Petr Lízal 22 October 2024
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In the 1980s, his posters hung in almost every girl’s room. Teenage fans wanted him to sing about their T-shirts or go to school with them in the countryside. But where did the steps of former singing star Pavel Horňák go today? Instead of packed halls, his stage is now courtrooms.
Solo hits Kitten, Outdoor school, Who knows, T-shirt, Girl’s kingdom, With and without you or songs with the support of fellow singers We are matched whether It will be celebrated. It is obvious that after this list, only one name is missing – Pavel Hornák.
Fifteen year old pro
He appeared on the Czechoslovak pop music scene of the 80s at the age of fifteen. “Pavla Horňáka brought Franto to Kroki because I was almost twenty-five at the time. We needed a boy who would appeal to girls, and Pavel clearly fulfilled that. Franta had it very well thought out,” Michal David revealed to the editorial staff of CNN Prima News.
As a member of František Janeček’s Kroky group, the barely grown boy fit perfectly into the basics. “I was surprised how nice everyone treated me. I got along quite well even with musicians who were a generation older than me,” Pavel recalled. In a short time he became the darling of girls and his hits were heard literally everywhere. The crowds of female fans went crazy for him, but he remained grounded.
VIDEO: Listen, Evička, what kind of T-shirt are you wearing… Look at Pavel Horňák and one of his hits.
Source: Youtube
Although he could have a wild life full of parties and girlfriends, Pavel preferred to study. While his older colleagues drank in the bar after the shows, he ran to the hotel to go to bed early and study in the morning. “Nobody wanted to be in the room with me because I was always studying,” he remembers.
In short, it was a sampler, as befits and belongs. He was able to combine demanding concerts with studies at the sports gymnasium in Prague’s Vršovice.
He experienced the golden era of the Steps
It is no exaggeration to say that Pavel Horňák experienced the best period of the Kroky group. He released three albums in three years – Two years of vacation, Girl kingdom a With you and without you –, won the prestigious TV Hitsharadaa popular show by the Šíp–Uhlíř couple, for the year 1985, won the audience award at Bratislava lyre and gave concerts for example in the former Yugoslavia or at a festival in distant Mongolia.
Gradual withdrawal from the scene
Although Pavel Horňák sold over half a million records and hundreds of thousands of singleshis career came to an end for many reasons. With the onset of adulthood, his voice began to change. “He started to mutate. Someone manages to overcome it, his voice went an octave lower. It no longer had the glamor it had in the beginning.” explained Zdeněk Barták, composer and then keyboard player at Krok, in one of the interviews.
At the beginning of the 1990s, we were also flooded with a wide range of foreign music, which did not particularly favor the pop stars of the 1980s. “Collaboration with Kroky was nice, I like to remember that time, I sang with them in various lineups until the spring of 1991,” Pavel looks back.
Aliases in the Steps group
Pavel Hornák was the only one of the constellation of performers of the group Kroky who did not perform under a pseudonym, even though producer and talent scout František Janeček tried to impose the stage name Pavel Horn on him. The main star Michal David had the civil name of Vladimír Štancl, Jan Cézar was originally Lubor Buňat, Markéta Muchová was born as Markéta Krbušková, Arnošt Pátek used to be Arnošt Piaczek, Alice Hálová’s real name is Alice Chrtková and Milan Dyk was in real life Milan Drličiak.
When fame began to decline, Pavel already he had a plan B ready. He had been singing since he was young, but he suspected that it wouldn’t be forever. “I really enjoyed singing, but it was always a pleasant hobby and fun for me,” admits the singer.
A judge instead of a pop star
He graduated in 1991 study at the Faculty of Law and earned a master’s degree. At first he worked in the Office of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. “It was simply impossible to go to the office during the day and be smiling and nice at the show in the evening. I decided to hang singing on a nail,” said the retiring singer and up-and-coming lawyer.
He gradually replaced several more positions, including the work of a professional consultant in the Office Chambers of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. In 1999, he was accepted to study the postgraduate doctoral program in theoretical legal science at Faculty of Law, UK. This gave him access to the upper echelons of the legal world.
As JUDr. Pavel Horňák became a judge and for several years he resolved civil disputes in several Prague courts. However, he received a major accolade on January 1, 2019, when he was appointed as a judge Supreme Court of the Czech Republic. In addition, since August 2020, he is the chairman of the Senate of the Civil Law and Business College.
