Miroslav Žbirka

Miroslav "Miro" Žbirka (21 October 1952 – 10 November 2021) was a Slovak pop and rock singer and songwriter, widely popular in 1980s Czechoslovakia. Born in Bratislava to a Slovak father and an English mother, he sang in Slovak, English, and Czech. He sometimes recorded in London, but lived in Slovakia and since early 1990s in Prague, Czech Republic, where he died.

Miroslav "Meky" Žbirka
Žbirka in 2018
Background information
Also known as	Miro Žbirka
Born	(1952-10-21)21 October 1952 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Died	10 November 2021(2021-11-10) (aged 69) Prague, Czech Republic
Genres	Pop rock, new wave, folk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Instrument	Guitar
Years active	1968–2021
Labels	OPUS, Bonton, Sony BMG
Member of	Modus, Limit
Website	zbirka.cz

In the late 1970s, Žbirka co-founded two Czechoslovak pop music bands, Modus^[1] and Limit. In 1982, he rose to fame by winning the annual Zlatý slavík award for the best male singer in Czechoslovakia. After the 1992 division of Czechoslovakia, he repeated this achievement in the Slovak annual Slávik Awards, coming number one in the annual end of year charts in 2002, 2004 and 2005.^[2]

Žbirka had some performances with Jon Anderson in 2012. Asteroid 5895 Žbirka, discovered by Czech astronomer Zdeňka Vávrová in 1982, was named in his honor^[3] (the official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 August 2019 (MPC 115893)).^[4] He died from pneumonia in Prague on 10 November 2021, leaving behind recorded vocals for his 15th studio album, Posledné veci (Last Things), which was completed by his son David Žbirka in Konk Studios by May 2022.

Discography

Main article: Miroslav Žbirka discography

Studio albums

• 1980: Doktor Sen
• 1982: Sezónne lásky
• 1983: Roky a dni
• 1984: Nemoderný chalan
• 1986: Chlapec z ulice
• 1988: Zlomky poznania
• 1990: K.O.
• 1993: Songs for Children (designed for children)
• 1994: Samozrejmý svet
• 1997: Meky
• 1999: Songs for Boys & Girls (designed for children)
• 2001: Modrý album
• 2005: Dúhy
• 2009: Empatia
• 2015: Miro
• 2018: Double Album
• 2022: Posledné veci

Export albums

• 1981: Doctor Dream (aka Miro and/or Like a Hero)
• 1982: Light of My Life
• 1983: Giant Step (aka Dear Boy)
• 1989: Step by Step

Awards

Major awards

Year	Nominated work	Award	Category	Result	Ref
1977	"Úsmev" with Modus	Bratislavská lýra	Audience Choice	Won	[5]
			Czechoslovak Authors	Won
1982	"Atlantída"			Nominated	[6]
	"The Love Song"	Villach Music Festival	—	Won
		Hitradio Ö3	—	Won
1983	"Nechodí"	Bratislavská lýra	Czechoslovak Authors	Won
2002	"Čo bolí, to prebolí" feat. Martha	Aurel Awards	Song of the Year	Won	[7]
2003	Himself		Best Male Vocal Performance	Nominated	[8]
2004				Won	[9]
2005				Nominated	[10]
2006			Hall of Fame	Inducted	[11]
2007			Best Male Vocal Performance	Nominated	[12]
	Doktor Sen	Best Slovak Album of All Time	—	Nominated	[13]
	Sezónne lásky			Nominated
	Modrý album			Nominated
2009	Empatia	Anděl Awards	Album of the Year	Nominated	[14]

Music polls

Zlatý slavík by Mladý svět, Czechoslovakia Year Nomination Category Result Ref 1979 Himself Male Singer #18 [15] 1980 #19 [16] 1981 #7 1982 #1 [17] 1983 #2 1984 #3 [18] 1985 #4 1986 #4 [19] 1987 #4 1988 #13 [20] 1989 #17 1990 #18 [21] 1991 #20 Český slavík by Mattoni, Czech Republic Year Nomination Category Result Ref 2000 Himself Male Singer #125 [22] 2001 #131 [23] 2002 #29 2003 #28 [24] 2004 #18 2005 #14 [25] 2006 #15 2007 #19 [26] 2008 #17 2009 #18 [27] 2010 #26 2011 #24 [28] 2012 #20 2013 #24 [29] 2014 #26

