It seems there's never enough bad news. Today, another heart stopped beating on the Czech music scene. The author of many well-known songs, Ladislav Štaidl, died in the hospital at the age of 75. According to available information, his death was caused by long-term health complications, accompanied by COVID-19. The musician is survived by four children. His 24-year-old son Arthur, whom he had with the late singer Iveta Bartošová, thus lost both parents at a young age.
Talented from a young age
Ladislav Štaidl has been involved in music since childhood, it is therefore no wonder that he became a successful composer. He played the guitar and joined a band immediately after graduating from high school. His first composing attempts date back to the Semafor Theater, where he wrote his very first song for Waldemar Matuška in 1963. Soon after that, he began working closely with Karl Gott. Songs like Adresát neznámý (Address Unknown), Lady Carneval, Kávu si osladím (I'll Put Sugar in my Coffee) or Dívka toulavá (The Wandering Girl) quickly became popular with the audience. Karel Gott was not the only singer to sing Štaidl's songs. Surely you remember the song Lásko má, já Stůňu performed by Helena Vondráčková. On top of that, Štaidl wrote music for about 80 films.
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Ladislav ŠtaidlSource: David Kundrát / CNC / Profimedia
Surrounded by beautiful women
Gorgeous women accompanied the composer through his entire life, among them singer Jitka Zelenková. He describes their love story in his book Víno z hroznů (Grape Wine). One of his fateful women was pop singer Iveta Bartošová, with whom he maintained a parallel relationship, despite being married to Aňa Štaidlová since 1974. He only divorced his wife in 2001. Shortly after the divorce, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
In 1996, he and Iveta had a son Arthur Štaidl. After the death of both parents, Arthur is now "alone" in the world. Iveta Bartošová voluntarily ended her life in 2014 by jumping under a train. Arthur was keeping his father company in the days before his death. It was he who called his father an ambulance when his health worsened.
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Ladislav Štaidl a Iveta BartošováSource: Martin Hykl / CNC / Profimedia
Czech Prime Minister sends a message to the beraved
Today, colleagues from the world of show business and fans alike mourn the loss of a prominent personality of the Czech music scene. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expresses his condolences to the bereaved on his Twitter:
"Ladislav Štaidl has died. Another well-known personality who has become a victim of the coronavirus. I am very sorry. I would like to express my condolences to all his beraved and loved ones."
