Dražen Žerić | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Žera |
Born |
Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia |
July 20, 1964
Years active | 1986–present |
Associated acts | Crvena Jabuka |
Dražen "Žera" Žerić (born 20 July 1964) is a Croatian singer and one of the founders and lead vocalist of a famous Bosnian band, Crvena jabuka (The Red Apple).
Noted for his spiky hair and a distinctive voice, he remains one of the most recognizable vocals of the entire area of Former Yugoslavia.
Žera was born in the city of Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia. Both of his parents were professors at the University of Sarajevo. Žera has one brother, Damir, who lives in Rome (Italy).
Žera grew up in Sarajevo where he attended music school for piano, as well as the primary and secondary school. He later earned economics degree at University of Sarajevo.
From early to mid 1985 Zlatko Arslanagić formed a band with his mates Dražen Ričl, Aljoša Buha, and Cunja Jelčić and Žera. That was the beginning of Crvena jabuka.
Crvena jabuka quickly became one of the most successful bands in Yugoslavia topping charts year after year, from 1985 to 1990. In 1986 on the way to a concert in Mostar, near Jablanica lake the entire band had a terrible car accident where Aljosa Buha died immediately. Lead singer Drazen Ricl- Zijo died in October 1986 from the consequences of the car accident. The guitarist and the Other band members were badly hurt. A year passed after the accident and fans were expecting them to continue with Zijo's music. Zera and Zlaja had some songs that Zijo wrote and composed so they named Zera, who was a keyboard player at the time before the accident, the lead singer. After some time Žera became recognized as one of the biggest teenage idols along with Bajaga and Boris Novković.
The band's so called Yugoslav years ended in 1990 by winning the prestige Messam music award in Belgrade which crowned their most successful album Tamo gdje ljubav počinje (There, where love begins).