Background
Jelínek was born at Tisa u Žlutic.
painter trumpeter jazz musician
Jelínek was born at Tisa u Žlutic.
He studied painting and illustration as a pupil of František Tichý, but also showed early promise as a talented and skilful trumpeter.
His hoarse singing voice - similar to Louis Armstrong"s - earned him the nickname "The Czechoslovakian Satchmo". At first he worked as a professional painter and illustrator, and played in various amateur jazz ensembles, but in 1945 he began a part-time professional career as a trumpeter with the Karel Vlach Orchestra and the Gustav Brom Orchestra and began to use the distinctive, hoarse singing voice which later became one of his most notable characteristics. Jelínek left the Karel Vlach Orchestra and joined the Taneční orchestr Československého rozhlasu (Dance Orchestra of the Czechoslovak Radio), still dividing his time between his two part-time professional careers.
In 1963 joined the Semafor Theatre as a replacement for Waldemar Matuška of the successful Semafor duo Matuška/Pilarová.
Suchý and Šlitr composed "Motýl" (The Butterfly) for the duo. lieutenant became one of the best-selling recordings of its time.
Jelínek sang other Semafor hits, including "Zčervená", "Bolí mě hlava" and Chlupatý kaktus. He also took an acting role in the 1964 film Kdyby tisíc klarinetů.
In 1963 he left the Semafor Theatre to perform with his own sextet.
The incident left a permanent mark on Jelínek"s state of mind. He gradually retired from music, devoted himself to painting and worked for Czechoslovakian Railways in Prague"s Main railway station until his death in 1984 in Prague.
In 1968 he was one of the few members of the Karel Duba Orchestra to survive a tragic bus accident during their tour of Mongolia.