The multi-awarded Lebanese singer Sammy Clark died on Sunday of a heart attack at the age of 73. Consequently, many Lebanese and regional musicians mourned the acclaimed musician, paying farewell to Grendizer.
Sammy Clark was born in 1948 in Dhour Choueir. His real name was Sami Hobeika. He recorded hundreds of songs, ranging from patriotic, romantic, and children’s songs, and in various languages including Arabic, English, French, and many others.
Clark started his music career early in childhood and toured many international festivals in the 1970s at the request of the legendary Lebanese musician Elias Rahbani, the first being in Greece.
He is well-known for songs including dubbing the theme songs of several animated series like Jazeera El-Kenz (Treasure Island) and most famously Grendizer, which was the first dubbed version in Arabic in 1979.
He had his breakthrough between the 1980s and 1990s, with more than 700 songs including Oumi Ta ner2os ya Sabbiyi, Jamais Jamais, Ah 3ala Hal Iyyam, Elsie why, Mawteny Mawteny, Khabbie Eyounek, Delouna, Kenna Youmiye, and many others.
Clark’s career flourished more with foreign language songs like Mori Mori, which won him his first international prize in Germany in 1979. And he later sang Tamy, in collaboration with the artist Elias Rahbani.
The Lebanese people bid adieu to Sammy Clark, whose amazing opera voice and many nostalgic songs will live forever in their minds.
