Sakis Rouvas

Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (Greek: Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, pronounced [ˈsacis ruˈvas]; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter.

Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national athletics team during the 1980s before pursuing a music career. He rose to fame in 1991 with his debut album and became one of Greece's most prominent musical artists, with numerous number-one albums and singles—most of which have been certified platinum or higher—as well as widely attended tours and live shows. Over the course of his career, he has released fourteen studio albums, including five under PolyGram Records and nine under Minos EMI. His entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, "Shake It" became one of the best-selling CD singles in Greece. In addition to maintaining a successful recording career, Rouvas has also expanded into acting, television presenting, and business.

Rouvas has received numerous accolades, including six Arion Music Awards, 15 Pop Corn Music Awards, 26 MAD Video Music Awards, four Status Man of the Year Awards, a Karolos Koun Award from the Union of Greek Theatre and Music Critics, an MTV Europe Music Award and two World Music Awards. A major figure in modern Greek pop culture for over three decades—recognized for his artistic versatility, stage presence, and influence—Rouvas is often cited as one of the country's most recognizable and marketable public figures. Forbes listed him as Greece's third-most influential celebrity and its top-ranked singer.

He has been in a relationship with model Katia Zygouli since 2003; the couple married in 2017 and have four children. Rouvas is also involved in philanthropic work, supporting various social and environmental initiatives.

Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas was born on 5 January 1972 in Mantouki, a suburb of Corfu City, on the island of Corfu. He is the eldest son of Konstantinos "Kostas" Rouvas, an ambulance driver, and Maria-Ioanna Panaretou, who worked at the local airport's duty-free shop. He has two younger full brothers, Vasilis (born 1975) and Apostolos (born 1977), as well as a half-brother, Nikos (born 1991), from his father's later marriage. Raised in a financially struggling household, Rouvas began helping care for his siblings at an early age.

From the age of four, he showed an aptitude for athletics, taking ballet classes and beginning competitive gymnastics by the age of nine. At the same age, he also began participating in theatrical productions, influenced by his parents’ interest in theatre. At age ten, he played his first leading role in the stage play An I Karharies Itan Anthropi (If Sharks Were Men). Around this time, he developed an interest in music, teaching himself to play the guitar and drawing inspiration from international artists such as Elvis Presley.

In 1984, following his parents' divorce, Rouvas and Apostolos moved in with their paternal grandparents in the village of Potamos. To support his family, he took on various jobs as a teenager, including work in auto repair, construction, and bartending. Academically, Rouvas struggled with reading and writing difficulties, attending night school alongside his mother, who had not completed her secondary education after giving birth to him at the age of 17.

At 15, Rouvas joined Greece's national track and field team, specializing in pole vaulting, and won several national awards with an average vault height of 4.17 meters (13.7 feet). Although he continued competing until the age of 18, he increasingly set his sights on a musical career. As a teenager, he joined a local philharmonic orchestra and formed a four-member band with his friends. One of the members performed at a hotel, and when he fell ill, Rouvas stepped in to replace him—a chance opportunity that led to regular appearances at local clubs and venues. During his graduation, he performed covers of Elvis Presley and The Beatles. While performing at the club To Ekati, he was discovered by future manager Ilias Psinakis, prompting his decision to leave Corfu and pursue a professional music career in Athens.