Background
Karel Zich was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, into a musical family.
Karel Zich was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, into a musical family.
Karel attended the Prague State Conservatory (Státní konzervatoř Praha) for three years and later graduated from Charles University in sociology.
Between 1964 and 1965 he performed with the band Framus as a singer. In 1968 Zich joined Spirituál kvintet and stayed with them until 1973. His main interest was in rock"n"roll, and he is sometimes called the "Czechoslovakian Elvis".
After his successes in the Czechoslovakian popular scene with various bands, Zich decided to start his solo career.
In 1974 he left Spirituál kvintet and in 1976 released his first album, Dům č.5 (House Number 5). Although he sang his own songs, he also worked with famous composers Karel Svoboda, Petr Janda, and others
In 1979 he founded the band Flop and recorded 50 singles and 15 albums, one with the legendary Wanda Jackson. During his career Zich sold over one million discs and performed at thousands of concerts in most European countries, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Chile and elsewhere.
His most famous songs are Paráda (Parade) and Měla na očích brýle.
In his last years he often performed guitar solos and sometimes performed with his band. In 1992 he joined Spirituál kvintet again. Karel Zich died of complications following a heart attack during a diving holiday in Porto-Vecchio, Corsica.