Final farewell for Czech pop star Karel Gott

PRAGUE: Family, friends and politicians on Saturday bid their last farewell to Czech singer Karel Gott who died this month at the age of 80 after suffering acute leukaemia.

The funeral ceremony for the man known as the “Sinatra of the East” was held at Prague Castle´s St Vitus Cathedral with state honours and a requiem.

Saturday was declared a day of national mourning for the singer, who was also extremely popular in neighbouring Germany.

Celebrating the requiem, Prague archbishop Dominik Duka lauded Gott´s “gift of a lovely voice, the art of interpretation and his noble smile which gave joy to millions of listeners at home and abroad”.

Guests included Czech President Milos Zeman, Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, as well as other politicians, musicians and actors.

On Friday, about 50,000 fans flocked to a Prague palace to bid farewell to Gott, bringing flowers and bowing to his coffin to the sound of his music.

Czech media said Gott´s family would bid the very last farewell to the singer at a Prague crematorium later on Saturday.

Dubbed the “Sinatra of the East” or “Divine Karel” for his impeccable tenor voice, Gott had been voted the most popular singer 42 times in the annual Golden Nightingale poll of Czech music fans.

He released nearly 300 records and CDs, selling tens of millions of copies.

A skilled painter and an occasional actor, Gott rose to stardom in the 1960s while touring the United States and what was then West Germany, and represented Austria in the Eurovision song contest in 1968.