Duà ¡an Prelevià"Prele" (Serbian Cyrillic: ÃÂÃÂÃÂðý ÃÂÃÂõûõòøàÃÂÃÂõûõ; 11 November 1948 â 28 July 2007) was a Serbian and Yugoslav singer, journalist and writer.
PreleviÃÂ was widely known for his raspy voice, his transgressive public persona, and his trademark eyepatch (which he started wearing in mid-1990s, after he lost his right eye in a fight). During his musical career, PreleviÃÂ released three solo albums and one album with the symphonic rock band Opus. He also made recordings with rock band Korni Grupa and jazz rock band Oliver. PreleviÃÂ wrote articles and short stories for a number of Serbian and Yugoslav magazines and authored three books of short stories.
PreleviÃÂ was born in Belgrade on 11 November 1948. As young, he studied to become a clockmaker. In his early years, PreleviÃÂ was interested in sports: he played in football clubs Bulburderac and Red Star Belgrade, and was a goalkeeper in the ice hockey club Partizan.
PreleviÃÂ started to perform in 1965, mostly soul and rhythm and blues standards, as a member of the bands Orkani (The Hurricanes), Juniori (The Juniors), Tomi Sovilj i Njegove Siluete and Vizije (The Visions).
In 1968, he became the vocalist for Korni Grupa, but spent only several months with the band, as he was excluded from Korni Grupa by the leader Kornelije KovaÃÂ due to negligence towards professional obligations. He recorded only one song with Korni Grupa, "ÃÂovek i pas" ("A Man and a Dog"), which would later appear as the B-side of the single "Cigu-ligu" ("Tweedle-dum, Tweedle-dee"), recorded with the band's new vocalist Dalibor Brun.
In 1970, on the Belgrade Spring festival, Preleviàperformed the song "Da l' postoji ona koju sanjam" ("Does the Girl from My Dreams Exist"). During the same year, on the Youth Festival in Subotica he was awarded for the song "Kaà ¾u" ("They Say"), but he went on stage to receive the award intoxicated, which was the first in a series of scandals he made during his career. Due to the scandal, he was banned from all Radio Television Belgrade programs for a year, which he spent performing in clubs in the United States and in the mountain resort Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany.
In 1974, he joined the short-lasting jazz rock supergroup Oliver, which consisted of PreleviÃÂ, Oliver MandiÃÂ, members of Pop Maà ¡ina, and other musicians from Belgrade. With the band, Preleviàrecorded the song "Tajna" ("A Secret"). During the same year, Preleviàand the members of Korni Grupa, under the name Prele i Prijatelji (Prele and Friends), recorded the single "Vrati mi snove za dvoje" ("Return to Me Dreams for Two"). In 1975, he joined the reformed symphonic rock band Opus, with which he recorded their only studio album, Opus 1, released in 1975. In 1979, he appeared on the Belgrade Spring festival with the song "Gubitnik sam ja" ("I am a Loser"), written by Oliver MandiÃÂ. The song was released on the various artists album Beogradsko proleÃÂe 1979 (Belgrade Spring 1979). In 1980, he appeared on the Opatija festival with the song "Bela soba" ("White Room"), composed by Mandiàand with lyrics written by Preleviàhimself. On the same festival, he performed the song "Ljubav naà ¡a umire" ("Our Love Is Dying") with jazz singer Nada PavloviÃÂ, the duet appearing on Nada PavloviÃÂ's 7-inch single. During the same year, he recorded the songs "Hiljaditi metar" ("The Thousandth Meter") and "Mi smo ponos druga Tita" ("We Are the Pride of Comrade Tito") for the album of youth work action songs O'ruk generacija (Heigh-Ho Generation). At the beginning of the 1980s, he performed in clubs in the Netherlands.
In 1982, he released his first solo album, entitled Na oà ¡trici brijaÃÂa (On the Razor's Edge). The songs featured on the album were written by Kire Mitrev, Bora ÃÂorÃÂeviàand Preleviàhimself. The album was recorded with keyboardist Laza Ristovski, guitarist Enes MekiÃÂ, drummer Vladimir "Furda" Furduj, bass guitarist Nenad Stefanovià"Japanac", trumpeters Stjepko Gut and Georgi Dimitrovski, saxophonist Ivan à  vager and trombonist Kire Mitrev. The title track featured the actor Slobodan Aligrudiàas the narrator. The album featured a cover of Indexi song "Jutro ÃÂe promeniti sve" ("The Morning Will Change Everything"). Preleviàcontinued his cooperation with Mitrev by writing lyrics for the song "à ½ena od voska" ("Woman Made of Wax"), recorded by Mitrev's band KIM for their 1984 album PlaÃÂena da voli (Paid to Love). On the 1986 MESAM festival, Preleviàperformed the song "Zbog takvih à ¾ena nastaju balade" ("That's the Sort of Woman Because of Which the Ballads Are Made").
