How did you celebrate the anniversary?
“I’m not much of a celebratory type. I even made up concerts for that date and we went to Slovakia with the band after a long time. And it was awesome! In Bratislava, Žilina, Trenčín – I didn’t even expect that they would recognize me. But it was nice beyond expectations, the people were fantastic.”
Did you want to be a musician since childhood?
“We were a musical family. I already had a band in the army, then I went to Gotto. I started out as a drummer at the Apollo Theatre. Then it was necessary to sing rock, it fell on me, I tried it and it worked.”
They say you had a problem in the army and were transferred to the road army. What did you do?
“I often ran away from Klatov from work to go home to Prague. The road army was created when they abolished the »five levers« (auxiliary technical battalions – editor’s note), a shovel or an ax was used. I had quite a good time there, we had very good people there, the priest, the writer… As you know from Black Baronsthey are absolutely true.”
You mentioned Karel Gott and the Apollo Theater, which he founded with the Štaidl brothers. How do you remember that time?
“It was very short, then it fell apart. He wasn’t here then, Yvonne Přenosilová went into emigration, which were the two main performers, and Apollo as such slowly disappeared. But I already had my repertoire, my fans, and I started traveling with the band myself.”
You also acted sporadically, for example in Trhák with Hanka Zagorová.
“Those were such barks. In Trhák, it was mainly about the forum that we were similar to Ladislav Smoljak. Hanka and I greeted each other, but I didn’t know her any better. She also made a brief appearance in Apollo. Maruška Rottrová was the number one for me from Ostravaček. Now she made me happy by sending me a beautiful bottle of plum wine for my birthday. I like her.”
Your first hit was Plakalo beby. How did it actually come about?
“That’s what Pavel Krejča wrote in the first ardor when we tried it after America. Jirka Štaidl sent it to Karl Gott to judge and he said I have a black voice. It was created expressly at home, behind the piano, and it was ready in no time.”
What about the movie song Sir, you are a widow?
“I didn’t like it here very much. It’s so non-melodic, terribly confusing, it’s hard to understand it. Let’s face it, it’s just bullshit!’
Do you like your biggest hit When the Angels Call Me to You?
“Sometimes I wonder if I should sing it again. But people want it. We scored the most by being the most played band in crematoriums. But that was not our interest, it was a coincidence. It was a poem by Pepa Fouska, which I set to music at the request of Slávek Šimek. It was rather gloomy, but suddenly it started to sound from everywhere.’
Petr Spálený: He almost ended his career due to health complications Videohub
Your first wife was Pavlína Filipovská, then Miluška Voborníková from 1980. Both colleagues from the industry!
“It got so foamy. The first marriage didn’t go particularly well, I wasn’t mature enough for it at all, maybe neither was Pavlína. I have been absolutely happy since the eightieth year. I am very satisfied, especially when it comes to family life.’
You are invited to the Rock for People festival as a legend, do you feel that way too?
“People tell me that, but I don’t feel that way. But I’m glad, I guess I’ve been striving for something like this since I was young.”
Do you already have a repertoire ready for the festival?
“It was in Slovakia that we worked on it. I would like to play something from each of my periods. We’ll see what we can fit in within the time available.”
And what else? Are you planning any news?
“I would like to make another record. I’ll work on it over the summer and I’d like to film it in the fall.”
Petr Spáleny
Author: J. Poláček