In the 1950s and 1960s, there was no more popular female vocalist in Poland than . “Augustowskie noce”, “Karuzela” or “Serduszko puka w rytmie cza cza” are just a few of the hits she promoted, which are still known and happily hummed by subsequent generations. However, before she made a career, she was married to engineer Jan Frankl, who came from her hometown, Bielsko-Biała, with whom she fulfilled her dream of starting a family.
When she found out about the pregnancy, she was shocked. Then Koterbska was told she should have it terminated.
Koterbska and Frankl got married in 1950 and were considered a harmonious and well-matched couple. All they lacked to be completely happy was a child, but they decided to wait with the decision to enlarge their family, because she was just starting her career and wanted to make good use of her five minutes. However, fate had other plans. When 4 years later, during a stay in Jastarnia, she unexpectedly felt unwell, she was convinced that she had been poisoned by fish. Imagine her surprise when it turned out that she was pregnant. “It wasn’t a fish, it was Romek,” she said years later, adding that her joy was boundless.
Not everyone was happy with her condition, however. The well-wishers congratulated her, while the less well-wishers said directly that she would ruin her career, suggesting that she have an abortion. She did not want to hear about it and immediately ended the discussion. In March 1954, the couple’s son, Roman, was born, who immediately became the apple of their parents’ eye. After maternity leave, Koterbska returned to performing full-time. At that time, his father took care of him, but as soon as the artist left the stage, she rushed home to spend as much time with them as possible.
Family was Koterbska’s priority. This is how the singer’s son remembers his childhood
In an interview for “Kronika Beskidzka”, she admitted that her family had always been her priority, and she tried to compensate him for every separation from her son. In the same conversation, Roman admitted that there were months when he did not see his mother at all, which naturally caused sadness. As he grew up, he began to accept this state of affairs more and more. “It happened that she spent 28 days at home during the year. After arriving from the former Soviet Union, she had another trip to the United States for 3 months a week later. I remember that I did not want to let my mother go and I lay down on the doorstep. I missed her very much,” he revealed.
Although he was already aware as a child that his mother was famous, he did not use this fact for his own benefit. – I liked my mother’s friends, artists. Colorful types. We were visited by Bogumił Kobiela, Mieczysław Czechowicz… They really liked my father, who was the only normal person in this family and in this whole company – he recalled with a laugh, adding that he quickly learned the dark side of this situation. When after graduating from high school he began studies at a theater school and then got a job at the Warsaw Dramatic Theater, he often heard that he was making a career only thanks to his famous mother, which, he claims, was not true.
For Roman Frankl, it was a huge passion, but he couldn’t make it in the industry. He starred in productions such as “On the Silver Globe”, “Furious”, “The Twenties… the Thirties” and . Ultimately, he focused on music. He released several hits, including the famous song “A Man for Bad Weather”. In the 80s, however, he decided to give up the industry and moved to Vienna, where he worked as a model and played in commercials, and then began appearing in theater and cabaret. He also started a family and had two sons. When his father died in 2020, and a year later Koterbska also passed away, he did not hide his despair. – Mom died, and with her a part of me. I don’t know which one yet, but I feel that something, some piece of me is missing. Something has died in me too – he said. If you’d like, please vote in our poll below.
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.
