Her mother was seriously ill and her father drank. Jarocka lived in extreme poverty, but later she helped others

Irena Jarocka, called by many the first lady of Polish song, has delighted with her voice for years. “I invented you”, “I am a butterfly”, “Love only once”, “Cafes are drifting away”, “These years will not come back” – these are just some of her greatest hits. She released music in Poland, but also in the USA, in France, in the then West Germany and Czechoslovakia. Her warm voice could charm anyone. She died on January 21, 2012, suffering from cancer.

Irena Jarocka did not have an easy childhood. My mother was sick and my father drank

Full of charisma and always smiling, the artist did not let on that she had been through a lot in her life. However, in the songs in which she alluded to suffering, she was piercingly authentic. There was no shortage of difficult moments in the artist’s life. The star’s difficult experiences date back to her childhood years.

Before everyone associated Irena Jarocka’s name with great hits, her life was not easy. The artist’s memories were collected in the book “Irena Jarocka about herself” by Mariola Przyzwań. In “Super Express” from 2008, quoted by the author, one could read that Jarocka’s family was very poor. “My parents rented a small plot of land in the forest. We planted potatoes there and sometimes it saved us from hunger,” the artist described the difficult situation.

Unfortunately, it was not enough, they often had to ask for help, which for Jarocka was a very embarrassing experience that she would rather not remember. “We were very poor. Sometimes our parents sent us to our neighbors for a loan. Sometimes the doors were closed when they saw us. It was so humiliating. I still remember it, I am still afraid of poverty,” she recalled.

Irena Jarocka’s mother was very sick. Tortured by the Germans in labor camps, she lost her health. She suffered from asthma and psoriasis and had little strength, but she took care of four children. The artist’s father was an orthopedic shoemaker, but he had problems with alcohol, which also added to the family’s worries.

“He drank because he said that in order to get anything done, you had to have a drink with your friends. When he came home, my mother couldn’t stand it and arguments started,” Jarocka said. The singer remembered perfectly that there was always no money at home. A delicacy was the neighbors’ bread dipped in water and fried with sugar.

“I was ashamed of poverty,” Jarocka said. A difficult childhood shaped her

Jarocka’s complexes were born out of poverty. Although she was to be adored and admired for her beauty for most of her life, in her youth she was ashamed of her material shortcomings. “I was ashamed of poverty. There was a time when I held a grudge against my dad. I forgave him from the bottom of my heart, I understood his weaknesses,” the artist was quoted by “Sukces” magazine in 2009.

In Radio Vox FM, Irena Jarocka admitted that a difficult childhood shaped her. The artist sounded as if she did not regret that her past was not one that could be remembered without a trace of regret and bitterness. “This time taught me sensitivity to other people. Love for simple people. I can’t actually hurt anyone. I almost can’t lie,” she said.

Due to her past, Jarocka did not attach much importance to material goods. She was far from snobbery, judging people based on what they had. “My parents taught me to enjoy every moment in life. They taught me how to be happy, how to enjoy the little things. And that’s probably the most beautiful thing,” she emphasized, which perfectly illustrates her optimistic, warm disposition.

It was her modesty and kindness that captivated her fans and friends. “A beautiful, charming, natural, normal girl. Everyone liked her. She was recognized and loved everywhere, but she remained natural and modest. She had a great desire to help people, she was involved in charity campaigns and encouraged other artists to do the same,” Jarocka recalled. Zbigniew Wodecki, quoted by cozatydzien.tvn.pl. “She was radiant, like a ray of sunshine. Always smiling, always kind. She had a soothing, inspiring energy. Irena was truly unique. For me, she was the epitome of class. I never heard anyone say anything bad about her. She had a something bright. Every meeting with her made me smile and be happy,” he added.