Singer’s Tumultuous Life: A Tale of Tragedy and Triumph

Early Struggles and Heartbreak

The renowned singer, Waldemar Matuška, faced significant hardships throughout his life. One of his deepest sorrows was undoubtedly the death of his twin daughters. They were only a few months old when they received a fateful vaccination. Eva Pilarová, a friend of the singer, revealed the tragic circumstances surrounding the family’s loss.

Matuška also experienced the disintegration of his first marriage. He found solace with actress Jitka Zelenohorská, but his heart ultimately belonged to his final wife, Olga Blechová. He was a well-known singer by then, having written hundreds of letters.

Finding His Voice

Waldemar Matuška‘s path to stardom wasn’t immediate. Initially, he admired Jiří Suchý‘s work, but Suchý didn’t initially take much notice of Matuška. Their first encounter was at Reduta in the late 1950s.

Suchý and Ivan Vyskočil later started a new scene, but Matuška wasn’t included. The singer recalled, “It usually happens that people meet and diverged again. It ended, suddenly it wasn’t as if it wasn’t.” He had to return to Karlovy Vary.

In 1959, when Suchý and Šlitr launched a traffic light, Walda tried again in Prague. He found no luck at first.

Turning Point

In 1960, a place opened up, and Matuška finally got his chance. The Semafor theater proved beneficial in shaping Matuška‘s career.

Setbacks and Resilience

Matuška‘s association with the traffic light meant a great deal to him. He developed many friendships there and experienced his first recording and television appearance. However, nothing lasts forever. When Jiří Suchý informed Waldemar that he wouldn’t be included in the next season, it was a huge shock.

One reason for the split may have been Matuška‘s tardiness at a show, as well as a car accident. Matuška was told the show had been cancelled. “Then one beautiful day Jirka Suchý told me that he wanted to do something more intimate next season and that he couldn’t count on me anymore. It was really nice!

Adding to his burdens, Matuška‘s mother passed away. This loss, coupled with other pressures, led him to seek help. He was advised by Dr. Plzák to take a break. Matuška realized he had to focus on his health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences mental illness each year (Source: NIMH 2023).

Matuška heeded his doctor’s advice, stayed in the hospital, and eventually recovered. He was offered a role at the Rococo Theater, where he worked with his friend Eva Pilarová and Karel Štědrý. In 1962, he won the Golden Nightingale Reading Poll.

Legacy

Matuška believed in facing life’s challenges with resilience. He learned from setbacks and bounced back stronger.