τα 100 έφτασε ο Έλληνας συνθέτης-φαινόμενο! – Βίντεο του συγγραφέα Γιάννη Βίτσα απο τα γενέθλιά του με τραγούδια φυσικά|url=https://www.eirinika.gr/article/258006/leo-leandros-ta-100-eftase-o-ellinas-synthetis-fainomeno-vinteo-toy-syggrafea-gianni |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=www.eirinika.gr |language=el}}

Discography

class="wikitable"

! #

! Year

! Side Α

! Side Β

! Disc

| Leandros: Hali – Halima

|78 rpms

| Leo Leandros: Hali – Halima

| B-side: Mary Linda: Mirtia

| Columbia – CTZ 10165 (78 rpm)
Turkey

| 1957

| Conchita

| Kleine Violetta

| Philips P 44 800 H (78 rpm)
Germany

| 1957

| Das ist die Fiësta

| Schwarze Rosita

| Philips P 44 816 H (78 rpm)
Philips 344 816 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1958

| Bongo Billy

| Kongo Bongo

| Philips P 44 867 H (78 rpm)
Philips 344 867 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1958

| Cielito lindo (So ist die Liebe)

| In Bordeaux

| Philips P 44 894 H (78 rpm)
Philips 344 894 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1957

| Tigi-tigi-tio

| Marie, Stern von Napoli

| Philips P 44 956 H (78 rpm)
Philips 344 956 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1957

| Komm, Mister Tallimann
(Banana-boat Song)

| Pepino (Guaglione)

| Philips P 44 956 H (78 rpm)
Philips 344 971 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1958

| Come Prima

| Viva l'Amore

| Philips 345 000 PF
Germany

|1958

| Chella-Llà

| Kuli-Song

| Philips 345 014 PF (release #1)
Germany

| 1958

| Chella-Llà

| Wenn dich ein Torero küßt

| Philips 345 030 PF (release #2)
Germany

| 1958

| Hunderttausend Cruzieros

| Mucho Amore

| Philips 345 050 PF
Germany

| 1958

| Bambina

| Eine Reise ins Glück

| Philips 345 055 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1958

| Chella-llà / Cielito lindo

| Komm, Mister Talliman /
Wenn Dich ein Torero küsst

| Philips 345 089 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1958

| Hey Käpt'n – Rolling Home

| Kari waits for me

| Philips 345 089 PF
Germany

| 1959

| Carmen Ramona

| Alle Mädchen wollen küssen (Be mine)

| Philips 345 127 PF
Germany

| 1959

| Ich Träume vom Süden

| Oft weint der Himmel Tränen

| Philips 345 146 PF
Germany

| 1959

| Einsam sind alle Strassen

| Das Pfennig Lied (Penny Song)

| Philips 345 154 PF
Germany

| 1959

| Ay ay ay Paraquay

| Mädchen von Napoli

| Philips 345 170 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1959

| Carina

| Marina

| Philips 345 197 PF (45 rpm)
Germany

| 1960

| Blaue Nacht in Sansibar

| Sieben Jahre lang

| Philips 345 205 PF
Germany

| 1960

| Im Hafen unsrer großen Liebe

| Anita

| Philips 345 223 PF
Germany

| 1960

| Mustafa

| Mondschein und Meer

| Philips 345 228 PF
Germany

| 1960

| Tum Bailalaika

| Fährt ein Boot nach Kalamo

| Philips 345 270 PF
Germany

| 1961

| Bananas

| Schabada

| Philips 345 300 PF
Germany

| 1961

| Treu wie ein Hund
(with {{ill|Peter Beil|de}})

| Die Story vom alten Joe
(with Peter Beil)

| Philips 345 319 PF
Germany

| 1961

| Eines Tages (Michael Row the Boat)

| Flieg in die Heimat

| Philips 345 326 PF
Germany

| 1961

| Hasta La Vista

| Signorina Bella

| Philips 345 328 PF
Germany

| 1962

| Die Liebe kam (Gitarren-Tango)

| Am Kai von Korsika

| Philips 345 364 PF
Germany

| 1962

| Lebwohl, Jasmina

| Bambus-Bambina

| Philips 345 399 PF
Germany

| 1963

| Man spricht Spanisch

| Madrielenia (Ding-Dong-Bossa-No)

| Philips 345 559 PF
|Germany

| 1963

| Der Liebling von Allen (Uno per tutte)

| In der Cantina Mexicana

| Philips 345 575 PF
Germany

| 1963

| Picolina

| Deine kirschenroten Lippen

| Philips 345 580 PF
Germany

| 1963

| Picolina

| Deine kirschenroten Lippen

| Philips JF 329 004
Holland

| 1964

| Irgendwo in Athen

| Manina (In Summer)

| Philips 345 635 PF
Germany

| 1964

| Kara Ben Jusuf

| Jeder weint einmal

| Philips 345 677 PF
Germany

| 1964

| Die Liebe ist so schön

| Dinah-Lu

| Philips 345 731 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Glaub' daran

| Rag Doll

| Philips 345 786 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Was einmal war

| So schön wie Du

| Philips 345 788 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Warte auf das Glück

| Ich tu's für Dich

| Philips 345 818 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Wenn die Bouzoukis klingen

| Sirtaki Time

| Philips 345 863 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Frag doch nur dein Herz

| Bleib bei mir, geh' nicht fort

| Philips 345 863 PF
Germany

| 1965

| Dein Herz ist kalt wie Eis

| Unsre Sonne

| Philips 345 897 PF
Germany

| 1966

| Allein sein ist schwer

| Einmal wird er vor Dir stehen

| Philips 346 033 PF
Germany

| 1966

| So viel Liebe (Quando Dico Che Ti Amo)

| Du fährst nicht gut dabei

| Philips 346 039 PF
Germany

| 1967

| Heute ist heut (Let's live for today)

| Heimweh (Memories are made of this)

| Philips 346 068 PF
Germany

| 1967

| Glaube an das Leben (Zai, Zai, Zai)

| Tausend hübsche Mädchen

| Philips 384 514 PF
Germany

| 1968

| La Felicitad

| Nimm's nicht so schwer

| Philips 384 546 PF
Germany

| 1968

| An jenem Tag (Those were the days)

| Maria

| Philips 384 564 PF
Germany

| 1968

| Ma va la

| 40.000 Mark

| Philips 388 364 PF
Germany

| 1968

| Χαμένα όνειρα
(Hamena Oneira – Those were the days)

| Το κορίτσι της γκιόνας
(To koritsi tis gionas)

| Philips 6299
Greece

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110202125703/http://leoleandros.com/ Official homepage] (archived 2 February 2011)
{{IMDb name|nm0495149|Leo Leandros}}
https://eurovisionworld.com/eurovision/1972

Category:1926 births

Category:Living people

Category:Greek male songwriters

Category:Eurovision Song Contest-winning songwriters

Category:People from Astakos

Category:Greek men centenarians