In 1991, Preleviàreleased his second solo album, U redu, pobedio sam (All Right, I Won), which featured songs from his first album and covers of jazz standards which he recorded with trumpeter Duà ¡ko GojkoviÃÂ, pianist Mià ¡a KrstiÃÂ, bassist Mià ¡a Blam and drummer Lala KovaÃÂ. During the same year, he appeared as guest vocalist on Revolveri album à  est i po tona bombona (Six and a Half Tons of Candy), in their cover of Bijelo Dugme's song "Nià ¡ta mudro" ("Nothing Smart"). His September 1991 concert in Filmski Grad and his March 1992 concert in Belgrade's Trade Union Hall featured Indexi as special guests. In 1994, for Goran BregoviÃÂ's album La Reine Margot, which featured music Bregoviàhad composed for the theatre play of the same name, Preleviàsung the song "La Nuit", for which he also wrote the lyrics in an imaginary language resembling Romani. During the same year, he made a guest appearance in Vlada i Bajka song "Beograd" ("Belgrade"), released on their album Ja nisam ja (I Am not Me). The song also featured guest appearances by Bora ÃÂorÃÂeviÃÂ, Dragan NikoliÃÂ, Dragan Bjelogrliàand Nikola Kojo.
In 1996, Preleviàreleased the album Ja, Prele (I, Prele). The album featured large number of musicians: Radomir MihajloviàToÃÂak (of Smak), Duà ¡an "Duda" Bezuha (of Zona B) and Dragan "Krle" Jovanovià(of Generacija 5) on guitars, Saà ¡a Lokner (of Bajaga i Instruktori) on organ, ÃÂorÃÂe Petroviàon keyboards, Nebojà ¡a Ignjatoviàon bass, ÃÂedomir "ÃÂeda" Macura (of Bajaga i Instruktori) on drums, Vlada i Bajka and Nikola Hadà ¾i Nikolià(of 357) on vocals. The album, among other songs, featured a new version of Korni Grupa's "ÃÂovek i pas", a cover of Arsen Dediàsong "O, mladosti" ("Oh, Youth"), a cover of Atomsko Sklonià ¡te song "Treba imat' duà ¡u" ("One Must Have a Soul"), a Serbian language cover of Eric Clapton's song "Tears in Heaven", entitled "Kada budem na nebu" ("When I'm in Heaven"), a Serbian language cover of Rolling Stones' song "The Last Time", entitled "NeÃÂu da se predam" ("I Won't Give Up"), and a cover of Beatles' song "In My Life".
In 2002, the CD Santa Maria Della Salute was released, featuring actor Petar Kralj reciting the lyrics of Laza KostiÃÂ's poem "Santa Maria Della Salute" and PreleviÃÂ singing the song composed on the poem lyrics.
Since the first half of the 1980s, Preleviàwrote for the magazines Duga, NIN, RTV Revija and Knjià ¾evne novine. In 1998, Preleviàstarted the magazine Probisvet (Landloper), but only one issue was published due to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
In 1987, his first book of short stories, entitled Kako je umro Baà ¡ ÃÂelik (How Baà ¡ ÃÂelik Died), was published. In 1991, he published his second book of short stories, Voz za jednu bitangu (A Train for a Rascal). With writer Milan OklopÃÂiàand journalist Bogdan Tirnaniàhe coauthored the book of short stories Beogradske priÃÂe (Belgrade Stories, 1991). The book Poslednji krug u Monci (The Last Circle at Monza Circuit, 2006) featured the collection of his short stories originally published in magazines. He wrote the drama F odeljenje (Section F). He was the editor of the monography Njim samim (By Himself), which featured stories, poems and notes written by actor Zoran RadmiloviÃÂ.
PreleviÃÂ was a member of the Association of Writers of Serbia.
In 2018, the book Ko à ¾eli da à ¾ivi veÃÂno (Who Wants to Live Forever) was published, edited by PreleviÃÂ's daughter Milica and featuring his articles originally published in RTV Revija and Kurir, his short stories originally published in Knjià ¾evne novine, and his science fiction stories originally published in Politikin Zabavnik.
In 1969, Preleviàwas part of the cast in the Yugoslav production of Hair, which premiered on 20 March 1969, in Atelje 212 theatre. He wrote the screenplay for Aleksandar Boà ¡koviÃÂ's 1989 film Poslednji krug u Monci (The Last Circle at Monza Circuit), in which he made a cameo appearance. He acted in Branko BaletiÃÂ's TV series Kako (How) and in the omnibus film Package Arrangement.
PreleviÃÂ was a member of the Democratic Party of Serbia. He was arrested during March 9, 1991 protest. He fought in the Croatian War.
PreleviÃÂ died in Belgrade after long illness, on 28 July 2007. He was 58 years old. He was cremated and his remains were buried at the Belgrade New Cemetery. His tombstone bears the inscription "So far so good".
A documentary about Preleviàentitled U redu, pobedio sam (after his second studio album) was released in 2009. The film, directed by Vladimir PetroviÃÂ, featured interviews with PreleviÃÂ, actors Petar Boà ¾oviàand Dragan NikoliÃÂ, writers Momo Kapor and Brana CrnÃÂeviÃÂ, journalist Bogdan TirnaniÃÂ, and others.
PreleviÃÂ's song "Bela soba" was covered by Serbian band 357 on their 2002 album Iz gazda à ½ikine kuhinje (From Innkeeper à ½ika's Kitchen). The song "Majko, na à ¡ta liÃÂi tvoj sin" ("Mother, Look at the State Your Son Is In") was remixed in 2010 by the Serbian project Laura 2000 on their debut studio album ...pobiÃÂu se zadnji put da vidim da l' sam star (... I'll Have a One Last Fistfight Just to See if I'm Old), named after a verse from the song.