Giannis Spanos was born in 1943 in Kiato, where he began studying piano. His father was a dentist. He was influenced by his sister’s piano studies and he eventually moved to Athens at the age of 17 to study at the National Odeum where he learned to play the piano. His father wanted him to become a scientist so he sponsored a yearly trip around Europe. He lived briefly in Italy, Germany and the UK, eventually coming to Paris, France where he moved more permanently in 1961.
In Paris he worked in the artistic scene at the Rive Gauche as a piano accompanist and meets there many French artists like Brigitte Bardot, Pia Colombo, Cora Vaucaire, Serge Gainsbourg, Beatrice Arnac and Juliette Greco. He wrote the song Sidonie (lyrics by Jean-Max Riviere) that was sung by Brigitte Bardot in the film A Very Private Affair.
In the early 60s returned to Greece and creates a clean own musical climate, using new voices. Pioneered the musical genre called New Wave and the first song was the Greek composition “A Love for Summer”.
His collaborations with major Greek writers (L. Papadopoulos, M. Eleftheriou, M. Pythagoras) and with very popular singers (G. Bithikotsis, S. Kokotas, B. Moscholiou, G. Dalaras, X. Alexiou, Marinella, T. Voskopoulos, M. Mitsias, Y. Parios, Y. Poulopoulos etc) highlighted as one of the greatest contemporary composers.
Closing the fifth decade of presence in the Greek song still presents freshness and tenderness new compositions in collaboration with younger Greek artists.
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