Biography
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Born
6 February 1946
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Born In
Budapest, Hungary
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Died
18 October 1982 (aged 36)
T h e G u i t a r K i n g – B é l a R a d i c s
Hungarian guitarist, singer and composer.
Place and date of birth: Budapest, February 6, 1946.
Place and date of death: Budapest, October 18, 1982.
The life and contribution of Béla Radics is a tragedy of early Hungarian rock history. His technique in playing the guitar and his composing inspirations are real legend even today. His fans and admirers name him the Hungarian Jimi Hendrix, the guitar king, while he called himself captain RB.
He played in the following groups: Sankó, Atlantisz and Pannónia.
In 1968 he founded the first Hungarian group – named SAKK-MATT – playing popular and blues music. This formation was the first ever Eastern-European group which moved the young of the former socialist countries too. On weekends they came by bus, by train, or eventually by car to Budapest, so that they could listen to the Eastern Jimi Hendrix, i.e. Béla Radics and the group Sakk-Matt.
The following members of the group:
Lajos Csuha
Rezső Hőnigh
Albert Harmath
Lajos Miklóska.
Unfortunately the cultural politics in the 60-ies and 70-ies almost persecuted him. It was he who introduced to the Hungarian beathes fans the rhythm and blues, and the music o Jimi Hendrix and the Cream group both of which were among the greatest of blues-styles. He played together with excellent musicians in the group SAKK-MATT and in the later formed group Tűzkerék. Let us mention a few of them:
Egon Póka
Lajos Som
László (Vadölő) Váradi
Ferenc Demjén.
In spring 1972 was the first Hungarian supergroup established
the Taurus Ex-T: 25 75 82. This was the first group playing progressiv music, and which was not controlled ”from above”. They were extremely successful all over.
Members of the group were:
Béla Radics - guitar, singing
Győző Brunner - drums
Lajos Som - bass-guitar
Ferenc (Fecó) Balázs - key-instruments, singing.
The management of the Hanglemezgyártó Vállalat (Recording Company) undermined the morale of the group. The position of Lajos Som was taken by Zorán, while in 1973 the leader of the group reported its separation.
For 1.5 year Béla did not even have a guitar in his hands, as if he had have the feeling that this could have been the possibility of the great break-away, he was totally depressed. Since 1975 he formed the legendary group Tűzkerék again.
Only a few names out of those musicians who were playing in the captains group:
Tamás Szolga
Tamás Kun
Károly Sándor
Károly Szerényi
Tibor Strausz
Sándor Bali
Dezső Döme
Tibor Tátrai
Katalin Nagy
Egon Póka
György Soldos
György Szabó
László Magasházi.
With his music and way of life he embodied FREEDOM, and the the cultural politics of that time did not agree with it. He was made impossible everywhere, and his excellent and even until now unique playing the guitar was queried.
The continuous discrimination had made itsaffect; he died as a severe alcoholic, and he was only 36.
The unbelievable playing the guitar of Radics was recorded on one single record, on which the text and music was made by him. The title is: Zöld csillag (Green Star). That is a shame.
József Tárász
description taken from http://www.radicsrb.hu/
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