Mary Linda, a major figure in Greek popular music whose career spanned decades and included performances at the White House, has died aged 90.
Born Maria Dimitropoulou in Pyrgos, in the western Peloponnese, Linda began her career performing in variety shows and cabarets before forming a celebrated musical partnership with composer and bouzouki virtuoso Manolis Hiotis.
The pair married in 1959 and remained together until 1966, becoming one of the most successful acts in Greece during the 1960s. They toured extensively and appeared together in numerous Greek films, while Linda gained further recognition after taking first prize at the Thessaloniki Song Contest in 1961.
Linda and Hiotis toured the United States in 1964, where they performed at the White House in honour of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Their music also gained an international following, with actor Anthony Perkins and opera legend Maria Callas among their reported admirers.
A fixture of the Greek music scene for decades, Linda continued to perform with prominent artists well into her later career. She appeared alongside Haris Alexiou in Athens during the 1995-96 winter season and collaborated with Glykeria in 2002-03.
She made her final club appearances during the 2011-12 season, performing with artists including Anna Vissi. In her later years, Linda lived in a care facility.
