Czech celebrities Jiří Zmožek: He escaped to Slovakia, crying and sings to God!<

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He was one of the biggest stars of Czech pop music. But then Jiří Zmožek (67) experienced several life tragedies, tried to commit suicide, and now he has been a fanatical Christian for several years!

He wrote huge hits both for himself and for Karel Gott, Helena Vondráčková, Maria Rottrová, Petra Janů or Hana Zagorová. Zmožka's song No longer is my love twenty years old is one of the biggest hits ever. Like, for example, The Bells of Happiness, There at the Gates of Heaven or I've Got to Handle It Alone.

The year 1994 got off to a flying start

When, just after the revolution, Zmožek founded the very successful music label Carmen, it seemed that Czech pop music had a new ruler. But in 1994 it all ended. The music empire went bankrupt, leaving behind huge debts. In addition, Smožek loses his family background - his wife divorced him. This was joined by major health problems and also a suicide attempt. When it seems that there is no way back for the former hitmaker, he found salvation in God.

One hundred percent Christian

"He became a fanatical Christian," says Zdeněk Izer, who edited Carmen, about Zmožek. Smožek begins to compose and sing again, but all the songs have a single theme - love for God. Today, when you call Zmožek and he picks up the phone, instead of a performance, you hear: "Praise be to our Lord, Jesus Christ!" But he doesn't want to talk much about himself. "You'd better write about our Lord," said Blesk.cz when requesting an interview.

Love for God also brought him a new family. "I met my wife, Marcela, who is twenty years younger, at Bible school. He has three children from his first marriage," Zmožek described his second wife. With her, he moved to Bratislava, Slovakia. "Slovakia is a more pious country than the Czech Republic, so I feel better there," explains Zmožek, who has two adult children from his first marriage. He performs concerts mainly in Slovak and Polish parishes.

A demonstration of faith

And his performances are a giant demonstration of his faith. "It often happens that he cries during the performance. He usually appears dressed only in white. He is really extremely pious," one of the viewers described the experience of his concert to Blesk.cz.

His former colleagues from pop music do not hide their embarrassment over Zmožek's fate. "I know that he was in a very bad way and that his faith in God helped him a lot. Anyway, it's a shame he doesn't compose classic pop music anymore. Together with Karel Svoboda, he was the greatest compositional talent in our country," lamented Hana Zagorová some time ago. "My current life fully fulfills me, I am the happiest in my life," says Zmožek.

Topics

Karel-Gott, bells of happiness, Jiří Zmožek, Marcela Zmožková, my love

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