Gabor Hegedus (1948 – January 17, 1990), known by the stage name BB Gabor, was a Hungarian-born

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singer. Gabor was best known for his 1980 single "Nyet Nyet Soviet (Soviet Jewellery)", and had other minor hits with "Metropolitan Life", "Consumer" and "Jealous Girl".Khan, Imra
Soviet Misfit: The Life and Music of BB Gabor
''Pop Matters''. March 15, 2016

History

Gabor fled with his parents to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in 1956 at the time of the Hungarian Revolution. In a 1980 interview by Paul McGrath of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', the family was said to have made their'' '' exit just "one step ahead of the Russian tanks". In the same interview, Gabor recalled that the family first stayed "in a derelict home for sailors in

Wapping Wapping () is an area in the borough of Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is in East London and part of the East End. Wapping is on the north bank of the River Thames between Tower Bridge to the west, and Shadwell to the east. This posit ...

, probably the dirtiest, darkest area of London". He subsequently moved to Canada at age 23, launching his musical career in

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scene. He signed as a writer with ATV Music (Publishing). They had him record his self-titled debut album in 1980 and then licensed it to

Anthem Records Anthem Records is an independent record label based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company was formed in May 1977 by Ray Danniels and Vic Wilson with initial recording artists Rush, Max Webster, Liverpool and A Foot in Coldwater. The three ...

who subsequently release it. If featured the singles "Nyet Nyet Soviet (Soviet Jewellery)", "Metropolitan Life" and "Consumer". He toured across Canada, appeared at the

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festival in August, was nominated for a

Juno Award The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's mu ...

, and won the

U-Know Jung Yunho (; born February 6, 1986), better known by his stage name U-Know Yunho () or simply U-Know, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and a member of the pop duo TVXQ. Born and raised in Gwangju, South Korea, Yunho started his musi ...

for best male vocalist. He released a follow-up album(again ATV/Anthem), ''Girls of the Future'', in 1981, although it was not as successful. After a few years without a new album, Anthem dropped Gabor from its roster. He subsequently moved to

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(estranging himself from his wife and son in the process), where he attempted to revive his career by working with producer

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...

, at Rundgren's compound in Woodstock, New York in 1985. These sessions, however, did not result in a new album, and he eventually moved back to Toronto. On January 17, 1990, Gabor's body was found by police at his Toronto apartment. His death was ruled a

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

reportedly by hanging. Both of his Anthem albums were re-released on a single CD by the Canadian record label Pacemaker Entertainment in 2001. While Ralph Alfonso was helping Pacemaker with the CD, he asked Gabor's widow if she knew what had happened with the Rundgren sessions; she brought out some cassettes which were only marked "Produced by Todd Rundgren." Alfonso mastered the instrumental "Celtic Cross" directly from one of these cassettes and included it on the 2002 compilation CD ''Driving in the Rain:3 AM - Songs to Get Lost With'' on his Bongo Beat label. In the liner notes, he notes that the song might not actually be a Rundgren production. In 2022, "Nyet Nyet Soviet (Soviet Jewellery)" was used in the TV series Summit '72, about the 1972 Canada Russia hockey series.

Discography

* '' BB Gabor'' (1980) * ''Girls of the Future'' (1981)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabor, B. B. 1948 births 1990 suicides 1990 deaths 20th-century Canadian male singers Canadian new wave musicians Canadian people of Hungarian descent Canadian pop singers Suicides by hanging in Ontario Anthem Records artists Canadian male singer-songwriters 20th-century Canadian singer-songwriters