The great performer Marinella passed away at the age of 87, after battling the effects of a severe stroke she suffered on stage at the Herodeion in September 2024.

The renowned singer breathed her last at her home, while the sad news was announced by her family through an official statement: “With deep sorrow, we announce the loss of Marinella, our beloved mother and grandmother, who passed away at her home today, March 28, 2026, at 18:00.”

Marinella was born in Thessaloniki on May 19, 1938, baptized as Kyriaki Papadopoulou. Her parents were originally from Constantinople. She was the fourth and youngest member of a poor but close-knit family with strong values, in which many members had a strong inclination toward music.

From a very young age, she showed her talent: between the ages of four and five, she participated in the children’s radio program “Children’s Hour,” while at twelve she advertised the “Melka” stores in Thessaloniki. At seventeen, she joined the troupe of Mairi Lorans as an actress and toured across Greece, collaborating with up-and-coming actors such as Kostas Voutsas, Martha Karagianni, Sonia Dimou, and Giannis Tzannetakos.

Her career as a singer began when, on some evenings, the troupe’s main singer fell ill and Marinella replaced her. She performed, among others, “O anthropos mou” by Sofia Vembo and the Spanish song “Malagueña,” establishing herself as the troupe’s lead singer.

Everything happened on the night of Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at the packed Herodeion. The concert had begun, and Marinella was performing her third song, “Ego ki esy” (“Me and You”), when she suddenly collapsed on stage, shocking the audience and the entire country.

Marinella leaves behind an invaluable musical legacy, having indelibly marked the history of Greek music. Today, the Greek public bids farewell to a great artist who shaped the course of our music over the past 70 years.