A year before playing the charismatic—”Who loves ya, baby?”—fedora hat-wearing, lollipop-sucking, New York City police detective Theophilus “Theo” Kojak for five seasons on the popular TV series Kojak (1973-1978), actor Telly Savalas (1922-1994) started exploring another passion of his, off-screen: music.
Born Aristotelis “Telly” Savalas on January 21, 1922, in Garden City, New York on Long Island, storytelling and music were part of his Greek upbringing. After serving in World War II, and being discharged with a Purple Heart after being injured in a car accident, Savalas hosted the ABC series Your Voice of America series and studied psychology at Columbia University under the GI Bill. In 1950 Savalas also hosted the radio show The Coffeehouse in New York City and later became an executive producer at ABC, where he gave legendary sports newscaster Howard Cosell his first job.
After transitioning into acting, Savalas starred in his first film Mad Dog Coll, which also marked the acting debut of Gene Hackman, before earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as prisoner Feto Gomez, alongside Burt Lancaster, in the 1962 prison drama Birdman of Alcatraz, and continued acting on TV—The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour—and film for more than a decade before becoming Kojak.
Later inspired by pop and the story element within folk, along with vocalists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Savalas released his debut album This is Telly Savalas… in 1972. The album features Savalas’ covers of the George Harrison-penned Beatles classic “Something,” Kris Kristofferson‘s “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “A Song for You” from Leon Russell, and several originals.
By 1974, Savalas released his second album Telly, featuring a spoken-word cover of Bread‘s 1971 hit “If,” much like Star Trek star William Shatner‘s more talkie releases. Savalas’ rendition topped the chart in the UK and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. In 1981, Savalas had another No. 1 in the UK with his cover of Don Williams’ 1977 country hit “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend.”
Throughout his music career, Savalas released five albums and 14 singles and entrusted a majority of his original songs to some longtime collaborators, including producer and chief Kojak composer John Cacavas, while being credited with a few, himself. Here’s a look at two songs Savalas wrote during his music career.
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“Look Around You” (1972)
Written by Telly Savalas and John Cacavas
“Look Around You” was another song credited to Savalas, which he wrote with John Cacavas for his self-titled album in 1975. The album also features Savalas’ covers of Kristofferson’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and Gordon Lightfoot‘s “Last Time I Saw Her.” Filled with “Opas,” the Greek-inspired song is set in the present moment—take a look around you—and the end of a romance.
Take a look around you
See what you must see
What will be, will be
She went and left you with your soul
She may come back tomorrow
Maybe yes, maybe no
It doesn’t matter, even so
Opa!
“Goodbye Madam” (1982)
Written by Telly Savalas, Christian Bruhn, and Günther Behrle
By the early ’80s, Savalas was still exploring music and released the single “Love is Such a Sweet Surprise,” a duet with Pam Rose, and his UK chart topped “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend” from his final album Sweet Surprise in 1980. A year later, Savalas released “Lovin’ Understandin’ Man” and his final single “Goodbye Madam,” in 1982, which he co-wrote with German composers Christian Bruhn and Günther Behrle. The lyrics follow the end of an unrequited love.
Don’t ask me why, madame
This is our last farewell
It’s time to go
That’s life, madame
Just when I called you mine
Your tears gave me the sign
Goodbye, madame
Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images
