Do you think you know everything there is to know about Anna Vissi?

"I used to steal pennies from my father's grocery store and buy pieces of fabric! Then I created sexy shirts with them."

"What I remember from my childhood is that since I was 12, I liked singing in public. I went to a school for girls in Larnaca and was a very good student. I participated in all school events, musical or theatrical ones. I liked playing various childish games, like hopscotch. I started my high school studies in Larnaca and stayed there until the 4th grade. Then we moved to Athens where I finished my studies at the 6th High School of Kipseli, achieving an overall grade of 17 out of 20." Manina magazine, 1977

"I came to Greece in 1972 and went through an audition. I was only 13 years old. People from Lyra and MINOS heard me, but I had always wanted to join MINOS, as many famous singers were there. I was a kid, you see, and I was impressed by all those things. Thus, I chose Matsas (owner of MINOS), who was also very interested in me. That's how I finally moved to Greece in 1973, signed with MINOS and settled down. I remember that as I entered MINOS's building, the first person I saw and was introduced to was Giorgos Dalaras. Luck! Through all these, my mother was always by my side. She spoke on behalf of me, I owe everything to her.", Diplo Tilerama magazine, 1983

"I just want to be educated. I don't intent to pursue law as a profession. Law school provides this education. Then, in some way, it can be useful to my job." Romantzo, 195

"All of my collaborators showed me sympathy and understanding in my first steps. I consider myself lucky, as I quickly entered the system, released albums and found people that helped me... and all these happened in a very short time" Simerini newspaper, 1977

"The lyrics and the music of the song I sang in that year’s Festival were composed by Doros Georgiades. When he wrote it, he called me, we rehearsed it in the studio and we sent it to qualify. And indeed it qualified, leading us to victory. Initially I had some inhibitions. But the fact that I wanted to do something entirely mine gave me strength and I appeared fearless in front of the audience. My success is shared with Doros Georgiades, because he wrote a song that I could make something out of. What I need to stress is that what I admire the most in this song are its lyrics, which refer to a very important issue of our times. Furthermore, I was surprised by the people's love. George Krimizakis and I went as representatives to check the voting procedure and we realised that the song was getting almost the same amount of votes from all areas (in Greece). When I finally knew that the audience was rewarding us for our effort, everything was done for me and I didn’t care if I was going to win the first prize. Manina mag., 1977

"It's trully an honor for me to collaborate with this man and be friends, at the same time. I realize this now as I am growing up. Nikos is the one I know, my little boy, the man I married, the man whose songs I've sung, the man I've hated from time to time as a husband, the friend I've disagreed with. He's the man I've thrown things to, I've had fights with. We reached the bottom but also got much higher to the skies, got wings and flew together... He is all these things! And now, that we're closer than ever to each other, I keep realizing more and more how lucky I am to have such a man by my side... And, do you know what's the good thing about him? He never loses himself. I have felt lost sometimes...", Interview to Sfera Radio, Athens, 11/05

"'Mono i agapi' is one of those songs I write alone in moments of thinking and which I keep for myself. This song specifically, was composed a long time ago and I'd never try to sing it here, as it doesn’t match the contemporary Greek musical taste. It talks about love in our lives, compared to the vanity of other things. The tempo is slow and melodic, but has also some elation. It starts with piano and ends with wind instruments... It's something completely different compared to everything I have presented till now.". Romantso magazine, 1982

"At the end of the line, I’m satisfied. Of course I may rush and blame those who do it, but I must be doing something right if they want to imitate it. So, let them imitate me!", (When questioned about other singers who imitated her look or the music style of her album "Fotia"), Pop Corn magazine, 1991

"One is tired when doing things that he doesn’t feel good about. For me "Rex" was the outburst of so many years, as I was offered an amazing place, in which I had the opportunity to present some aspects of me I always had but had never shown. So, I never felt I did something tiring. Actually I adored the idea of doing such a show. I had always wanted to do it.", Pop corn magazine, 1991

"-Has there ever been a flash in your mind, telling you to get marry again?
-Yes, I’ve thought about it and rejected it that very second!", interview on Mad TV, 2001

"This year I may have not walked the streets of Plaka dressed as a pupil like I did in 1973, but I came back after 20 whole years, carrying a bag full of songs, sounds, happiness and bitterness, applause and many people who have believed in me, supported me and loved me, rewarding my effort in this way."Anna's note on the "Live!" album

"They say one travels to discover a new place. I might have travelled to discover Greece at the end... Some may be surprised listening to these songs, some may say this is what they've always wanted. I empathize both emotions, having the strongest faith of all....Anna's personal note on "Re!"

"When I sing these simple songs from Cyprus I shiver and cry. And I don't know what touches me the most: the music or my homeland? Cyprus is inside those ten songs. Her beauty, her people, her love, her women, her warriors, her children, her pain, her courage, her struggles, her pride, her eternity... I believe to have helped a bit with my effort so that our traditional songs will never be forgotten.", Anna's note on the booklet of her cd "O! Kipros"

"I cannot count all the things that have happened with Karvelas. I would wait for him to come when we were supposed to sing the duet at Ribas' and he would be eating at Glyfada. I was always in distress but he appeared on time when he wanted to! Once, when he was singing alone, he got on stage with mud on his shoes and messed up the dance floor!" Anna Vissi Down Town magazine, 2005

"Everyone calls me the Madonna of Greece because I’m constantly reinventing myself, but I think I’m more like Bruce Springsteen, because I play for three or four hours at a time. I like to break the rules, mess up the place, make mistakes, fall on the stage. I hate when you go to a concert and nothing real happens. You need to rock it."

"You discover yourself through time, life and experiences. You discover, you lose, you reinvent yourself on another level. It’s a circle - you live, go on, get older and learn. It’s so nice to get older. Your mind becomes prettier, it’s refreshed because it can get rid of anything bad, unnecessary and fake. It’s unfair that the skin and the body age. They betray you."

On an interview she doesn’t deny the possibility of another wedding. However she doesn’t plan anything since she could only marry because of spontaneous passion. Mad tv, 25/12/2002

'Things in Cyprus work in a completely different way... It's my homeland, they are my people, it's one big - huge hug full of love... In Cyprus I don't only have many feelings but each concert I give is a deposit of my soul. I have the duty to give my best to my compatriots.
The concerts in Cyprus fill me up, make me stronger and give me power, charge my batteries, nurture me. That's what makes me go on. My compatriots with their presence in the stadium and with their love refresh and empower me. I owe them a big and true thank you’

"I've been singing for so long and I've never been as hoarse as I was while screaming gooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!" for the triumph at the UEFA Euro Cup final in Portugal