Đorđe Marjanović
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Đorđe Marjanović ( sr-Cyr, Ђорђе Марјановић; 30 October 1931 – 15 May 2021) was a
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
n and Yugoslav singer. Marjanović began his career in the mid-1950s, rising to fame in the late 1950s with his theatrical on-stage performance. During the 1960s he recorded a large number of hit songs and became the first
superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
of the Yugoslav popular music, but also achieved large popularity in the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Due to his on-stage performance and inclusion of foreign
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
hits into his repertoire, Marjanović was often described as one of the pioneers of the
Yugoslav rock scene Popular music in Yugoslavia includes the pop and rock music of the former SFR Yugoslavia, including all their genres and subgenres. The scene included the constituent republics: SR Slovenia, SR Croatia, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SR Montenegr ...
. During the 1970s and 1980s he managed to maintain a loyal fanbase. In 1990, he suffered a stroke on stage, from which he partially recovered, but decided to retire from the scene. He died in 2021, aged 89 from COVID-19.


Early biography

Đorđe Marjanović's father, Sveta Marjanović, was born in the village of Duboka, near the town
Kučevo Kučevo ( sr-cyr, Кучево, ; ) is a town and municipality located in the Braničevo District of the Southern and Eastern Serbia, eastern Serbia. In 2022, the population of the town was 3,313, while the population of the municipality was 11,80 ...
in Eastern Serbia. He attended high school in
Požarevac Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Braničevo District in eastern Serbia. It is located between three rivers: Danube, Great Morava and Mlava and below the hill Čač ...
, and when he was fifteen, he was among the civilians who followed the
Serbian Army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...
on its retreat through Albania. He was among the young men which the Serbian government in exile in
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sent to the United Kingdom to receive education. He graduated from
George Heriot's School George Heriot's School is a private primary and secondary day school on Lauriston Place in the Lauriston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. In the early 21st century, it has more than 1600 pupils, 155 teaching staff, and 80 non-teaching staff. It was ...
and started his studies at the
Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...
, but returned home without graduating. He graduated from the Export Academy in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and returned to Kučevo, where he started working as a bank clerk. Đorđe Marjanović was born on 30 October 1931 in Kučevo. His mother died when he was only nine months old. After the death of his wife, Marjanović's father left the child with his wife's mother, who would raise him. Marjanović had a sister, Ljiljana, and a half-brother from his father's second marriage, Vojislav. Marjanović attended high school in
Požarevac Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Braničevo District in eastern Serbia. It is located between three rivers: Danube, Great Morava and Mlava and below the hill Čač ...
. During high school years, he showed interest in theatre, directing and acting in his own plays. After graduating from high school, he moved to
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
, where he, in 1950, after grandmother's wish, started his studies of
pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...
. However, his grandmother died, and Marjanović was left without any funds to continue his studies. To earn money he did various jobs: he unloaded
freight car Goods wagons or freight wagons (North America: freight cars), also known as goods carriages, goods trucks, freight carriages or freight trucks, are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. A variety of wagon types ...
s on
railroad station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such ...
s, worked as a subscription collector for
Radio Belgrade Radio Belgrade (, ) is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia. It has four different programs (Radio Belgrade 1, Radio Belgrade 2, Radio Belgrade 3, and Radio Belgrade 202), a precious archive of several hundreds of thousa ...
, worked as a
milkman Milk delivery is a Delivery (commerce), delivery service dedicated to supplying milk, typically in milk bottle, bottles or cartons, to customers' homes. This service is performed by a milkman, milkwoman, or milk deliverer. (In contrast, a Cowman ...
, and appeared as a
background actor A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera, or ballet production who appears in a nonspeaking or nonsinging (silent) capacity, usually in the background (for example, in an audience or busy street ...
in Yugoslav Drama Theatre and in several Yugoslav films: ''Svi na more'' (''Everybody to the Seaside''), ''Anikina vremena'' (''Anika's Time''), ''Sumnjivo lice'' (''Suspicious Person''), ''Pesma sa Kumbare'' (''The Song from Kumbara''). Despite his efforts, he never finished his studies.


