Vladimír Padrůněk (17 February 1952 – 30 August 1991) was a Czech jazz and rock bass guitarist. He is known for his work with the groups Jazz Q, Energit, Etc...,

Abraxas Abraxas (, variant form romanized: ) is a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the "Great Archon" (), the princeps of the 365 spheres (). The word is found in Gnostic texts such as the '' Holy ...

, and others.

Biography

Padrůněk began playing bass guitar at the age of fourteen. Before that, he studied the violin at school. His first major musical engagement was in the group Exit, in 1969–1970. This is where he first met Luboš Andršt and Slávek Janda. His fame increased dramatically in the early 1970s as he began to play with the band Jazz Q, which was led by Martin Kratochvíl. In 1973, he recorded two albums with Jazz Q - ''Pozorovatelna'' (Watchtower) and ''Symbiosis''. The band planned to tour overseas, but due to his father's previous involvement in the political upheaval of 1968, Padrůněk was forbidden to travel to non-communist countries. He had to be replaced on tour each time the band played in the West. Another important stage of Padrůněk's musical career was the band Energit. This ensemble also included Luboš Andršt, as well as

Jaroslav Erno Šedivý Jaroslav Erno Šedivý (born Jaroslav Šedivý on 15 October 1947, Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech rock drummer. He was member of The Primitives Group, thereafter Flamengo (Czech band), Flamengo (''Kuře v hodinkách'') and also Energit (band) ...

and

Emil Viklický Emil Viklický (born 23 November 1948) is a Czech Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. Career Viklický was born in Olomouc. He graduated from Palacký University in 1971 with a degree in mathematics. As a student, he devoted a lot of time ...

. In 1974, he formed Etc... with another member of Energit,

Vladimír Mišík Vladimír Mišík (born 8 March 1947) is a Czech musician and politician. He is the founder or co-founder of the bands The Matadors, Matadors, Blue Effect, and Etc (band), Etc.... Career Music Mišík founded his first band, Uragán, as a teena ...

. They released their self-titled first album in 1976. Around this time, he also participated in several other projects, including Ota Petřina's first album, ''Super-robot'' (1978). The same year, Padrůněk left Etc... and returned to Jazz Q. One of the most difficult periods of Padrůnek's life began in the early 1980s. His ailing health was exacerbated by constant problems with the

Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he struggled with alcoholism. In the spring of 1981, he briefly played with Slávek Janda's

. His health, however, deteriorated sharply and he stopped playing for the next three years. In 1985, he returned to music, appearing with the group Moby Dick (later Dux). In 1988, he withdrew again, this time definitively. His recordings with Dux are included on the album ''In memoriam Vladimíra Padrůňka'' (1992). Padrůnek died in August 1991. In 2012, he was posthumously inducted into the Czech rock hall of fame,

Beatová síň slávy Beatová síň slávy (Czech for Beat Hall of Fame or simply BSS) is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Padrunek, Vladimir Czech bass guitarists 1952 births 1991 deaths 20th-century bass guitarists Energit (band) members Etc (band) members