His father wanted him to become a scientist so he sponsored a yearly trip around Europe; Spanos lived briefly in Italy, Germany and the UK, eventually coming to Paris, France, whereto he eventually moved more permanently in 1961.

[4][5][6] In Paris he worked in the artistic scene at the Rive Gauche as a piano accompanist.

[7][8][9] He accompanied there many French artists like Cora Vaucaire, Serge Gainsbourg, Béatrice Arnac and Juliette Gréco.

When he eventually moved back to Greece, he was pivotal in the creation of the Greek New Wave genre.

He died due to a stroke at his home in Kiato on October 30, 2019 at the age of 85, where he was buried.