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Once Extremely Popular In U.S.S.R., Singer Roussos Dead At 68


World-renowned Greek singer Demis Roussos died in Athens at the age of 68.

The Egyptian-born singer became popular in the 1960s and 1970s and sold about 60 million records globally.

He had been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness for some time and reportedly died early on January 25.

Roussos was extremely popular in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and was added to the small list of "allowed foreign singers" for Soviet citizens.

Roussos's hits such as Good-bye, My Love, Good-bye; My Reason; and We Shall Dance became very popular and were sung across the U.S.S.R.

The most-popular Roussos song in the Soviet Union was Souvenirs, which was translated into Russian and played by local bands in both English and Russian.

In 1979, the U.S.S.R.'s Melodiya record company issued The Big Success of Demis Roussos.

With reporting by AFP
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