Musical career


Early career

Marjanović started his musical career in 1954, when he appeared on an audition for amateur singers, organized by the Association of Jazz Musicians of Serbia, singing the songs "Mulen ruž" ("
Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...
") and "Usamljeni gaučo" ("The Lonely
Gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...
"). Reputedly, wandering the streets of Belgrade, Marjanović met an acquaintance who was going to the audition and asked Marjanović to keep him company. When they arrived at the audition, it was almost at its end. Someone invited all the people waiting, including Marjanović, who did not get a chance to say he did not come for the audition. He decided to try to sing. After the audition, he was approached by Radio Belgrade host Dušan Vidak, who told him that he passed. This gave Marjanović an opportunity to perform on concerts organized by the Association of Jazz Musicians of Serbia. During the following years, Marjanović would appear on pop concerts featuring him and other singers, usually performing songs originally recorded by Yugoslav schlager singers Duško Jakšić, Bruno Petrali and
Ivo Robić Ivo Robić (28 January 1923 – 9 March 2000) was a Croatian singer-songwriter. Domestic career Robić began his career as a soloist with the Radio Zagreb Orchestra, while studying at the same time in Zagreb. He performed during World War II o ...
. At the end of 1957, he started performing the song "Zvižduk u 8" ("Whistle at 8 O'clock"), written by Darko Kraljić in the early 1950s, but not performed by any other singer before Marjanović. This song would later become one of his biggest hits and trademark songs. During these years, Marjanović became the first Yugoslav pop singer to include theatrical moves into his performance and to dance on stage, the first Yugoslav pop singer to take the
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic (), or mike, is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publi ...
off the
stand Stand or The Stand may refer to: Other * To assume the upright position of standing * Forest stand, a group of trees * Area of seating in a stadium, such as bleachers * Stand (cricket), a relationship between two players * Stand (drill pipe) ...
and walk with it down from the stage and into the audience, and the first to take off his jacket and throw it into the audience.


Late 1950s and 1960s: Rise to fame, nationwide popularity and success in Soviet Union