Slávik by FORZA, Slovakia Year Nomination Category Result Ref 1998 Himself Male Singer #3 [30] 1999 #4 [31] 2000 #5 [32] 2001 #5 [33] 2002 #1 [34] Rádio Expres Slávik #1 [35] 2003 Male Singer #2 [36] 2004 #1 [37] 2005 #1 [38] 2006 #2 [39] 2007 #2 [40] 2008 #3 [41] 2009 #2 [42] 2010 #3 [43] 2011 #3 [44] 2012 #2 [45] OTO by Art Production Agency, Slovakia Year Nomination Category Result Ref 2001 Himself Male Singer #1 [46] 2002 #1 [47] 2003 #1 [48] 2004 #1 [49] 2005 #1 [50] 2006 #3 [51] 2007 #2 [52] 2008 #2 [53] 2009 #2 [54] 2010 #2 [55] 2011 #3 2012 #1 2013 #1 2014 #2

References

General

• Lehotský, Oskar (23 April 2008). "Slovak Popular Music in the Years 1977–1989 – Modus Study" (PDF). Comenius University, Faculty of Arts (in Slovak). Bratislava, Slovakia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.

Specific

1. "Miro Žbirka zůstane ještě letos akustický" (in Czech). Czech Television. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
2. "Slovenské slavíky mají Žbirka a Elán". Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). 5 December 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
3. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 5895 Zbirka (1982 UF2)" (11 May 2019 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
4. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
5. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music]. Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 56. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
6. "Osobnosti – Miro Žbirka – Ocenenia". Feminity. Zoznam.sk. feminity.zoznam.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
7. Verdi, Rob (11 March 2003). "Ceny Aurel 2002 aj s bombovým útokom". Music Scaper. musicscaper.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
8. "V pátek rozdají slovenské hudební ceny Aurel". Právo. Borgis. 4 March 2004. novinky.cz. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
9. "Aurela dostala Zuzana Smatanová, Miroslav Žbirka aj kapela Desmod". Pravda. Perex. 4 March 2005. koktail.pravda.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
10. "Nominácie na Aurela 2005 sú už známe". 24 hodín. Denník 24 hodín. 14 March 2006. 24hod.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
11. Kanky, Lucia (20 April 2007). "Aurel 2006 je už minulosťou". Music Scaper. musicscaper.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
12. Bacigalová, Eva (14 May 2008). "Nominácie na ceny Aurel 2007 sú známe". Metoo. Kabel Plus. metoo.cz. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
13. "Exkluzívny rebríček: 100 najlepších slovenských albumov". Nový čas. Ringier Axel Springer Slovakia. 22 September 2007. cas.sk. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
14. "Ceny Anděl – Ročník 2009". Ceny Anděl. Akademie populární hudby. cenyandel.cz. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
15. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 429
16. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 430
17. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 431
18. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 432
19. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 433
20. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 434
21. Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). "Zlatý slavík – Results". Marika Gombitová: neautorizovaný životní příběh legendy československé pop music [Marika Gombitová: An Unauthorized Life Story of the Legend of Czechoslovak Pop Music] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-115-3. OCLC 294939865. Retrieved 21 March 2011. page 435
22. "Český slavík 2000 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
23. "Český slavík 2001/2002 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
24. "Český slavík 2003/2004 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
25. "Český slavík 2005/2006 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
26. "Český slavík 2007/2008 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
27. "Český slavík 2009/2010 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
28. "Český slavík 2011/2012 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
29. "Český slavík 2013/2014 – Results – Male Singers" (in Czech). Mattoni. ceskyslavik. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
30. "Slávik 1998 – Male Singer – Results". Produkčný dom FORZA (in Slovak). FORZA. forza.sk. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
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Bibliography

• Žbirka, Miroslav; Kollár, Jozef (2002). Meky (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: IKAR. p. 165. ISBN 978-80-249-0134-3. OCLC 53266790. Retrieved 17 December 2011. (in Slovak and Czech)

Further reading

• Graclík, Miroslav [in Czech]; Nekvapil, Václav (2008). Marika Gombitová: Neautorizovaný životný príbeh legendy česko-slovenskej pop music (1st ed.). Bratislava, Slovakia: XYZ. p. 446. ISBN 978-80-7388-120-7. OCLC 298779121. Retrieved 17 December 2011. (in Slovak and Czech)

External links

• Official website
• Miroslav Žbirka at AllMusic
• Miroslav Žbirka at Billboard
• Miroslav Žbirka discography at Discogs
• Miroslav Žbirka at IMDb