Sakis Rouvas

Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, actor, and businessman.

Rouvas was born on 5 January 1972 in Mantouki, a suburb of Corfu City on the island of Corfu, the eldest of four sons of Konstantinos "Kostas" Rouvas (an ambulance driver) and Anna-Maria Panaretou (a duty-free shop clerk at the local airport).

He has three brothers: Billy (b. Vasilios, 1975), Tolis (b. Apostolos, 1977) and Nikos (b. Nikolaos, 1991).

The family was poor, and Rouvas began taking care of his brothers at age five.

At age four, he exhibited athletic ability and took ballet classes as a child.

His parents had a theatrical background, and at age ten Rouvas starred in his first theatrical production (An I Karharies Itan Anthropi; If Sharks Were People).

Soon afterwards Rouvas discovered music, which he enjoyed nearly as much as athletics.

He taught himself guitar, inspired by international artists such as Elvis Presley.

Born in Corfu, he won medals on the national athletics team during the 1980s before pursuing his musical career in 1991.

In 1984 his parents divorced; Rouvas and his brother Tolis moved to their paternal grandparents' home in the village of Potamos when their father remarried.

The young Rouvas held a variety of jobs to support his family, including work in an automobile repair shop, and as a construction worker and bartender.

Since his early childhood, he had difficulty in school, particularly in reading and writing.

Working during the day, Rouvas went to school at night with his mother (who had not finished secondary school).

At age 15, Rouvas joined the Greek national track and field team as an admirer of Ukrainian pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka.

His vaults were consistently high—averaging 4.17 m—and he won a number of national awards.

Rouvas continued in athletics until age 18, but believing he had a future in music, he joined the Corfu Band.

At his graduation, he sang hits by Elvis and The Beatles.

Rouvas began performing at local clubs and hotels; at To Ekati, he was seen by future manager Ilias Psinakis.

He left Corfu at age 18, moving to Patras in search of a better future.

After moving to Patras, Rouvas continued to look for performance opportunities until he met Dakis (a popular Greek artist who was the first person to help him professionally).

Throughout the early 1990s, he was signed with PolyGram Records with whom he released five studio albums.

Rouvas moved to Athens, and made his first professional appearance in 1991 at the Show Centre.

His showmanship attracted the attention of music executives such as Nikos Mouratidis, who encouraged songwriter Giorgos Pavrianos to produce him.

Rouvas, singing Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" was discovered by PolyGram executives who signed him to his first recording contract.

Several months later he debuted at the Thessaloniki Song Festival, losing Best Vocal Performance to Giorgos Alkaios but singing the Best Composition ("Par'ta"; "Take Them", with music by Nikos Terzis and lyrics by Giorgos Pavrianos).

There was a brief earthquake during the festival.

Rouvas released his eponymous debut album, which topped the Greek Albums Chart, the day after the festival.

"Par'ta" became a radio hit, and other songs of the album such as "1992", "''Ego S'agapo" ("I Love You") and "Gia Fantasou" ("Imagine") also became popular.

In September 1992 Rouvas released his second album, Min Andistekese (Don't Resist), also composed by Nikos Terzis.

It produced the singles "Gyrna" ("Return"), "Min Andistekese", "Na Ziseis Moro Mou" ("Live, My Baby") and "Me Kommeni Tin Anasa" ("Breathless"), with a music video of the title track.

The album's success helped establish Rouvas at the top of the Greek music scene.

Beginning in 1997, Rouvas signed with Minos EMI and released the charting albums Kati Apo Mena (1998) and 21os Akatallilos (2000).

Since 2003 Rouvas has been in a relationship with model Katia Zygouli, with whom he has four children.

He has been involved in several charitable activities throughout his career, using his fame and resources to support various causes.

His Eurovision Song Contest 2004 song "Shake It" also became one of the best-selling CD singles of all time in Greece, while other songs and videos, such as "1992", "Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas", "Ela Mou", "Min Antistekesai", "Xana", "Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola", "Den Ehei Sidera I Kardia Sou", "Ypirhes Panta", "Antexa", "Se Thelo San Trelos", "+ Se Thelo" and "Sta Kalytera Mou" have topped the Greek music charts.

In 2009 Down Town named him its "Entertainer of the Decade"; in 2010, Forbes listed him as the third-most-influential celebrity in Greece and the country's top-ranked singer.

In the 2010s, Rouvas expanded his career to film, television, theatre and fashion.

Rouvas has won six Arion Music Awards, 15 Pop Corn Music Awards, 26 MAD Video Music Awards (including an honorary award in 2023), four Status Man of the Year Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award and a World Music Award.

Several number-one albums and singles which have been certified gold or higher have made him one of Greece's most popular musical artists.

Known for his independence, Rouvas' musical, fashion and performance styles have influenced other artists for over two decades.