Pavel Žák, lyricist, composer and radio director, died on 1 November 2026 in Prague at the age of 85. The information was confirmed to the Czech News Agency by his son.[2]

Life and career

Pavel Žák was born on 28 August 1941 in Rychnov nad Kněžnou.[1][2] He studied harmony and composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and then worked as a teacher and methodologist at the Julius Fučík Central House of Pioneers and Youth in Prague.[1][2] His collaboration with Jaroslav Jakoubek produced several songs performed by, among others, Karel Hála, Hana Hegerová and Eva Olmerová.[1][2] At Expo 67 in Montreal he worked as a dramaturge and sound director.[1][2][4] At Czechoslovak Radio he worked as an author, music director and scriptwriter of the programmes Houpačka, Koncert Mikrofóra, Junior 30 and Junior večerník, and he also took part in the literary-dramatic and music desk for children's and youth programmes at Czechoslovak Television.[1][2][4]

Lyric writing

Since 1963, by his own account, he wrote more than 1,300 song lyrics.[1][2] He worked with the composers Karel Vágner, Zdeněk Merta and Aleš Sigmund, and wrote lyrics mainly for Hana Zagorová, Petr Rezek, the duo Stanislav Hložek and Petr Kotvald, and Karel Černoch.[1][2] For some songs he was also the author of the music, and he himself described his musical style as pop chanson.[1][2] The song "Holky z naší školky" for Hložek and Kotvald was set to music by Karel Vágner, and the song "Duhová víla" was sung by Hana Zagorová.[4] Žák also wrote music for television films and productions and is the author of poetry collections for children and adults, Žákajda and Kalamajky.[1][2] During his career he also worked with Helena Vondráčková and Marie Rottrová.[2][4]

"Píseň o mé zemi" and censorship

The song "Píseň o mé zemi", which he wrote together with Karel Černoch, won the Golden Lyre of Bratislava in 1969.[1][2][4] According to a statement from Pavel Žák's family, the song was perceived as a protest against the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in August 1968.[1][2] Communist censorship subsequently banned the song, Karel Černoch faced a ban on performing, and Pavel Žák was then dismissed from Czechoslovak Radio.[1][2][4]

Awards and later work

In 2021 Pavel Žák received the Medal of Merit for contribution to culture and the arts from the then president Miloš Zeman.[1][2] For his eightieth birthday Supraphon released a six-disc selection of his work, covering recordings from 1967 to 2014.[1][2]

Chronology

  • — Lyricist, composer and radio director Pavel Žák, author of the lyrics to the songs Holky z naší školky and Duhová víla, died at the age of 85. Deník.cz ČTK / České noviny

Sources

  1. Deník.cz — 1 November 2026
  2. ČTK / České noviny — 1 November 2026
  3. iDNES.cz — 1 November 2026
  4. Blesk.cz — 1 November 2026