Czech pop music legend Karel Gott dies at the age of 80

Karel Gott, photo: ČTK/Ondřej Deml

Karel Gott, the undisputed king of Czech pop music, has died at the age of 80. The singer succumbed to acute leukaemia with which he was diagnosed earlier this year. The singer, who turned 80 in July of this year, has had health problems in the past. In 2016 he successfully underwent chemotherapy due to an outbreak of cancer. In July, he had to cancel his performance at the Benátská Festival in Liberec, where he was planning to celebrate his birthday.

Karel Gott,  photo: ČTK/Ondřej Deml

Karel Gott, the undisputed king of Czech pop music, has died at the age of 80. The singer succumbed to acute leukaemia with which he was diagnosed earlier this year. The singer, who turned 80 in July of this year, has had health problems in the past. In 2016 he successfully underwent chemotherapy due to an outbreak of cancer. In July, he had to cancel his performance at the Benátská Festival in Liberec, where he was planning to celebrate his birthday. In the course of a career spanning over six decades, Gott sold over 50 million albums and collected over 40 Golden Nightingale Awards as the country’s most popular singer. He was also popular abroad, especially in Germany and Russia, where he toured on numerous occasions. In 2005 he performed in New York’s Carnegie Hall getting a standing ovation from fans.