Leo Leandros (Greek: Λεό Λέανδρος; born Leandros Papathanasiou; 23 August 1923) is a Greek musician, singer, composer and record producer.
Born on 23 August 1923 in Astakos, Leandros left in the 1950s for Germany to pursue a career in singing and composing. He had some success, but shifted his focus to his daughter, Vicky, who had been singing from a very early age. He became her manager, composer and producer when she was 13 and took charge of her training and career. Under his pseudonym Mario Panas (Μάριο Πάνας) he was the co-composer (together with Klaus Munro) of "Après toi", the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1972, which Vicky performed for Luxembourg.
Leandros has composed and produced for many other artists such as Julio Iglesias, Demis Roussos, Nana Mouskouri, Ulli Martin, Freddy Quinn and Jairo, among others. In 1983, he retired but returned exclusively to the studio in the early 1990s for three albums with Vicky Leandros. His albums have sold over 120 million worldwide. A low-profile personality, Leandros avoids public appearances. In October 2005 though, he appeared on German/Austrian TV as a surprise guest for his daughter who was celebrating her 30-year stage Jubilee. He was also the first singer of the Hymn of Panathinaikos.[1]
He turned 100 on 23 August 2023.[2][3]