Violetta Villas, or rather Czesława Gospodarek, née Cie¶lak, was born on June 10, 1938 in Heusy, Belgium. At the age of 8 she moved to Poland. She was a great star on the world stage, and everyone knows her name today. Her unrivaled talent and unique voice allowed her to achieve operatic successes, but the star remained faithful to the stage. She changed her name and surname at the insistence of the composer Władysław Szpilman, adopting an artistic pseudonym – due to it being easier to pronounce abroad.
Violetta Villas has performed on stages all over the world. She sang alongside Frank Sinatra. Patrick Valette, a consultant for the Dior fashion house, took care of her appearance on a daily basis. Although her career was a series of successes, Violetta Villas did not have it easy in her private life. The marriage to Ted Kowalczyk turned out to be a torment, and the star had to flee from her husband from the United States back to Poland. Ted Kowalczyk lived in the USA. A businessman of Polish origin fell in love with a singer who accepted his proposal in the late 1980s. A grand wedding for 1,500 people took place in Chicago, where Kowalczyk lived.
Violetta Villas had to flee the USA
But for the first time Violetta Villas flew to the United States in 1966, for purposes related to her artistic activities. She then had to run away from there. In December 2023, a friend of the deceased artist, Barbara Szymańska, spoke about this in an interview. The woman revealed some new facts from Villas’ life. She stated, among other things, that at the end of the 60, the singer got into serious trouble and escaping from Las Vegas was supposed to be the only solution.
These performances were beautiful, the dresses were made by Dior, the world was at her feet. Even Hollywood began to be interested in her and she was offered to play in TV series. Unfortunately, then a terrible thing happened. Actually, I can’t talk about it, but Violetta witnessed something that threatened her life and she had to go to Poland to save herself as well. If it weren’t for this incident, she would definitely have stayed
– said Szymańska. As we read, only two people from the diva’s life know the truth about what happened in Las Vegas in those years. The mentioned Barbara Szymańska and Violetta Villas’s son – Krzysztof Gospodarek. – Only he can say what happened – added Szymańska. Once again, Villas evacuated from the USA after her marriage to Kowalczyk. A few years ago, her son from her first marriage, Krzysztof Gospodarek, talked about the circumstances of this event in an interview with “Echem Dzień”. In his opinion, “his mother let him trick him into getting married.”
On his knees he begged me to marry him, he gave me red roses every day, he swore that he would lift the heavens for me (…). And then I had to run away
– the singer said years later. Gospodarek, in turn, in an interview with “Echem Dzień”, emphasized that “in Poland, the media made him a millionaire, and he was a poor man, up to his ears in debt.”
He had a restaurant, but it brought practically no profits. He employed my mother’s sister, Wanda, who had gone to the United States to earn a few zlotys, as a dishwasher. And he forced my mother to sit at the bar of his restaurant, receive guests and discuss with them
– he mentioned. Arguments broke out between the spouses. The man did not accept the fact that Violetta Villas loved animals, and he also could not stand the fact that she was religious. Eventually, a terrible event occurred that ultimately pushed the stars to leave him – it was how Kowalczyk treated the little kitten she wanted to adopt. Then she packed up and got on a plane to Poland. Later, in an interview with “Echem Dzień”, Gospodarek called him a “primitive simpleton” and emphasized that his mother had to leave everything to him. However, this was not the end of the nightmare. A Polish businessman began to slander his ex-wife in the media. He finally died in 2006, in a homeless shelter.
Violetta Villas died in poverty and loneliness
Violetta Villas loved performing and had amazing contact with the audience. The artist never wanted to suspend her career. In February 2011, she celebrated the 50th anniversary of her artistic career. Unfortunately, just before her death, she went through very difficult times. She spent her last days in loneliness, misery and poverty, surrounded by her animals. In 2019, “Gazeta Wyborcza” reported that the autopsy of Violetta Villas showed that the star died in suffering, and her death was preceded by several hours of agony. Violetta Villas passed away on December 5, 2011.
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.