Love from the fans
At the end of his singing career, Pavel briefly dated a colleague from the Kroky group Alicí Hálovovábut this romance was quickly cut short by the boss František Janeček himself, who did not approve of dalliances between colleagues.
Pavel Horňák found happiness with one of his most loyal fans, two years older than Renata. S tou se he married in September 1991 and they have two children together – daughter Pavlína (1992) and son Jan (1998). Even though Pavel is a native of Sokolov who lived his whole life in Prague, the whole family currently lives in Brno because of his work.
And if female fans hope that their idol from their youth could return to the microphone, even if only for a moment, Pavel Horňák himself took away their last bits of hope some time ago. “It was a great time, but I’m happy where I am now.”
Source: vlasta.cz, wikipedia.org, denik.cz, blesk.cz, cnn.iprima.cz, svetzeny.cz, msn.com, kultura.cz, nsoud.cz
Oh, where do we begin with the dramatic tale of Pavel Horňák? I mean, this guy was practically the poster boy for teenage hearts back in the ‘80s! Imagine a world where his posters hung not just on walls, but also within the deepest recesses of young girls’ fantasies—swoon-worthy! But here we are now, trading the glamour of concert halls for the intense atmosphere of courtrooms. Not quite the same romantic setting, is it? Unless your idea of romance involves a gavel. Now there’s a slumber party game I’m not sure I’m ready for.
So, Pavel burst onto the pop scene at the tender age of fifteen, because that’s exactly when you want to start your career in showbiz—when your voice is still cracking and you’re trying to figure out why everyone else is suddenly interested in, you know, girls. I mean, here’s a lad just trying to get through his homework while his older bandmates were out parties. Poor guy had his priorities straight. While they were out drinking, there he was hitting the books—getting more study hours in than the rest of us managed in an entire semester! And let’s be honest, folks, if your teenage dream is to be a pop star, less study time for chemistry means more dance floor time!
You’ve got to hand it to the man, though. Say what you will about those beloved hits—Girl’s Kingdom, Outdoor School, and that classic, “What kind of T-shirt are you wearing?”—but boy, was he popular. I mean, half a million records sold?! That’s the kind of statistic that makes record labels weep into their lattes! But alas, fame is fickle, and with maturity comes the inevitable voice change—like watching that beloved cartoon character suddenly start to look like a middle-aged dad. “Oh look, it’s Pavel: The Baritone Years.”
And let’s not forget the ‘90s musical scandal—foreign music flooding in and washing away the sweet sounds of childhood. It’s as if all the cassette tapes started screaming “move over, Pavel!” and suddenly, he was cast aside like an old pair of rollerblades you found in the garage. But rather than a melodramatic fallout, our boy had a backup plan! Bravo, Pavel! He secretly took notes from every celebrity who ever said "I’ll be back!" while simultaneously crafting an impeccable legal career. Who knew singing about T-shirts would morph into resolving civil disputes? The ultimate plot twist!
Then comes the evolution—because every pop star worth their weight in sequins needs to transition from lovely teen idol to wise jurisprudent at Supreme Court. As it turns out, “Judge” isn’t quite as glamorous as “pop star,” but throw on a robe, and suddenly you’ve got the power to hammer down the law like you’re summoning a new dance move. Maybe that’s why he said “I’m happy where I am now,” because exploring the law apparently doesn’t come with the same rowdy fan base, but a lot less groupies!
And his love life? Well, it sounds like something out of a star-crossed romance—first with a fellow bandmate, then settling down with his biggest fan. Now that’s sweet! It’s like he took a page out of a rom-com, minus the cheesy soundtrack. Kids, if you’re listening, find yourself a partner who appreciates your music and knows when to clap politely from the audience instead of hogging the stage!
At the end of the day, Pavel Horňák went from swooning girls to courtroom conquering, and if there’s anything we learn from this tale of glamor and grit, it’s that sometimes life takes unexpected turns, or as we say, “Life’s like a box of chocolates…unless it’s a courtroom, then it’s all very serious!” So let’s raise a glass to Pavel—may his courtroom remain as lively as his concerts used to be… or maybe just a t-shirt for nostalgia.
