Jimmy Makulis died unexpectedly last weekend after undergoing heart surgery in Athens, Greece. The singer was 72. Makulis was a hit maker in the 50s and 60s both in his native Greek and in German. He represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest near the height of his career in 1961. Unfortunately, his German-language song Sehnsucht (Yearning) ranked 15th place and was tied for last place with Belgium's entry.

The Greek singer's greatest hits – including Gitarren klingen leise durch die Nacht – came in Germany and Austria, where he was was sometimes known as the "Sinatra of the Orient" because of his good looks and his outstanding performances. Makulis also lived and performed in Las Vegas for a time in the late 60s and 70s.

The singer returned to Greece in 1985 where he made his home until his death. Jimmy Makulis continued to sing from Greece, and he released minor hits in the 90s. He also attempted to return to the Eurovision Song Contest for Greece but without success.

The esctoday.com team extend heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Jimmy Makulis. Readers Roland Putz and Roland Seiderer contributed to this report.