Željko Bebek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Željko Bebek
Bebek performing in 2009
Born	Želimir Bebek (1945-12-16) 16 December 1945 (age 79) Sarajevo, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
Other names	Željko
Musical career
Genres	Rock, pop, disco, pop-folk
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Jugoton, PGP-RTB, Diskoton, Croatia Records, Taped Pictures
Associated acts	Bijelo Dugme, Kodeksi, Jutro

Želimir "Željko" Bebek (born 16 December 1945) is a singer and musician from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. He is most famous for being the lead singer of the rock band Bijelo Dugme from 1974 to 1984. After leaving the band, he started a successful solo career, singing rock and pop-folk music.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Željko Bebek was born in Sarajevo, which was then part of Yugoslavia. His parents, Zvonimir and Katarina, were Bosnian Croats. From a young age, Željko loved music. He would sing songs he heard on the radio to entertain guests at his home.

He first tried playing the harmonica but soon switched to the guitar. His teacher wanted him to play the mandolin instead, and he became very good at it. As a reward, he was allowed to play the guitar too.

When he was sixteen, Željko started performing at a school club called Eho 61. It was like an "open mic" event where students could show off their musical talents. A few years before him, another famous musician, Kornelije Kovač, had also performed on the same stage.

Željko later joined a band with Šento Borovčanin and the Redžić brothers, Fadil and Zoran. He played with them until Fadil Redžić left to join another band called Indexi.

Music Career

Joining Kodeksi

In 1965, when Željko was twenty, Eduard "Edo" Bogeljić asked him to join his band, Kodeksi. This band played "cover songs," meaning they performed songs originally made famous by other artists. The band also included Ismeta Dervoz on backing vocals and Luciano Paganotto on drums.

Željko spent several years singing and playing guitar with Kodeksi. They became quite popular in Sarajevo. The band often needed a bass guitar player, so Željko suggested Goran Bregović, who was eighteen at the time. This was the start of a long and sometimes difficult working relationship between Željko and Goran.

In 1970, Željko left Kodeksi while they were in Italy and went back to Sarajevo.

Starting Novi Kodeksi

After returning home, Željko and Edo Bogeljić formed a new band called Novi Kodeksi. They wanted to go back to playing cover songs, just like the original Kodeksi. They played many shows in Sarajevo, but people were starting to prefer original music over covers. Even so, they once played for 32 hours straight, setting a record!

By 1971, they were still only playing covers, and it felt like they weren't growing creatively. In December 1971, Željko received a notice to join the Yugoslav People's Army for his mandatory military service. Novi Kodeksi played their last show, and Željko, then 26, got married, planning to stop making music for a living.

Joining Jutro

Just before he was supposed to join the army in early 1972, Željko got a call from Goran Bregović. They hadn't spoken in a year and a half since their disagreement in Italy. Goran invited Željko to sing on a song called "Patim, evo, deset dana" with his new band, Jutro. Željko agreed, recorded the song, and then left for his army service in February 1972.

When he finished his army duty in March 1973, Željko officially joined Jutro. He also took a job as a clerk because he wasn't sure if the band would be successful. But Jutro did become popular, so he quit his government job to focus on music full-time again. Soon after, Jutro changed its name and became the famous band Bijelo Dugme, with Željko as a founding member.

Singing with Bijelo Dugme

Željko Bebek was the lead singer and sometimes played bass for Bijelo Dugme from its very beginning in 1974. He quickly became a huge star across Yugoslavia. He stayed with the band for ten years, recording six studio albums. In April 1984, he decided to leave Bijelo Dugme to focus completely on his solo career.

Solo Music Career

Željko Bebek started his solo career in the late 1970s, even while he was still with Bijelo Dugme.

Solo Work While in Bijelo Dugme

In 1978, when Bijelo Dugme's leader Goran Bregović was serving in the army, the band took a break. Željko used this time to record his first solo album, Skoro da smo isti. He worked with drummer Điđi Jankelić, his old friend Edo Bogeljić on guitar, and Neven Pocrnjić on keyboards. Željko wrote the songs, produced the album, and even played bass. The album was released in July 1978, but it didn't do very well. It sold only 6,000 copies, and plans for a tour were canceled.

In late 1983, as things became difficult within Bijelo Dugme, Željko started working on his second solo album, Mene tjera neki vrag [sr]. He collaborated with other talented musicians like Dragan Jovanović, Laza Ristovski, Ipe Ivandić, and Sanin Karić. This album was released in 1984. While it wasn't a massive hit, the title song became moderately popular on the radio.

Around the same time, Željko recorded a pop duet with Zana Nimani called "Jabuke i vino." This song became an instant hit and is still loved in Yugoslavia today.

Solo Success After Bijelo Dugme

After leaving Bijelo Dugme, Željko Bebek had many big hits, especially between 1984 and 1989. Many of his songs had a strong folk music influence. Some of his most popular songs include "Oprosti mi što te volim," "Da je sreće bilo," "Laku noć svirači," "Jabuke i vino" (with Zana Nimani), "Sinoć sam pola kafane popio," and "Da zna zora" (with Halid Bešlić). He also had several popular ballads like "Žuta Ruža" and "I Bog je od nas digao ruke."

When the wars in Yugoslavia began, he moved to Zagreb, Croatia, where he still lives and works today. He has released music with labels like Taped Pictures and Croatia Records.

Bijelo Dugme Reunion in 2005

In 2005, Željko took part in three big reunion concerts with Bijelo Dugme. These concerts were held in Zagreb, Sarajevo, and Belgrade. He performed alongside most of the musicians who had been part of the band over the years, including the other two lead singers, Alen Islamović and Tifa.

B.A.T. - A Bijelo Dugme Tribute

From 2006 to 2010, Željko Bebek, along with Alen Islamović and Tifa, formed a tribute band called "B.A.T." (which stands for Bebek, Alen, Tifa). They performed Bijelo Dugme songs on many stages around the world. Their 2006 North American tour was even featured in a documentary film called "B.A.T.: Balkan Rock Nostalgia."

In 2012, after recording a duet with the band Crvena Jabuka, Željko met their producer, Branimir Mihaljević. They started working together on Željko's new studio album, his first in twelve years. The album, called Kad poljubac pomiješaš sa vinom, was released in late 2012. It included songs like "Gdje sam bio," "Kaldrma," and "Tango" (a duet with Severina Vučković).

Personal Life

Bebek in June 2012

Željko Bebek was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has been married three times. From his first marriage, he has a daughter named Silvija. From his second marriage, he has another daughter named Bianca.

His current marriage is to Ružica, whom he met in 1997. They have a son named Zvonimir and a daughter named Katarina, named after his father and mother.

Discography

With Bijelo Dugme

Studio albums

• Kad bi bio bijelo dugme (1974)
• Šta bi dao da si na mom mjestu (1975)
• Eto! Baš hoću! (1976)
• Bitanga i princeza (1979)
• Doživjeti stotu (1980)
• Uspavanka za Radmilu M. (1983)

Solo

Studio albums

• Skoro da smo isti (1978)
• Mene tjera neki vrag (1984)
• Armija B (1985)
• Niko više ne sanja (1989)
• Pjevaj moj narode (1989)
• Karmin pjesma i rakija (1990)
• ...A svemir miruje (1992)
• Gori svijet ti ćeš ga ugasiti (1993)
• Puca mi u glavi (1995)
• S tobom i bez tebe (1999)
• Ošini po prašini (2000)
• Kad poljubac pomiješaš sa vinom (2012)
• Ono nešto naše (2017)
• Mali oblak ljubavi (2021)

Singles