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Aristotelis Savalas, known professionally as Telly Savalas, was born on January 21, 1922, in Garden City, New York. He began his career as a singer after serving in the military and working as a journalist. His first album, This Is Telly Savalas..., was released in 1972, followed by several other albums including The Two Sides of Telly Savalas (1972), Telly (1974), Telly Savalas (1975), and Who Loves Ya Baby (1976). His single "If" from the album Telly, reached Number 1 on the UK pop charts in March 1975. He continued to release music throughout the decade, including albums like Sweet Surprise (1980) and The Best of Kojak (1980). Savalas also had a notable acting career, starring as Lieutenant Theo Kojak in the television series Kojak from 1973 to 1978. His portrayal of Kojak earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1975 and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1974. He passed away on January 22, 1994, in Universal City, California.