The crucial moment of Marjanović's career was his performance on a 1958 concert in
Niš Niš (; sr-Cyrl, Ниш, ; names of European cities in different languages (M–P)#N, names in other languages), less often spelled in English as Nish, is the list of cities in Serbia, third largest city in Serbia and the administrative cente ...
. He appeared as an outsider, but thrilled the audience with his theatrical performance. This event brought him attention of the media and audience across Yugoslavia. He was gaining more fans across the country, but saw criticism by a part of the media, which criticized his lack of vocal skills and his "clownish behavior" with which he, as one of the papers wrote, "reminded of tasteless moves of some domestic singers in their pitiable imitation of the West". The editors of
Radio Belgrade Radio Belgrade (, ) is a state-owned and operated radio station in Belgrade, Serbia. It has four different programs (Radio Belgrade 1, Radio Belgrade 2, Radio Belgrade 3, and Radio Belgrade 202), a precious archive of several hundreds of thousa ...
refused to invite Marjanović to perform in their live program. Despite all that, the primo uomo of
Belgrade Opera The National Theatre ( sr-cyr, Народно позориште, Narodno pozorište) is a theatre located in Belgrade, Serbia. Founded in the latter half of the 19th century, it is located on the Republic Square, at the corner of Vasina and Fr ...
Darko Pivnički, who worked with young talents, decided to give singing lessons to Marjanović for free. The large popularity Marjanović enjoyed enabled him to record his first release, the album ''Muzika za igru'' (''Music for Dancing''). Marjanović recorded the album with the band Plavi Ansambl (''The Blue Ensemble''), which at the time consisted of Eduard Sađil (
tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...
), Petar Sam (
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
), Tripo Simonuti (violin), Đorđe Debač (piano), Vladimir Vitas (
vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...
), Sveta Jakovljević (guitar), Milan Mihajlović (double bass), Aleksandar Kosanović (drums) and Rade Jovanović (
bongo drums Bongos ( Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' (), which are joined by a woo ...
). The album was released on Marjanović's birthday, 30 October. At the time of its release, Marjanović was serving his mandatory
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
stint in
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
. Released by
PGP-RTB PGP-RTB ( sh-Cyrl, Продукција грамофонских плоча Радио телевизије Београд, translit=Produkcija gramofonskih ploča Radio televizije Beograd ) was a major state-owned record label and chain record ...
record label in 1959, ''Muzika za igru'' was the first
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
album released by the label and the first popular music solo album released in Serbia. The song "Zvižduk u 8" was the album's biggest hit. The first printing of the record was sold within a month. After his return from the army, Marjanović appeared at the
Opatija Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...
Music Festival with the songs "Prodavac novina" ("Newspaper Seller") and "Pesma raznosača mleka" ("The Milkman Song"), winning three awards. In March 1961, his performance on a Zlatni mikrofon (''Golden Microphone'') festival in Belgrade's Trade Union Hall caused a media scandal and what is often described as the first post-
WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
street protest A political demonstration is an action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause or people partaking in a protest against a cause of concern; it often consists of walking in a mass march formati ...
in Belgrade. The festival featured leading pop singers of Yugoslavia; Marjanović decided to appear on the festival performing the songs "Zvižduk u 8" and "Milord" (a cover of
Édith Piaf Édith Giovanna Gassion (19 December 1915 – 10 October 1963), known as Édith Piaf (), was a French singer and lyricist best known for performing songs in the cabaret and modern chanson genres. She is widely regarded as France's greatest popu ...
's "
Milord ''Milord'' () is a term for an Englishman, especially a Nobles, noble, traveling in Continental Europe. The term was used in both French and English from the 16th century. It derives ultimately from the English phrase "my lord", which was lingui ...
"). However, he was soon instructed to pick another song instead of "Milord"; it was explained to him that "Milord" is "too dramatic" and that it would "hinder the jury in making an objective decision". Marjanović decided to perform the song "Carolina, dai!", which was two months earlier performed at the eleventh Sanremo Music Festival. The festival jury should have awarded five Golden Microphone Awards to five singers; however, they decided there are not enough singers worthy of the award. Their decision was to award only three Golden Microphones, to
Lola Novaković Zorana "Lola" Novaković ( sr-cyr, Зоранa "Лола" Новаковић); (25 April 1935 – 3 April 2016) was a Serbian singer, hugely popular during the 1960s and to a lesser degree the 1970s. She was born in Belgrade, Kingdom of Yugosla ...
, Nada Knežević and Anica Zubović. After the announcer Dušan Vidak read the jury's decision and the names of the awarded singers, the audience got enraged by the fact that Marjanović was not among them. The audience started booing, chanting Marjanović's name and leaving the Hall, while the confused announcer proclaimed that the radio and television transmission had to be interrupted due to technical problems. This caused a large number of people to go out of their homes and go towards the Hall to see what was really happening. About 7,000 people gathered in front of the Hall. Some time after midnight, Marjanović tried to slip away through the back door of the Hall. After spotting him, the crowd carried him on their hands to an automobile parked in front of Hotel Moskva. There they placed him on the roof of the car, where he started singing. The audience sang with him for the next two hours, while the traffic stood still. After this event, screenwriters Ljubiša Kozomara,
Gordan Mihić Gordan Mihić ( sr-Cyrl, Гордан Михић; 19 September 1938 – 11 August 2019) was a Serbian playwright best known for his work on movie scripts for ''Black Cat, White Cat'', ''Time of the Gypsies'', ''Balkan Express (film), Balkan Expre ...
and Milan Milićević Lango and film director Sava Mrmak recorded the comedy film ''Zvižduk u 8'', starring Marjanović. The film was panned by the film critics, but had huge success with the audience. Concurrently with the film release, Marjanović held eleven sold-out concerts in a row in the Trade Union Hall. On his concerts he sang, danced and spoke poetry. For one of the concerts he received a letter from the First Lady of Yugoslavia, Jovanka Broz, which stated: "Dear Đorđe, please excuse me for not being able to attend your concert." He dedicated a part of one of the concerts to rock and roll. He appeared on the stage dressed in leather, inspired by the image of
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...
, performing foreign rock and roll hits. In this part of the concert he was accompanied by the members of the newly formed
beat Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...
band
Siluete Siluete ( sr-cyr, Силуете, trans. ''The Silhouettes'') were a Serbian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1961. They were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. Soon after the formation, Siluete, fronted by charismatic ...
. In 1962, Marjanović released his second studio album, ''Mustafa'', through PGP-RTB. He recorded the album with Plavi Ansambl and Predrag Ivanović Quartet. The album consisted of covers of foreign hits, with the title track being a cover of Bob Azzam's " Mustapha". The
Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian ( / ), also known as Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS), is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It is a pluricentric language with four mutually i ...
lyrics for the songs were written mostly by Marjanović himself. In 1962 he appeared on the Belgrade Spring Festival, performing the song "Stjuardjesa" ("
Stewardess A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...
"), which became another one of his hits. The new stage of his career started in 1963, when he went on his first
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
tour. The Soviet audience, uncustomary with the stage performance resembling the performances of Western singers, accepted him immediately. He soon achieved large popularity in Soviet Union and started regularly going on Soviet Union tours. At the peak of his popularity in the Soviet Union he held fifteen concerts in a row at the Lenin Stadium in Moscow, performing every evening in front of approximately 15,000 people. During his tours in Soviet Union he performed French
chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...
s,
Italia Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
n
canzone Literally 'song' in Italian, a canzone (; : ''canzoni''; cognate with English ''to chant'') is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which ...
s, but also covers of songs by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
The Mamas & the Papas The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York C ...
,
The Animals The Animals, currently billed as Eric Burdon & the Animals (featuring original frontman Eric Burdon) and also as Animals & Friends (featuring original drummer John Steel (drummer), John Steel), are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Ne ...
and other rock acts. He was awarded for "empowerment of friendly relations between Soviet and Yugoslav youth" and in 1968 he was proclaimed an Honorary Member of
Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...
. During the 1960s, Marjanović remained one of the most popular singers in Yugoslavia, releasing hit songs "Potraži me u pregrađu" ("Search for Me in the Suburbs"), "Da čekić imam ja" ("If I Had a Hammer"), "Medison u Meksiko" (" Madison in Mexico"), "Romana" and others. During the decade, he also had several appearances at the
Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
.


