Today, July 14, Pilsen native Karel Gott would have celebrated his 85th birthday. He is also regularly remembered in the village in Rokycanska, where he went as a child to visit his grandparents. He returned to Újezd u Svatého Kříž even later. He supported the village, he chatted with the locals in the local pub and years ago he even gave them his painting. They also dedicated a memorial room to him in the inn, and they organize exhibitions and other events related to the legendary golden nightingale there.
When Karel Gott first became seriously ill, they planted a linden tree in Újezd near Svatého Kříž on Rokycanska. Today, the tree in the village near the church serves as a place of worship, where locals and visitors regularly meet to remember their favorite singer and “neighbor”. Gott has been going to the village since childhood to visit his grandparents, later to visit his cousin and friends. According to the locals, he certainly didn’t act like a celebrity. He greeted everyone, exchanged a few words or sat in the local pub. He didn’t sing, but he talked regarding his experiences.
Karel Gott died on October 1, 2019. In Újezd at that time, the linden tree began to wither, and the locals saw a certain symbolism in it. About two hundred people came to say goodbye to him at the meeting. They are still found there in smaller numbers. There is even a memorial room with dozens of exhibits in the pub there. The most valuable is the painting that Karel Gott himself dedicated to his beloved village. It is a painting of a young girl called “On the Old Bleach”. In addition to him, there are album covers, a hockey jersey by Jaromír Jágr and a large number of photos and portraits of the golden nightingale. He last visited Újezd in the summer of 2019 as part of the filming of the biographical documentary Karel.
