Jaromír Nohavica

Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica (born 7 June 1953, Ostrava) is a Czech songwriter, lyricist, and poet. He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studying at the Technical University of Ostrava but eventually left the school. He tried various jobs and eventually ended up working as a freelance lyricist. He gained fame with his first song for Marie Rottrová, Lásko, voníš deštěm (You Smell of Rain, My Love; actually a... more

Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica (born 7 June 1953, Ostrava) is a Czech songwriter, lyricist, and poet. He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studying at the Technical University of Ostrava but eventually left the school. He tried various jobs and eventually ended up working as a freelance lyricist. He gained fame with his first song for Marie Rottrová, Lásko, voníš deštěm (You Smell of Rain, My Love; actually a cover version of the song She's Gone by Black Sabbath). He lives in Ostrava with his wife and two children. In 1982 he started performing in public, a sound decision in that a number of his songs gained wide popularity. His first album, Darmoděj (Aimless), released in 1988 was an immediate sell-out. An aura of myth arose around Nohavica which survived even the crisis period of his treatment for alcoholism. He subsequently released the lovely, slightly pessimistic Mikymauzoleum (Mickey Mausoleum), an album of mainly melancholy songs. In 1994... less