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Ryszard Riedel
Ryszard Riedel
	Ryszard Riedel performing in 1981
Background information
Birth name	Ryszard Henryk Riedel
Born	7 September 1956; Chorzów, Silesia, Poland
Died	30 July 1994 (aged 37); Chorzów, Silesia, Poland
Genres	Rock & roll; Blues; Blues rock;
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, lead vocalist
Instrument	Harmonica
Years active	1973–1994
Website	Official website

Ryszard Henryk Riedel (7 September 1956 – 30 July 1994) was the original lead singer of blues-rock band Dżem (Polish for 'Jam').^[1] He is often regarded as one of the most popular and well known Silesian vocalist, along with an occasional collaborator Czesław Niemen. Riedel's legacy is remembered by an annual festival, bearing his name, held in his home town of Chorzów, which was moved from Tychy in 2009. He has become one of the most powerful vocalists of Polish music, similar to Czesław Niemen.

Biography

Ryszard Henryk Riedel was born on 7 September 1956 in Chorzów. He was the second child of Krystyna and Jan Riedel—his sister Małgorzata is one year older.^[2] He finished his education after the 7th grade of primary school. He was a self-taught vocalist and he had never attended a singing course.^[3] His wide musical influences included bands like Free (Paul Rodgers was Riedel's favourite vocalist), and later, Bad Company, Cream, The Allman Brothers Band, and The Doors. At the beginning of his career he was asked to join Kombi, but he turned down the offer. In December 1973, at the age of 17, he joined Dżem. During the band's initial years he was instrumental in keeping the band together. His lyrics contained many autobiographical pieces, because he used his life as the inspiration for many, if not all, of his songs. Throughout his career he collaborated with many Polish artists such as Rysiek Skibiński, Leszek Winder, and Józef Skrzek, and the band Nocna Zmiana Bluesa, to name a few.^[4] In the later years of his singing career he became a heavy drug user (mainly heroin), which led to numerous arguments within the band, and subsequently resulted in Ryszard living his life as an outsider. He skipped rehearsals many times, and even managed to not show up for his concerts. This lifestyle was the inspiration for the 1993 song "Autsajder" (Outsider), in which he states that he will never change: "Ja już nigdy się nie zmienię" Despite his deteriorating health condition, the band continued to collaborate with him until he was forced to attend another failed drug detoxification (detox) campaign in 1994. His last concert with the band "Dżem" was on 16 March 1994 in Kraków.^[5]

Death

Riedel's direct cause of death was cardiac insufficiency due to a long time opiate drug abuse – especially a type of crude-prepared heroin known as "kompot".^[6]

Legacy

Rysiek (diminutive of Ryszard) Riedel is celebrated as one of the best all-time singers in Polish musical history. The Rolling Stone magazine has described him as "the last hippie of our time".^[7]^[8]

Musical events

"List Do R" (29 July 1995, a year after his death) – in memoriam show held in Katowice's concert hall Spodek, with many performances of prominent Polish vocalists, including Czesław Niemen. The name is a paraphrase of Ryszard Riedel's song – "List do M." – "A letter to M".
Festiwal Muzyczny im. Ryśka Riedla „Ku Przestrodze" (1999–2014) – annual festival held in Tychy (until 2008) and later Chorzów. Polish bands, including "Cree" (lead vocals by Sebastian Riedel, Rysiek's son) and band Dżem performed to honor Rysiek's legacy and to promote drug-free lifestyle. In 2015, before 16th edition took place, promoters decided to remove Riedel's name from festival name, as a result of a protest of Riedel's daughter and son against using his name.^[9]

Movies

Dżem (1994) – TV documentary about band from the beginning to the death of Ryszard Riedel^[10]
Sen o Victorii (1994) – TV documentary about life of Ryszard Riedel produced by TVP Łódź, named after Dżem's song^[11]
Sie macie ludzie (2004) – TV documentary about life of Ryszard Riedel, named after typical greeting of Riedel on his shows, informal version of "jak się macie, ludzie" (how do you do, folks)^[12]
Destined for Blues (Skazany na bluesa; 2005) – a biographical film^[13]

Discography

1983 Krzak'i; Krzak
1985 Dżem; Dżem (later editions named as "Dzień, w którym pękło niebo"- the Day the Sky Broke)
1985 Cegła (The Brick); Dżem
1985 Blues forever; LP of Leszek Winder
1986 Absolutely Live; Dżem
1987 Zemsta nietoperzy (The Revenge of the Bats); Dżem
1988 Lunatycy – czyli tzw. przeboje całkiem Live (The Lunatics or so-called quite light hits); Dżem
1988 Ryszard Skibiński – Ostatni koncert (Ryszard Skibiński- the last concert); LP of Ryszard Skibiński
1988 Live; LP with Józef Skrzek
1989 Urodziny (Birthday {refers to the anniversary of forming the band}); Dżem
1989 Najemnik (Soldier of Fortune); Dżem
1990 Dżem Session 1; Dżem
1991 Detox; Dżem
1992 The Singles; Dżem
1992 Dzień, w którym pękło niebo (The Day the Sky Broke);Dżem
1992 Wehikuł czasu – Spodek '92 (The Time Machine – Spodek [famous Polish concert hall] '92 ); Dżem
1993 14 urodziny (14'th Birthday); Dżem
1993 Autsajder (The Outsider); Dżem
1994 Akustycznie (Acoustically); Dżem
2004 Złoty Paw (Golden Peacock); Dżem
2005 Paczka+2 (Pack+2); Krzak
2006 Live; CD with the band "Kasa Chorych" (Healthcare Fund)
2006 Skibiński Winder Super Session
2006 Pamięci Skiby Jarocin 1983 (in memory of Skiba, Jarocin 1983 (Polish former big music festival); Krzak
2010 30 urodziny (30'th Birthday); Dżem