Naďa Urbánková (born Naděžda Balabánová; 30 June 1939 – 3 February 2023) was a Czech singer and actress.

Naďa Urbánková
Urbánková in 2008
Born
Naděžda Balabánová

(1939-06-30)30 June 1939
Died3 February 2023(2023-02-03) (aged 83)
Prague, Czech Republic
NationalityCzech

Life and career

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Born in Nová Paka, Urbánková grew up in Borovnička and graduated as a nurse at the Higher Medical School in Trutnov.[1] After some experience in amateur dramatics, she made her professional stage debut in 1959 in the Pardubice Theatre.[1] After marrying the actor Karel Urbánek [cs] she moved to Prague, where she worked at Magician's Lantern and was part of the CSSPT (the Czechoslovak State Ensemble of Songs and Dances [cs]).

Urbánková had her breakout in 1964, when she started a ten-years-run in the stage company of the Semafor theatre, and made her film debut in the successful musical If a Thousand Clarinets.[1] In the 1960s and 1970s, she appeared in Closely Watched Trains, Larks on a String and Seclusion Near a Forest. As a singer, her major hits were "Závidím" (Czech cover of "Il ragazzo della via Gluck") and "Drahý můj" (Czech cover of "A Dear John Letter"), in duet with Jiří Grossmann.[1] She was later part of the Jiří Brabec [cs]'s Country Beat band.[1][2] Starting from 1972, she won five Golden Nightingales in a row.[2][3]

Urbánková died on 3 February 2023, from complications from cancer and COVID-19, at the age of 83.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Zemřela zpěvačka a herečka Naďa Urbánková. Bylo jí 83 let" (in Czech). Czech Radio. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Štefl, Jiří (4 February 2023). "Zemřela Naďa Urbánková. "Závidět může člověk jen život," říkala o boji s rakovinou" (in Czech). Czech Radio. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Na svoj hrob videla Naďa Urbánková († 83) z okna: Speváčka si svoj pohreb do detailov premyslela!". Nový Čas (in Slovak). 9 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
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