Greek American journalist Markos Papadatos has been getting his work published, in print and online, for 10 years and has been a Digital Journalist since February 2013.
“I went to the Marshall Tucker Band concert at The Paramount on March 19 and they gave me a shout-out from the stage right before they dedicated ‘Blue Ridge Mountain Sky’ – my favourite song of theirs – to me,” he says, revealing how he celebrated the achievement. “It was incredible.”
“My 5000th article was on Adam Ellis, Director of Marketing at The Paramount,” he continues. “It was for Digital Journal and I’m glad it was him, since he has played a vital role in securing press tickets for me to review shows at the venue.”
January 2014 saw Markos reach 2,000 articles and Digital Journal was on hand to interview him. Who has he spoken to since then? Which of his many interviews over the last two years have been particularly memorable?
“I’m happy to tell you that I’ve interviewed my hero Criss Angel – the best magician in the world. He is of Greek origin and from Long Island, New York, like me. I used to watch his Mindfreak shows on television and was blown away every time.
“Whenever I see him perform his magic live, I am in awe of his talent. He is a true force to be reckoned with. With that Criss Angel interview, I was able to make a goal a reality and prove one of my college professors wrong…
“I’ve also interviewed Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz, a world champion wrestler, who was the subject of the movie Foxcatcher starring Channing Tatum.”
The last time we spoke, the Queens College-educated journalist – who also works as a primary school teacher in his native New York – revealed that the two names at the top of his “to interview” list were country artist Lee Ann Womack and New Zealand-born singer/songwriter, Lorde. He finally caught up with the former in September 2014.
“It was amazing – she was so nice and down to earth,” he enthuses, recalling his conversation with Ms. Womack. “I had waited a long time for that interview, but it was worth it.
“She spoke to me about her latest album, The Way I’m Livin’, which is a fabulous country record. I have yet to interview Lorde, but if she’s reading this, Lorde, I’m available to chat whenever you are!”
When asked who’s next, Markos replies, “I would love to interview Giants quarterback Eli Manning someday. I’ve been told I look like him from the nose up and I consider that a major compliment… I have yet to interview football player Tim Tebow, who is still on my wish list. He’s a man of character and does so much charity work for children.
“In the music department, I would love to interview either Taylor Swift or Adele. They are both at the top of their game and sell millions of albums with every new release.”
Asked about his future aims and ambitions, the conscientious writer concludes, “To keep interviewing as many people as I can and reviewing as many shows as I can – and to continue teaching in the daytime. I am in no rush to get to 10,000 articles… or maybe I am.”
When contacted, Criss Angel had this to say: “Congratulations Markos on your 5,000th article!”
Mark Schultz added: “Markos is by far and away my favourite writer. He has exceeded my expectations beyond what I thought was possible and I wish him all the continued success in the world.”
For more on Markos, follow him on Twitter.
