Leo Leandros, the father of Luxembourg entrant Vicky Leandros, has died at the age of 102.
Leandros was a famed singer, songwriter, and musician who co-wrote Après toi, the Eurovision 1972 entry for Luxembourg that won the contest that year. His daughter Vicky performed the song at the contest in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Leandros was born Leandros Papathanasiou (Λεό Λέανδρος) in 1923 in Astakos, Greece. He emigrated to Germany in the 1950s and changed his name to the pseudonyms Mario Panas and Leo Leandros, the latter name which he mainly worked under. During his career he wrote and produced songs for many singers, including other Eurovision entrants such as Freddy Quinn (Germany 1956) and Nana Mouskouri (Luxembourg 1963). He was also the first singer of the Hymn of Panathinaikos which was composed in 1958 by George Economides and George Mouzakis.
He later retired and devoted much of his time to his daughter’s career, including producing 3 studio albums for her in the 1990s. With the help of her father, Vicky Leandros went on to become an internationally renowned singer. Prior to performing Après toi in 1972, Vicky performed at the 1967 contest in Vienna, Austria with the song L’amour est bleu which placed fourth. However, that song was composed by André Popp and Pierre Cour.
We at Eurovoxx express our deepest condolences to Vicky Leandros and her family during this difficult time.
Photo credit: Eckehard Schulz