1970s and 1980s, retirement

During the 1970s and 1980s, Marjanović's career moved in three main directions: he appeared on pop music festivals, held concerts in Trade Union Hall, where he performed for his faithful fans, nicknamed "Đokists" by the media, and held Soviet Union tours. In 1972, he was awarded the Order of Labor with Silver Wreath by the
president of Yugoslavia The president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the head of state of that country from 14 January 1953 to 4 May 1980. Josip Broz Tito was the only person to occupy the office. Tito was also concurrently President of the League ...
Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...
. In 1979 he released the album ''Hvala vam, prijatelji'' (''Thank You, Friends''), which featured songs written for Marjanović by various authors: "Zima u Budimpešti" ("Winter in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
"), written by
Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...
, "Moje ludo srce" ("My Crazy Heart"), written by Mladen Vranešević, "Maestro", written by
Vojkan Borisavljević Vojislav "Vojkan" Borisavljević (5 May 1947 – 23 February 2021) was a Serbian composer and conductor. He composed more than five hundred songs for the most famous Yugoslav singers - Leo Martin, Zdravko Čolić, Đorđe Marjanović, Miki Jevre ...
, "Gramatika srca" ("Grammar of the Heart"), composed by Aleksandar Korać and with lyrics written by Dušan Radović, "Aerodrom" ("Airport") and "Samo dugme na kaputu" ("Just a Button on the Coat"), both composed by
Kornelije Kovač Kornelije "Bata" Kovač ( sr-Cyrl, Корнелије "Бата" Ковач, ; ; 1 January 1942 – 13 September 2022) was a Serbian composer. Early life Born in Niš during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Serbia to a Hungarian father an ...
and with lyrics written by
Bora Đorđević Borisav "Bora" Đorđević ( sr-Cyrl, Борисав, Бора Ђорђевић; 1 November 1952 – 4 September 2024), also known as Bora Čorba ( sr-Cyrl, Бора Чорба), was a Serbian singer-songwriter and poet. He was best known as th ...
, and others. On a 1982 concert in the Trade Union Hall the audience by voting chose the songs to be released on the 1982 album ''Dvadeset nikada više'' (''Twenty Never Again''). In 1989, to mark the 30th anniversary of Marjanović's debut release, PGP-RTB released the songs from ''Muzika za igru'' and ''Mustafa'' on the compilation album ''Milord za sva vremena'' (''Milord for Eternity''). During these two decades, he also performed in France,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and the
United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
. In 1990 Marjanović was awarded by the
Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...
by Soviet head of state
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
. Later that year, Marjanović made a guest appearance on Lepa Brena concert in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. While performing the song "Mene nema ko da žali" ("There's No One to Feel Sorry for Me"), he suffered a stroke. After the stroke he had difficulty speaking. He partially recovered, but decided to retire from the scene. During the following decades up until his death, Marjanović did not record new material and would appear live occasionally only, usually as a guest on festivals and other musicians' concerts.


