I
Lucie Bílá

About:

7 April 1966

Born as Hana Zaňáková in the Central Bohemian village of Otvovice. Hours of singing she has graduated the music school (now the Music School ). With hardly any work she started working as a seamstress. The first musical experience she gained as a member of Rock-Automat and heavy metal band Arakain (before their debut album).

In 1980, she was noticed by Czech music producer Petr Hannig, who created her stage name Lucie Bílá (literally, Lucy White) and penned her first recorded songs. Interestingly, her name change was originally due to confusion with another famous Czech singer, Hana Zagorová. For over three decades, Bílá has had tremendous professional success among Czechs in a broad range of endeavors, starring in the best-known stage musicals in the country, releasing several popular solo albums, and starring in several films and television specials. For several years in a row in the 2000s she topped the list of the most popular Czech singers in the coveted Český slavík awards.

Bílá owes some of her greatest hits to the songwriter Gábina Osvaldová and Gábina's husband, composer Ondřej Soukup. Their collaboration became legendary among Czech musicians. Some of their most notable hits were Neposlušné tenisky, Láska je Láska, Čarodějka, Jinak to nebude (Haňa Zaňa), Zpíváš mi Requiem, Trouba, and Most přes minulost. Beside her pop career she has a big musical career as well playing leading roles in Czech versions of Carmen, Aïda and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Her personal relationships have been rocky and are perennial tabloid fodder. She and her boyfriend Petr Kratochvíl had a son, Filip, born in 1996. Not long after, he left her for beauty queen finalist Pavlína Babůrkova. In 2002, she was married briefly to musician Stanislav Penk, and in 2006 she married another musician, Václav "Noid" Bárta. and has recently divorced.

On the web:

- Lucie's website: http://www.luciebila.com/

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What do we think:

DB: Imagine an artist that is a sort of Nina Hagen singing the hysterical aria of Lucretia de Borgia and the dress sense of Cuela de Ville. You probably get something that is very close to Lucie Bila. With a voice that can sing ear splitting loud and a persona that can set a stage on fire she is quit something in the European pop scene. For foreigners it is sometimes unbvelievable that the hysterical musical outbursts belong to the absolute popdiva of the Czech republic. The Czech love Lucie and she is extremely popular. But that doesn't mean she has done any concessions. In a sense she still has the guts she took from her Heavy Metal period and combined that with show and style. It may not be for everyone's pleasure but it sure is unique.

Recommendations:

- Lucie Bílá (I) - 1986

♪♪♪♪ - Missariel - 1992

♪♪♪ - Lucie Bílá (II) - 1994

- Hvězdy jako hvězdy - 1998

- Úplně nahá - 1999

♪♪♪ - Jampadampa - 2003

♪♪♪ - Woman - 2007

♪♪ 1/2 - Bang! Bang! - 2009

- Bíle Vánoce - 2010

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided