Giorgos Zampetas

Despite the struggles of the past decade, due to changes in music fashion, the 1990s brought about new records and releases by Zampetas. However, not too long after his brief revival, by 1992, he had reached not only the twilight of his career, but his life too. In early 1992, his health deteriorated and was diagnosed with bone cancer, which had already reached advanced stages. Prior to that, he had made one final appearance, before his eventual death.

His former neighbourhood of Egaleo (where he had spent his late teen years, and early twenties) honoured Zampetas by naming the town square in his name, to commemorate him in September 1990.

He was one of the most recognized Greek musicians of all times, working in the Greek cinema of those years with stars such as Aliki Vouyouklaki. He appeared in many Greek film productions, and his compositions used in many, one of the most famous being "Siko Horepse Sirtaki". He also worked with famous Greek composers, such as Manos Hadjidakis in 1959, and there after collaborated with various leading Greek musicians such as Theodorakis, Stavros Xarchakos and many others.

During the German occupation of Greece, in times of poverty and misery, Zampetas founded his first band in 1942, after having moved to the Egaleo neighborhood of Athens, 2 years prior to that.

From a very young age, Zampetas showed a great interest in music: as he was helping his father in his barber shop, he secretly played his first melodies on a bouzouki. Anything that was producing sound seemed exciting to him and helped him in his compositions, as he said in his biography not long before he died. In 1932, as a seven year old first grader, he won his first prize, playing his first song in a school competition. At the young age of 13, Giorgos met one of the most famous figures in Greek music, and one of his idols, Vassilis Tsitsanis which played a fundamental role in his musical career.

Giorgos Zampetas (Pronounced 'Zabetas', Greek: Γιώργος Ζαμπέτας, sometimes romanized as George Zambetas / George Zabetas / Giorgos Zabetas; 25 January 1925 – 10 March 1992) was a Greek bouzouki musician. He was born and died in Athens but his origins were from the island of Kythnos.

Giorgos Zampetas, Greek music composer, singer and one of the greatest bouzouki artists was born in Metaxourgio area of Athens, on 25 January 1925. His parents were Mihalis Zampetas, a barber, and Marika Moraiti, the niece of a well-known baritone of those years.