Biography
Who is Jacques Houdek?
Early life and background
Jacques Houdek was born Željko Houdek on April 14, 1981, in Velika Gorica, Croatia. During his early years, he attended elementary music school where he focused on the piano. He later enrolled in two different high schools simultaneously, studying both music with a focus on solo singing and vocational hairdressing.
He also took singing lessons from professor Viktorija Badrov, who encouraged him to pursue a career in opera. After completing his secondary education in 2001, he attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He also participated in various music seminars held in France, Greece, and Italy to refine his vocal abilities. During these European seminars, he received mentorship from Grammy Award nominee Donna McElroy, which helped expand his professional musical knowledge.
Musical career beginnings
His professional path started with a solo concert on February 19, 2000, at the SAX! Club located in Zagreb, where he performed various song covers. In 2002, he released his debut single titled Čarolija. He performed this track at Dora, the national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest. Following this exposure, maestro Zdravko Šljivac offered him a collaboration.
Soon after, he signed an exclusive contract with Croatia Records, which is a major music publisher in the region. Over the course of his career, he has produced 13 albums with this label. Beyond his music releases, he also worked in the film industry, providing the singing voice for the character Aladdin in the Croatian dubbed version of the popular Disney franchise.
Eurovision and television work
In February 2017, Jacques Houdek was chosen to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. He performed the song My Friend and successfully qualified for the grand final. He ultimately finished in 13th place overall. Before this international appearance, he gained experience in other contests. In January 2011, he placed fourth in the Open Mic UK competition finals at the O2 Arena in London.
He also appeared on the British television show X Factor and reached the top 100 candidates, though he could not proceed due to issues with his work permit. Also, he is well known as a mentor on the Croatian version of the television talent program The Voice. During the first season of this show, he mentored the winning contestant, Nina Kraljić. He has also served as a jury member on other musical reality shows like Story Supernova and Showtime.
Personal life and controversies
Jacques married Brigita Krkač in 2006. The couple has two children together, a daughter named Sofija born in 2006 and a son named David born in 2013.
Throughout his public life, he has faced criticism regarding his statements on social issues. In 2005, he was accused of making anti-gay comments during an interview with Tena magazine. This led to him being named Homophobe of the Year in 2006 by the Croatian LGBT portal Gay.hr. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association also noted his public comments in their reports. In 2011, Zagreb Pride nominated him for the title Homophobe of the Decade. In response to the backlash, he published a statement on Facebook titled Love and Music are My Driving Forces. In this message, he expressed regret for his inclusion in those selections and stated he was gay-friendly.
Birthday and age
Jacques Houdek was born on April 14, 1981, which makes Jacques 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Jacques shares the date with 23 other famous people.
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