Former wife of Demis Roussos, Pamela, lives in Romania for 14 years. She was the first woman ever taken hostage by Hezbollah in 1985

In a recent interview broadcast by TVR 2, Pamela Ratiu, former wife of Demis Roussos, recalled memories about the famous singer and spoke about her life with her husband Indrei Ratiu, son of the former Peasants’ Party leader Ion Ratiu, and about Romania.

She had been a colleague of Robert de Niro, has made it to the major catwalks in the world as a model and had been the first female hostage of Hezbollah in 1985. She studied cello, had acting lessons. Last but not least, she had been married with Demis Roussos for 10 years.

Pamela had lived in Washington, London and Athens. For 14 years she lives in Turda, Romania.

“I studied with one of the most famous characters, Stella Adler. She discovered Brando. I studied with her for a year and a half, two years. I decided I didn’t want to be an actress. I had visions with all the glamour of such a career, but I didn’t realise the emotional side, all the hard work, so I ended up in fashion.

I moved to London in the fashion business. I kept London as my base, I was doing fashion shows, because I liked riding horses, you see. As long as I could work, I could ride horses. I worked in Japan, New York; this was way back in the ‘70s, when things were different.”

There she met Frank Sinatra and Brian O’Neill. In the ’80’s she met Demis Roussos, with whom she got acquainted by a friend, the girlfriend of Vangelis at the time.

“Cathy mentioned a lot about me. I had broken up from a relationship and after the very first evening with Demis we were meeting every day until he took me to meet his mother. I met him on November 1, 1983. He took me to Greece and that was it. I met his mother on Christmas; I became part of the Greek culture household, my life changed. We moved to Greece in 1985 because his father was ill.”

Pamela remembers about the times when she was the wife of a star. “I’m not certain that I would recommend it. It’s challenging to say the least, even in the best of relationships. I could not listen to his music when he was not present, because it upset me so much. We were so close. For me he was not Demis Roussos, he was ‘Papa’ or ‘Higgins’, he called me ‘Mumsy’. We were soul mates, we had fun. We had pillow fights, he was a man and he was a great fun to be with, we were friends. I didn’t cook for him, because he had his own kitchen. I had another kitchen. He was a gourmet, no one could cook well enough for Demis. He was a magnificent cook, a ‘chevalier du vin’. He was a very talented man in many ways.”

She made it from a hijacked plane by Hezbollah. Pamela and Demis Roussos were taken hostage for five days in 1985. “It was in 1985, we were hijacked in a TWA flight on the way to Rome. It was not something that I’d wish anyone to go through. We came out very well. I was at the time the first female to be held hostage in the Middle East. Demis and I were taken hostage for five days, the aircraft had been taken over by the Hezbollah. We were interrogated for 15 hours or so and then we were moved constantly in hideouts: in the bottom of the car, with tanks, everything that you see in the films. I don’t hate them at all, I don’t hate anyone. When I ate their food, raw liver, raw fat, they were shocked that I made the effort to understand a bit better their culture. I think that’s important, in any of such situations.”

After ten years of marriage, things began to go wrong.

“The relationship with Papa was … he was passing through the middle life crisis, which any man faces, which lasted about 18 months. He didn’t want to end it. But it was time for me to move on, I rediscovered my strength, I rediscovered what I wanted.

He kept falling in love with other women, what can I say? He was passing through a mid life crisis. We’ve been together for 10 years. Greece is a beautiful country with wonderful sunshine, with wonderful women. But his women were always French, I was the only American. No Greek women came around.”

Now Pamela is the wife of Indrei Ratiu, son of former politician Ion Ratiu. “I met him through his brother Nicolae. I was attending one of the galas of actor Ion Caramitru. Nicolae invited me. Indrei spoke at the gala, we went for coffee, then things developed from there. At the time he was living in the US, we eventually moved back here. Nicolae suggested that I eventually come to Turda, to see what’s going on, maybe I have some ideas. From there things developed.”

Pamela is for years in Turda. Transylvania has won her soul.

“Probably I like most the people, the history too. Turda is one of the oldest towns. Turda has enormous possibilities to develop tourism. I am in love with the brewery I manage, I am in love with things that women would usually not be in love. I am in love with the building, with the work. I have the opportunity on weekends to go to the countryside.

We have a property at Petrestii de Jos, we have a project there. Turda has a wonderful collection of churches. There are a number of personalities that live in Romania, that have actually brought property here. You have Nicky Hulsem, who is a very well known British society figure, everyone knows about His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, you have Jessica Douglas Huwe, who is the daughter in law of the former British PM Douglas Huwe, who owns quite a bit of property. There are a number of personalities here. There is an Italian family who bought a property in Copsa Mare and they are developing it. So foreigners see it as a new sort of Toscana, or new Provence.”

Pamela Roussos Ra?iu was born in Los Angeles California in 1948 to Suzanne Parkerson and George Abinet. Mrs. Ra?iu is of Irish, Belgian, German and Chinese heritage; her mother was in the field of international hospitality management, while her father was a rancher from Texas.

Mrs. Ra?iu was raised by her grandparents in Beverly Hills, Springfield Missouri and St. Petersburg Florida. She studied to be a concert violinist under the direction of Thomas Briccetti; she received scholarships from the age of 12 to study violin at Florida State University and eventually at the Cincinnati Conservatory. At the age of 19 Pamela decided to move to Manhattan and take up drama with the renowned Stella Adler from the historical Adler theatre family.

The fashion trade took Pamela to London where she became one of the house models for Hardy Aimies, also working for numerous British and European designers.  In 1983, Pamela met Demis Roussos whom she married. They were together for 10 years and have remained good friends. In 2004 she married Indrei Ra?iu (son of Ion Ra?iu).

Today, Pamela is the Executive Director to Romania for the Ra?iu Family Charitable Foundation, she is chairperson for the US registered Ra?iu Foundation, and on the board of The Ra?iu Democracy Center (CRD), Pro Patrimonio and Patron of Oxford Gastonomica.  Mrs. Ra?iu is also the founder and president of Transilvania Fest, she initiated the Ion Ra?iu Debating Club, Ion Ra?iu Theater Workshop and the CRD program for fighting trafficking in persons.

In 2007 Mrs. Ra?iu received the Woman of the Year award from Avantaje magazine and in 2011 was honored with a medal by His Majesty King Michael of Romania for her work and loyalty to Romania.   

On the commercial side, Mrs. Ra?iu’s activities cover the following: she is the administrator for Turda Development, the designer and administrator for Ratz de Nagylak guest house and is currently working on projects to renovate the Turda Brewery in the portfolio of the Ra?iu family properties.
Currently based in Turda (seat of the Ra?iu family) Pamela works with a team of 19 young Romanian and Hungarian professionals, developing various NGO and commercial projects. In her spare time Pamela enjoys walking in the forest near their country property, opera, concerts and fine arts. Pamela is also a great admirer of gardening. (indreiandpamelaratiu.com)