Personal life and death

Marjanović married twice. With his first wife, Zlata, he had no children, and with his second wife, Eli Nikolajevna Borisenko, he had three children: daughters Natalija and Nevena and son Marko. Both of his daughters graduated from the Belgrade Faculty of Music Arts. After his retirement from the scene, Marjanović lived in Belgrade, occasionally residing in Kučevo. He died on 15 May 2021, aged 89, in Belgrade. Initially, Serbian media reported that he died due to complications caused by
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, although one of his daughters later stated that he actually died of old age. He was buried at the Alley of Distinguished Citizens in the
Belgrade New Cemetery The New Cemetery ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Ново гробље, Novo groblje) is a cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, ...
. On 28 June (Serbian national holiday
Vidovdan Vidovdan (, ) is a Serbian national and religious holiday, a ''slava'' (feast day) celebrated on 28 June (Gregorian calendar), or 15 June according to the Julian calendar. The Serbian Church designates it as the memorial day to ''Saint Prince ...
) 2021, he was posthumously awarded the 1st class
Order of Karađorđe's Star Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...
by the
President of Serbia The president of Serbia (), officially styled as President of the Republic (), is the head of state of Serbia. The current officeholder is Aleksandar Vučić, who was elected in 2017 and has held the role since 31 May 2017. According to the C ...
."Vučić odlikovao i Sijarta, Mandića, umetnike preminule od korone…", N1info.com
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Legacy

In 1994, a concert entitled Rokeri Đorđu Marjanoviću (''Rockers to Đorđe Marjanović'') was held in Trade Union Hall. The concert featured Dejan Cukić, Milan Delčić, Žika Milenković, Ruž, Rambo Amadeus and other acts performing Marjanović's songs. In 1999,
Radio Television of Serbia The Serbian Broadcasting Corporation, more commonly referred to as Radio Television of Serbia (), or RTS (), is the state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Serbia. RTS has four organizational units – radio, television, music pro ...
broadcast a documentary about Marjanović, entitled ''K'o nekad u osam'' ("Like Before at Eight O'clock") after a verse from "Zvižduk u 8". Marjanović's song "Lutka koja kaže ne" ("The Doll Which Says No") was covered by Yugoslav rock supergroup Vlada, Gile, Piko & Švaba in 1991 on the album entitled ''Lutka koja kaže ne''. The song "Zvižduk u 8" was covered by Serbian and Yugoslav rock singer Toni Montano in 1991. The same song was covered by Serbian and Yugoslav rock singer Dejan Cukić in 1996. Marjanović's version of
Dionysis Savvopoulos Dionysis Savvopoulos () (born 2 December 1944) is a prominent Greek singer-songwriter. Career Savvopoulos was born in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece (December 1944) in a middle-class family. He passed his university entrance exams and enrolle ...
song "Dirlada" was covered by Serbian and Yugoslav rock musician Milan Delčić in 1994. Marjanović's song "Đavoli" ("Devils") was covered in 1999 by Serbian
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
Jarboli Jarboli ( sr-cyr, Јарболи; trans. '' The Masts'') is a Serbian alternative rock band from Belgrade. History 1990s The band was formed in 1991 by Daniel Kovač (guitar, vocals), Boris Mladenović (guitar, vocals), Žolt Kovač (bass gui ...
. The song "Beograde" ("(Oh,) Belgrade") was covered by Croatian and Yugoslav alternative rock band Let 3 in 2005. In 2006, the song "Zvižduk u 8" polled No.31 in the
B92 Top 100 Domestic Songs 100 najboljih domaćih pesama (''Top 100 Domestic Songs'') was a list compiled by Serbian Radio B92. In 2006, Radio B92 organized the poll for the selection of top 100 Yugoslav songs. The whole list was presented on radio B92 on 5 November 2006. T ...
list.


