Villas was born Czeslawa Cieslak in 1938 to a Polish family in Belgium.
She had a powerful coloratura soprano that spanned four octaves.
Violetta Villas preferred popular music which made her famous in Poland and abroad.
From 1966-69 she sang at Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. Her performance partners included Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand.
She also appeared in 6 movies and recorded hundreds of songs in 10 languages.