Marinella, the very first Greek representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, has died aged 87.
Marinella, who represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, has died at the age of 87. She suffered a stroke in 2024 and had been battling health problems since.
Kyriaki Papadopoulou, better known by her stage name Marinella, was born on May 19, 1939 in Thessaloniki in northern Greece. As a child, she took part in the radio show “Pediki Ora” (Children’s Hour).
At the age of 17, Papadopoulou joined the artistic troupe of Mary Laurent. She then became the lead singer of the troupe after the former lead singer fell ill. This led to her performing all over Greece.
In 1957, Papadopoulou, now performing under the name Marinella, released her debut single “Nitsa, Elenitsa”. At around the same time, she became professionally and romantically involved with singer Stelios Kazantzidis. The two formed a duet and became popular throughout Greece, even appearing in several films. Shortly after their divorce in 1966, Marinella began her solo career.
In 1974, Marinella was selected to represent Greece on their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest. She performed “Krasi, thalassa kai t’agori mou” and finished 11th.
Marinella continued performing and releasing albums over the following decades. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. Her final studio album “Tipota den ginete tihea” was released in 2005. She continued performing until 2024, when she suffered a stroke on stage during her concert at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens.
The Eurovoix team would like to express our condolences to Marinella’s family and friends at this difficult time.
Source: I Kathimerini
Greece debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, when they were represented by Marinella and the song “Krasi, thalassa kai t’agori mou”, which finished in 11th place with 7 points. Three years later, Greece earned their first top 5 finish with Paschalis, Marianna, Robert, and Bessy, who finished in 5th place with “Mathima solfege”. In 2001, Greece achieved their first top 3 placing with Antique and the song “I Would Die For You”. The song became a European hit and charted across the continent. In 2005, Helena Paparizou returned to the Eurovision stage as a solo artist and brought Greece their first, and to date only, victory. Her song “My Number One” won with 230 points, beating runners-up Malta by 38 points.