Greek-born Hobart musician and entrepreneur Jimmy Roussos has died aged 78, two months after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
Roussos arrived in Australia from Greece in 1957 at the age of 10 and became a familiar entertainer at restaurants, weddings, festivals, bowls clubs, Anzac Day services, the Taste of Tasmania and Mona.
His son, Stratos Roussos, told The Mercury his father moved easily between his Greek and Australian identities.
“He was very much a unique character and was loved by many,” he said.
“His blend of music was played seamlessly with English songs and Greek songs and everything in between.”
Roussos founded the Hobart Blues Club and helped introduce Greek music to the city during the early 1970s. In later life, his faith led him from rock ’n’ roll to Byzantine chanting at weekly church services.
He also built a long career in hospitality, working at Wrest Point and running several businesses with his wife, Poppy, including the Monaco Fish and Chip Shop, Jimmy’s Coffee Lounge, Picasso Café and the Aegean Restaurant.
His daughter, Maria Nicol, remembered him as “kind, generous, quick-witted, a talented musician and “a true friend to so many”.
“The countless people who shared a song, a laugh, a meal, a game of bowls or a story with him will always carry a little piece of him with them,” she said.
Roussos’ funeral will be held in Hobart on Tuesday.
Source: The Mercury
