Demis Roussos, 68-year-old Greek singer has reportedly died. As a professional singer, Roussos ultimately sold over 60 million records throughout the world. Part of his legend is being a member of the progressive rock band called Aphrodite’s Child.

One of his biggest hits, “Forever and Ever”, was used in the 1977 television play called Abigail’s Party, which was director by Mike Leigh of Britain. During that stint, the song “Rain and Tears” became a huge success.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he had a list of international hits but was was best known for several solo hits to include “Goodbye”, “Forever and Ever”, “Happy to be on an Island in the Sun”, “Rain and Tears” and “Quand je t’aime”. Then in the mid-1970s, he was the main subject of “The Roussos Phenomenon”, a British documentary.

According to numerous media outlets, Roussos had battled a long illness and on Sunday, passed away. Band mate of Aphrodite’s Child, Vangelis, quoted to British news media that Demis was his friend. He stated that he had just arrived in London and after a long journey, was shocked at his passing. He did not think he would die so soon. He added that nature gave Roussos a magical voice, one that made millions of people around the globe happy.

Born in June of 1946 in Alexandria Egypt, Roussos’s father was Greek while his mother was of Italian heritage. During the Suez Crisis, he and his parents moved to Greece when he began singing shortly after. Many people agree that he was one of the most unlikely of all international superstars yet he touched so many lives with his music.

Roussos was a heavier set man, which led him to be mocked by many people. He also had a high-pitched voice and loved to dress extravagantly. However, for the people who grew to love him, they recognized his unique and magical formula.

In an interview done in 2002, Roussos said that he sang songs instinctively, love songs from the Mediterranean area. Not only was his widely successful but other famous artists followed his style of music to include Julio Iglesias.

Although not a lot of information is known, Roussos was also in headline news after being a part of a 1985 hostage drama. He made news again after dropping a significant amount of weight. No matter his challenges, Roussos was truly one of a kind and well loved.