Marinella, the Greek music legend, with one of the most iconic voices in the history of Greek Laiko music, died on Saturday 28th March 2026, at the age of 87.  Marinella was born in Thessaloniki on 19th May 1938, to a refugee family from Constantinople.  Her death marks the end of an era for Greek music, closing a career that spanned nearly seven decades, which left a mark on generations of listeners in Greece.  Marinella passed away a year and a half after suffering a stroke on stage during her performance at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on 26th September 2024.  The retrospective show had been designed to celebrate her enviable career but eventually marked a sorrowful last goodbye to her fans.  After a long hospitalisation period, she returned home, where she passed away peacefully.

Marinella, was born Kyriaki Papadopoulou, the last of four children.  As a young child, she had a difficult life growing up during the German Occupation and the Greek Civil War.  Marinella was a born artist, at the age of five, she appeared on the Greek radio show 'Children's Hour'.  At seventeen, she appeared as an actress in one of the most famous troupes of the time, touring all of Greece. 

In 1956, Kyriaki, also known as Kiki, was eighteen years old when she was 'baptised' Marinella.  Along with her new stage name, she met the legendary Greek singer Stelios Kazantzidis, who helped her advance her career as the two became the most famous couple in Greece.  They became the greatest male-female duet in the history of Greek popular music, unsurpassed to this day.  By the end of 1957, Marinella had released her first song on record and the couple had moved to Athens, where they sang unparalleled duets on stage and on record.  Marinella and Kazantzidis toured together in America and Germany, also performing in movies together, singing songs of the most pretigious Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis.  The couple got married in 1964 but divorced only two years later, their personalities were just too volatile to continue living together.

In November 1973, in the days of the Athens Polytechnic uprising, Marinalla got married to the second love of her life, the popular singer Tolis Voskopoulos.  They recorded several albums and performed together for several years, making the most popular duet of the 1970s.  Marinella also participated in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in eleventh place with the Greek song 'Krasi, Thalassa kai t' Agori Mou' (Wine, Sea and my Boyfriend)

In the 1990s, Marinella had already established herself as a symbol of Greek popular music, and every concert of hers was a major event.  She had appeared at the small Olympic Stadium, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and the Athens Concert Hall, all sold-out concerts followed by rave reviews.  On 29th August 2004, she performed at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics.  Marinella's last performance on 26th September 2024 ended with her unfortunate public collapse mid-show under the Acropolis of Athens, sealing an artist's life full of memorable hits, great success and adoration by an audience who loved her voice. 

The funeral of Marinella was held on Tuesday 31st March at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, attended by leading figures from the arts, politics and public life.  Singers George Dalaras and Haris Alexiou delivered deeply emotional eulogies during the service.  Among those attending the funeral were Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas and Deputy Parliament Speaker Olga Gerovassili.  As her coffin was carried out, applause and chants echoed through the crowd in a final gesture of respect and admiration.  Following the funeral service, Marinella's sister, daughter Giorgina, grandchildren and close family accompanied the late singer to her final burial place in a private ceremony at Kifissia Cemetery.