Grzegorz Markowski – a biography of Autobiography’s author

Grzegorz Markowski is a unique figure on the Polish music scene. Thanks to his distinctive voice and his work with the Perfect band his songs, such as Autobiografia (Autobiography) or Nie płacz, Ewka (Don’t Cry, Eve) continue to be known and loved throughout all Poland. How did he rise to such fame?

Grzegorz Markowski – the beginnings

Grzegorz Markowski was born on the 23rd of September, 1953 in Józefów near Warsaw. Music accompanied him from a very early age. In 1969, aged just sixteen, Markowski started playing in an amateur band from his hometown. The young musicians received the necessary equipment from a local fire department, along with a rehearsal room. However, there was a catch to this deal – which did not necessarily prove unfavourable for Markowski and his bandmates. In exchange for the support provided, the band was to play at local events, such as weddings and at prom. Through this experience Markowski was first exposed to this kind of a crowd, which undoubtedly influenced his later musical career. This was also the first time he earned money through music, a considerable success for his age at the time.

Participating in a band was, however, only one of several sources of Markowski’s background in music. One of the most important stages of his career was his activity in the ZAKR (Association of Polish Authors and Composers) Song Studio, which was a place where many young artists had the opportunity to develop their vocal and performance skills. Between the years 1974 and 1978 he was affiliated with the Targówek Theatre. At that time he focused on refining his singing abilities by taking vocal lessons at the State Higher School of Music at Okólnik Street in Warsaw.

Perfect – Autobiografia

Markowski, intensely participating in the music world, did not slow down. In 1976 he took part in the 14th National Polish Song Festival in Opole as a debutant. In the same year, he made another use of his talent by recording the main theme for the 07 zgłoś się (07 Come In) criminal television series.

Grzegorz Markowski – music bands

Victoria Singers

Victoria Singers was Grzegorz Markowski’s first professional musical group. The band was founded by Witold Paszt in 1977, the same year Markowski joined it, aged 24. Markowski performed with Victoria Singers at the 16th National Polish Song Festival in Opole. His collaboration with the band was short-lived though, as he left it after a year since joining it. The group itself continued to play over the course of following years, achieving smaller and greater successes.

After Markowski’s departure the band renamed to VOX and performed on several prestigious festivals, including the Sopot International Song Festival. VOX also toured abroad, earning praise in the Soviet Union, East Germany and Czechoslovakia. Their signature sound, a blend of pop, jazz and entertainment music made them one of the most recognisable vocal groups of the 80s in Poland.

Perfect

Perfect was founded between 1977 and 1978 in Warsaw. In the early years of Perfect’s activity the band members performed live, but had not released any albums yet. A major breakthrough for the band came in 1980, when Grzegorz Markowski joined the group, replacing Zbigniew Hołdys. The first performance of this new line-up took place at a New Year’s Eve show in Klub Stodoła (Barn Club).

This proved to be the turning point of Markowski’s and Perfect’s career. The band released their eponymous debut album in 1981, which included huge hits such as Nie płacz, Ewka and Chcemy być sobą (We Want To Be Ourselves). Those songs remain iconic in Poland, still enjoyed by listeners of different ages.

Another album, UNU, was released in 1982. This is the record that included Autobiografia, one of the group’s greatest hits. In 1983 Perfect released the Live album containing recordings of shows. The same year, after a streak of successes, the band announced its breakup.

In 1993 the group was reactivated with Markowski in the band line-up. This was in part due to a tremendous amount of attention from the fans who yearned for the band’s comeback. Since then, Perfect went on to release many more records and their songs went down in the history of Polish music.

Perfect – Nie płacz, Ewka

In 2019 Grzegorz Markowski quit the band, justifying his decision by wanting to end his career on his own terms and avoiding taking on the image of an ‘energetic grandpa’. He was 66 at the time, making his choice more than reasonable.

Although at first Perfect was to go on without Markowski, the iconic group ultimately disbanded in 2020.

Hazard and Samolot

Let’s take a step back for a second, though. After the first breakup of Perfect in 1983 Markowski did not abandon music and played in two bands in the following years.

One of them was named Hazard (The Gamble), which he joined in 1984. They released a few songs together, but the band failed to achieve a bigger success.
Another band which Markowski tried his hand at was Samolot (The Plane). This musical group also never became a household name and its activity turned out to be short-lived. Few recordings of Samolot’s performances have survived and they never released a full-length album.

Grzegorz Markowski – solo career

In 1989 Grzegorz Markowski released his only solo album titled Kolorowy telewizor (Colorful TV). The record was characterised by a more pop-rock sound in comparison to Perfect and failed to reach the same level of recognition.

The most popular track on this album is Znowu pada deszcz (It’s Raining Again), which became one of the very few solo hits of the singer. Despite a lack of commercial success, the record shows another side of Markowski – one that could be described as more melodic and experimental.

In 2021 Markowski announced the end of his musical career. Despite the official retirement from the stage, he continues to make occasional appearances in musical projects, especially the ones performed alongside his daughter, Patrycja Markowska.

Written by: Paweł Skarzyński
Photos: Artist’s Facebook profile
Translation: Anna Sokołowska