Shortly after his birth, his parents, originally from Messenia, moved to the Saint Ierotheos region of Peristeri, near Athens.
Prompted by friends, he unsuccessfully sought an audition with Columbia Records, while also working as a builder, playing football in Saint Ierotheos for the Courageous team, and producing oil paintings.
Aged 19, Poulopoulos secured auditions with Mikis Theodorakis, Apostolos Kaldaras, Vassilis Tsitsanis, and Giannis Papaioannou, and sang two songs, Mana mou kai Panagia ("My Mother and the Madonna") and Parapono ("Complaint").
Around the same time he also had a successful hit with Mi mu thymonis matia mou (Don't be angry with me, my love) composed by Stavros Koujioumtzis.
In Oi Stigmatismenoi ("The Stigmatized"), which starred Giorgos Foundas and Maro Kodou, he sang "Very late" and "I love you" with Helen Kladi.