ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Popular Greek singer-songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos, known for his allegorical and deeply poetic lyrics that commented on Greek politics, identity and society, has died. He was 80.
A prominent figure on the Greek cultural and intellectual scene, Savvopoulos died Tuesday night, his family announced on his official social media account. The musician had been hospitalized in recent days, and had been battling cancer for several years.
Known by his nickname Nionios — a commonly used nickname for Dionysis — Savvopoulos rose to prominence in the 1960s, gaining national fame with his subtly revolutionary songs during the 1967-1974 military dictatorship. He was briefly imprisoned by the junta, and his songs became anthems of resistance for youths and dissidents in Greece.
Tributes to Savvopoulos poured in from across the Greek political and cultural world.
“I don’t want to believe it, but our Dionysis is no longer here,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis posted on his social media account. “Savvopoulos is gone, leaving behind a strong imprint on music, on lyrics and on public style. Because with his work and stance, he proved that he was a wonderful songwriter. A sensitive Greek.”
Born in Thessaloniki on Dec. 2, 1944, Savvopoulos studied law but never completed his studies. He moved to Athens in 1963 and began pursuing his musical career, performing in small music clubs in the Greek capital.
His songs blended multiple genres, including Greek popular music with rock and folk-rock elements, the music of American musicians such as Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa as well as traditional Greek music.
He wrote both the music and lyrics for most of his songs, which had deeply political, romantic and humorous content. His debut album, “Fortigo,” meaning Truck, was released in 1966 and became a major success, propelled him to fame with its combination of political commentary, rock influences and Greek folk idioms.
He solidified his success with is second album, “The Fool’s Garden,” released three years later in 1969, during the military dictatorship. Savvopoulos quickly became one of Greece’s leading voices of artistic dissent, and by the time the junta fell in 1974, he was considered one of the most important and original Greek songwriters of his generation.
In 1972, he released the album “The Dirty Bread,” which included the song “The Angel Herald,” an adaptation of Bob Dylan’s “The Wicked Messenger,” while in 1997 he released “The Hotel,” an album dedicated to artists he had been inspired by, including Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Jethro Tull, Van Morrison, Lou Reed, Lucio Dalla and others.
“He was a great artist, a remarkable man who was loved by the Greek people for his personality, his work and his contribution to art,” Greek President Konstantinos Tassoulas said in a statement. “Uncompromising, innovative and daring, he embodied the spirit of questioning in the most sensitive and poetic way through works that marked the history of Greek song and became landmarks in the modern culture of our country.”
A gifted stage performer, Savvopoulos would enchant audiences of all ages with his music and storytelling. He continued performing throughout his career, appearing at live concerts as recently as this year, when he performed at a summer music festival on the outskirts of Athens.
Savvopoulos published his autobiography, “Why The Years Fly By,” in early 2025, where he spoke openly about his his battle with lung cancer, diagnosed in 2020.
“Death is an unacceptable thing. But once you accept it, that’s when you begin living,” he said once during a television interview.
Savvopoulos is survived by his wife Aspa, two sons and two grandsons. Funeral arrangements would be made known later, his family said.
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