Costa Cordalis

Although Costa Cordalis achieved his greatest renown as a pop singer working in Germany, his birthplace and early years were rooted in Greece. Konstantinos Costas entered the world on May 1, 1944, in Elatia, where he first took up the guitar at seven. Understanding that his musical goals would face steep obstacles there, he moved to Germany at sixteen. Once in Frankfurt he studied German at the Goethe Institute while pursuing a philosophy degree, yet his passion for music soon upended those academic plans. In 1965 he issued his debut single, a German-language rendition of Elvis Presley’s “Crying in the Chapel.” Widespread popularity arrived only in 1973, when the track “Anita” entered the German charts; several more singles followed on those same listings through 1977. A lifelong skiing enthusiast, Cordalis later captured Germany’s national title in the sport on two occasions.