Željko Bebek

Željko Bebek
Bebek in concert, September 2009
Background information
Birth name	Želimir Bebek
Also known as	Željko
Born	(1945-12-16) 16 December 1945 (age 71) Bugojno, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia
Genres	Rock, Pop, Disco
Occupation(s)	Singer, miner, waiter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin
Years active	1965-present
Labels	Croatia Records, Taped Pictures
Associated acts	Bijelo dugme, Kodeksi, Jutro

Želimir "Željko" Bebek (born 16 December 1945) is a Bosnian and Croatian singer, popular throughout former Yugoslav republics. He is most notable for being the lead vocalist of former Yugoslav rock band Bijelo dugme from 1974 to 1984. He also has a successful career as a solo artist.

Bebek was born in Bugojno, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, FPR Yugoslavia to Bosnian Croat parents Zvonimir and Katarina. He showed an early interest in music, entertaining his mother's house guests by singing songs he heard on the radio. He also experimented with harmonica, but abandoned it in third grade of primary school as he wanted to play guitar and sing along. His teacher, however, discouraged such intentions so Željko ended up playing mandolin instead. He soon became the school's best mandolin player and was allowed to play guitar as a reward.

At age 16, Bebek entered his first band Eho 61, which operated as a school activity for musically inclined students of Sarajevo's 2nd gymnasium. A couple of years earlier, the same band featured Kornelije Kovač who would later also go on to become famous musician and composer.

Bebek's next musical activity came in a nameless band with Šento Borovčanin and the Redžić brothers — Fadil and Zoran. Bebek carried on playing with the band until Fadil Redžić left to join Indexi.

In 1965 Edo Bogeljić invited Bebek to join a cover band he founded called Kodeksi that also featured Ismeta Dervoz on backing vocals and Luciano Paganotto on drums.