Awards and honors

* Honorary Member of
Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...
(1968) * Golden Ring of
Sisak Sisak (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Croatia, spanning the confluence of the Kupa, Sava and Odra rivers, southeast of the Croatian capital Zagreb, and is usually considered to be where the Posavina (Sava basin ...
(1971) * Order of Labor with Silver Wreath (1972) * Silver Plaque of Kučevo (1978) * MESAM Festival Grand Prix (1989) *
Order of Friendship of Peoples The Order of Friendship of Peoples () was an order of the Soviet Union, and was awarded to persons (including non-citizens), organizations, enterprises, military units, as well as administrative subdivisions of the USSR for accomplishments in s ...
(1990) * Slavianski Bazaar Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) * Association of Musicians of Serbia Lifetime Achievement Award (1988) *
Sunčane Skale Sunčane Skale was a pop music festival held every summer in Herceg Novi, Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_ ...
Golden Mermaid Lifetime Achievement Award (2000) * 1st class
Order of Karađorđe's Star Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * ...
(posthumously, 2021)


Discography


Studio albums

* ''Muzika za igru'' (1959) * ''Mustafa'' (1962) * ''Prijatelji, zdravo!'' (1967) * ''A život teče dalje'' (1975) * ''Hvala vam, prijatelji'' (1979) * ''Dvadeset nikada više'' (1982)


Compilation albums

* ''Milord za sva vremena'' (1989) * ''Prijatelji, zdravo!'' (1995) * ''Sećanja'' (1997) * ''K'o nekad'' (2005)


EPs

* ''Milord'' (1961) * ''Ekspres-kafa'' (1962) * ''Đavoli'' (1963) * ''Igrajmo twist'' (1963) * ''Dečje igre'' (1963) * ''Gonzales'' (1963) * ''Ja plaćam ove noći'' (1963) * ''Drugovi iz mog dvorišta'' (1963) * ''Roberta'' (1963) * ''Zvižduk u 8'' (1964) * ''Sam'' (1964) * ''Marko Polo'' (1964) * ''Medison u Meksiku'' (1964) * ''Natali'' (1965) * ''Drugovi moji'' (1966) * ''Devojke'' (1967) * ''Mene nema ko da žali'' (1968) * ''Romana'' (1968) * ''Ako ljubavi nema'' (1969) * ''Padajte kiše na naš grad'' (1970) * ''Didu-lidu-dadu'' (1971)


Singles

* "Pesma raznosača mleka"/"Prodavac novina" (1960) * "Ljiljana"/"Ulicama sreće" (1963) * "Od ljubavi do mržnje"/"Na gori raste jorgovan" (1970) * "Za dane ljubavi"/"Ruže u tami" (1971) * "I tako ode Marija"/"Na tvoju ruku ja nemam više prava" (1971) * "Grešnica"/"Ne želim da umrem sad" (1972) * "Ta tužna muzika"/"Digi-digi-dajge" (1972) * "Živiš sama"/"Ona me ne voli više" (1974) * "A život teče dalje"/"Ema, Emili" (1975) * "Činge linge"/"Ako čovek živi sam" (1975) * "Poslednji voz"/"Pesma s planine" (1975) * "Bela dama – crni kralj"/"Nemoj nikad da me ostavljaš" (1977) * "Nikad nije kasno"/"Ružičasti sneg" (1978) * "Kabare"/"Moje ludo srce" (1979)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marjanovic, Djordje 1931 births 2021 deaths Serbian pop singers Serbian rock singers 20th-century Serbian male singers Yugoslav rock singers Yugoslav male singers Singers from Belgrade Schlager musicians People from Kučevo Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia People educated at George Heriot's School