“Like a thought from years ago, like a trace of memories, today the memory of those who are not there comes back” – this is the last chorus sung in his life by Krzysztof Klenczon. On February 25, 1981, a charity concert was held, to which the musician of Red Guitars was invited. The artist had a bit of a cold, so he did not really want to take part in the event, but due to the nature of the event, he could not refuse.
42 years ago, Krzysztof Klenczon, the leader of Red Guitars, died. Everyone knew his hits
The performance for the Polish community at the Milford club in Chicago was very successful. Other outstanding Polish musicians could also be seen on the stage – and . Klenczon, according to Vivy’s report, ended his part of the concert with the ballad “White Cross”. He composed the song for his father, whom he adored, and on an unhappy evening he performed it three times when the audience demanded encores. No one standing in front of the stage knew that they had the last opportunity to hear the song live in its original performance.
When Klenczon and his wife Alicja were returning from the club, their car was hit by a drunk truck driver. The artist’s beloved came out of the accident unscathed, but fate was not so kind to the musician. Broken ribs punctured Klenczon’s left lung, and he also had a severed aorta. Onet quotes Alicja Klenczo, who regretted that her happy marriage lasted only 15 years and spoke about the accident with the following words:
We both drove home in the morning. I was behind the wheel; suddenly, at some traffic lights, Krzysztof woke up, yelling at me that we were changing cars and he would lead the way. Maybe 2-3 minutes later I saw the headlights of a car speeding towards us.
Klenczon was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he underwent surgery. Everyone hoped he would get better, but he didn’t. On April 7, 1981, 40 days after the accident, the artist died, leaving behind two daughters.
Krzysztof Krawczyk blamed himself for Klenczon’s death. “Maybe if we stayed longer…”
Krzysztof Krawczyk, present at the concert in Chicago, felt remorse about the death of his friend. Although, of course, the tragic accident was in no way his fault, the artist could not forgive himself for not stopping a friend who wanted to return home from the performance. Years later, the singer mentioned that maybe if they had stayed in the club longer and Klenczon would have gone on the road at a different time, he would still be alive. The artist, who died almost exactly 40 years after the accident of Klenczon, sang the song “Ave Maria” at the funeral of the leader of Czerwony Gitar. In this way, he said goodbye to his friend and thanked him for the moments together.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
