After Dinner Speakers: Demis Roussos, Shahid Malik, Richard Blackwood

Artemios Ventouris Roussos, 15 June 1946, Alexandria, Egypt. This multi-lingual Greek's father was a semi-professional classical guitarist, and his mother a singer. At music college in Athens, Roussos mastered trumpet, double bass, organ and bouzouki. These talents were put to commercial use in the Idols and We Five, early Greek pop bands that enjoyed local commercial success in the early to mid-60s. Roussos then found widespread European success with Aphrodite's Child, formed by Roussos, Vangelis Papathanassiou (who later enjoyed international acclaim as Vangelis), Anargyros "Silver' Koulouris and Lucas Sideras. The group's first single was 1968"s million-selling "Rain And Tears", and later European hits included "I Want To Live" and "Let Me Love, Let Me Live', characterised by Roussos' strident, quasi-operatic vocals. Roussos began a career as a solo vocalist before Aphrodite's Child released their final album, 1972"s progressive classic 666: The Apocalypse Of John. His career, after a slow start, hit its stride with Forever And Ever, a chart success in Europe. "Happy To Be On An Island In The Sun", climbed into the UK Top 5 in November 1975 but it seemed as if the new sensation had dwindled as both "Can't Say How Much I Love You" and the second album struggled in their respective listings. However, Roussos was to return with a vengeance in June 1976 when the self-produced The Roussos Phenomenon became the first EP to top the UK singles chart. The same October, "When Forever Has Gone" peaked at number 2. Within months, he bade farewell to the Top 40 with the EP Kyrila. Although general consumer reaction to subsequent releases has been modest, the impact of their perpetrator on theatre box office takings has been immense. Roussos has lent a high euphonious tenor to essentially middle-of-the-road material. Style transcends content when, with dramatic son et lumiere effects and garbed in billowing robes, his Grand Entrance - like Zeus descending from Olympus - still leaves an indelible impression on every packed audience before he sings even a note.