22 Facts About Stratos Dionysiou

Stratos Dionysiou, nicknamed "To Geraki tis Pistas", was a Greek singer, composer and lyricist.

Stratos Dionysiou was born on November 8,1935, in Nigrita, Serres.

Stratos Dionysiou was the son of Angelos and Stasa Dionysiou, refugees from Ayvali in Asia Minor.

From his first appearances in the 1950's, Dionysiou attracted the interest of some artists, who urged him to come down to Athens to make more important collaborations.

Stratos Dionysiou left Thessaloniki for Athens to further his singing career.

Stratos Dionysiou appeared in Nikaia nightclub "Asteras" with well-established singer Kaity Grey and in 1958 recorded his first song, "Parages kai PalatIa".

However, Stratos Dionysiou's voice was often mistaken for Stelios Kazantzidis' voice.

Stratos Dionysiou signed a contract with recording company "Columbia" and started singing songs by Xristos Kolokotronis, Babis Bakalis, Kostas Virvos, and others with some success.

Stratos Dionysiou re-recorded old, pre-war and WW2-era rebetiko-gerne songs by Vassilis Tsitsanis, Yiannis Papaioannou, Giorgos Mitsakis and Manolis Chiotis.

Stratos Dionysiou himself claimed that it was a conspiracy of competitors.

Stratos Dionysiou was found innocect of gun possession in 1974, but in 1975, on April 9, the trial of the notorious drug-trafficking case began at the Criminal Court of Thessaloniki.

Stratos Dionysiou was released thanks to an amnesty from prison in the spring of 1976.

When Stratos Dionysiou was released from prison he was faced with rejection.

Stratos Dionysiou persisted and finally managed to return to the music scene with the Minos company.

Stratos Dionysiou made very big hits, songs that are not only heard today, but come out on records, in re-runs and in covers.

Stratos Dionysiou married Georgia Laveni in 1955 and had four children, Angelos, Stelios, Diamantis and Tasoula Stratos Dionysiou.

Stratos Dionysiou disliked ELAS, due to them letting a Security Battalions commander named Papoulias escape after he bribed them.

Stratos Dionysiou died in Athens on May 11,1990, as a result of abdominal aortic aneurysm at the age of 55.

Stratos Dionysiou's funeral took place in the First Cemetery of Athens.

Stratos Dionysiou's funeral was attended by hundreds of people as well as other singers and actors.

Stratos Dionysiou's funeral took the form of lying in state.

Stratos Dionysiou's death left behind songs that are still heard today, but a great void in Greek music.