Roger Voudouris
Encyclopedia
Roger Voudouris was an [Greek|American]] singer-songwriter
/guitarist
best known for his 1979 hit, "Get Used To It".
Voudouris was born in Sacramento
, California
and formed Roger Voudouris Loud as Hell Rockers while still in high school
. That band
would later enjoy small success while performing as an opening act for The Doobie Brothers
, Stephen Stills
and John Mayall
.
His first solo
album
was the self titled Roger Voudouris released in 1978 which received little interest from radio
or other media. However, Voudouris' second album Radio Dream contained the pop
hit "Get Used To It" peaking at #21 in 1979 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
Radio Dream was followed a year later with the 1980 A Guy Like Me album and later by the 1981 album On The Heels Of Love. While A Guy Like Me and On the Heels of Love did not achieve the success of his previous album, Voudouris did achieve quite a large amount of success in Japan
where his musical style was very popular. He also became a small cult-figure in Australia
after appearing on the popular music television program "Countdown" in August 1979. In his appearance on the show he wore a figure hugging white outfit while miming "Get Used To It" into a wind machine, which made his long hair flow. This led to his brief status as a sex symbol
in that country.
After the decline of his solo career Voudouris returned to writing
music
and lyrics
for various projects including the movie
The Lonely Lady
starring Pia Zadora
, and a documentary on the life of Elvis Presley
.
Voudouris died in 2003 after suffering from liver disease
for some time. He was survived by three children from his first marriage, his former wife, and his then-wife, Jennifer (from whom he was separated).
Tracks:
Radio Dream (1979) - #? UK, #171 US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
A Guy Like Me (1980) - #? UK, #? US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
On The Heels Of Love (1981) - #? UK, #? US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
/guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
best known for his 1979 hit, "Get Used To It".
Voudouris was born in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and formed Roger Voudouris Loud as Hell Rockers while still in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. That band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
would later enjoy small success while performing as an opening act for The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
, Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
and John Mayall
John Mayall
John Mayall, OBE is an English blues singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, whose musical career spans over fifty years...
.
His first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
was the self titled Roger Voudouris released in 1978 which received little interest from radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
or other media. However, Voudouris' second album Radio Dream contained the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit "Get Used To It" peaking at #21 in 1979 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Radio Dream was followed a year later with the 1980 A Guy Like Me album and later by the 1981 album On The Heels Of Love. While A Guy Like Me and On the Heels of Love did not achieve the success of his previous album, Voudouris did achieve quite a large amount of success in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where his musical style was very popular. He also became a small cult-figure in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
after appearing on the popular music television program "Countdown" in August 1979. In his appearance on the show he wore a figure hugging white outfit while miming "Get Used To It" into a wind machine, which made his long hair flow. This led to his brief status as a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
in that country.
After the decline of his solo career Voudouris returned to writing
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for various projects including the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
The Lonely Lady
The Lonely Lady
The Lonely Lady is a 1983 American film directed by Peter Sasdy and adapted to screen by Ellen Shepard from the novel written by Harold Robbins. The original music score was composed by Charlie Calello. The cast includes Pia Zadora, Lloyd Bochner, Bibi Besch, Jared Martin, and in an early film...
starring Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora
Pia Zadora is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians , she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly, she won a Golden Globe...
, and a documentary on the life of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
Voudouris died in 2003 after suffering from liver disease
Liver disease
Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...
for some time. He was survived by three children from his first marriage, his former wife, and his then-wife, Jennifer (from whom he was separated).
Discography
Roger Voudouris (1978) - #? UK, #? US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: UnknownTracks:
- Don't Turn My Music Down
- What Are You Doing After Class?
- Hold On, Let The Singer Sing
- I'm There, Will I Ever Feel Good Again
- Friends Forever
- The Finger Painter
- We're Out Of Time
Radio Dream (1979) - #? UK, #171 US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
- Get Used To It
- Just What It Takes
- Does Our Love (Depend On The Night)
- We Can't Stay Like This Forever
- Radio Dream
- Anything From Anyone
- We Only Dance 'Cause We Have To
- The Next Time Around
- Reprise
A Guy Like Me (1980) - #? UK, #? US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
- Guys Like Me
- A Feeling For You
- The Last Love Song
- Jamie
- On The Ladder
- New Wave Shoes
- Too Late To Change Her
- Just Give Me Your Love (Tonite)
- The Pain Of Adolescence
- Still In Love With You
On The Heels Of Love (1981) - #? UK, #? US, #? Japan, #? Australia US Sales: Unknown
Tracks:
- Heels Of Love
- When Two Divide
- She's Too Cold
- First Love
- Let Her Get Away
- Another Sad Love Song
- I Can See Him (In Her Eyes)
- Outgrowing Me
External links/references
- Link to Sacramento Bee, who published an obituary on Voudouris in August, 2003 (access to obit not free)
- Video of Roger Voudouris on Countdown Australia on YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....