Although he has three albums on his account, none could repeat the spectacular success of the debut. Thanks to the song “A drop of rain”, Gabriela Fleszara It is often called the star of one hit. But at the turn of the 1990s and 00. The star of less than 20-year-old artist shone very much. He reigned on the charts, conquered female hearts, and Bogusław Linda offered him the main role in film “Season for the Leszcz”, alongside Anna Przybylska. It seemed that Gabriel had a great career ahead of him. However, it happened differently and even appeared rumorsthat Fleszar missed his chance by addiction. Why did the singer disappear? And what does he do today, while his recorded hit a hit song can still be heard on the radio or during karaoke events?
Success written with a drop of rain
Gabriel Amadeusz Fleszar was born on September 27, 1979 in Złotoryja, Lower Silesia. Since childhood, he showed musical talent – in primary school he studied playing the piano and guitar, and in high school he sang in the choir of the State High School in Legnica. He also performed at the Teatr im. Helena Modrzejewska in Legnica. As Gabriel Fleszar recalled years later, a place that shaped many wonderful Polish artists also influenced him. – This is where actors such as Przemek Bluszcz, Janusz Chabior or Tomasz Kot gained their most important stage skills – said in an interview with Cozatyn.tvn.pl. Gabriel, together with his friends, founded a theater group. Their performance “4/4” was awarded at the Amateur Theaters Festival in Legnica. And in 1999 Fleszar won the national auditions of vocalists. Success turned out to be a breakthrough moment in his career. Because the prize was a phonographic contract with Universal Music Polska.
Gabriel recalled years later that he did not expect how far the matter would be. – For interrogations, which at some point provided me with a large phonographic contract, I did not go with the thought that I would be a star now – said Gabriel Fleszar in an interview with naTemat.pl. Meanwhile, in 1999, only 19-year-old Gabriel Fleszar became famous overnight. All thanks to the “Restless” of a drop of rain “from the debut album. A catchy, nostalgic piece quickly became a hit. He was played by all commercial radio stations in Poland, he quickly hit the top of the charts. And the handsome, young artist immediately gained a faithful group of fans raging about him. Tickets for concerts were sold out quickly, and success translated into the next step in his career. In 2000, Gabriel Fleszar played the main role in the film “Season for Leszcza”, directed by Bogusław Linda. – Although Bogusław Linda himself invited me to the casting, I didn't have any reduced fare, I was just one of the candidates for the role of a prank – recalled Gabriel on the pages of NaTemat.pl
Too modest for success
In 2001, Gabriel Fleszar released a second album, simply entitled “Restless II”. But although the rock ballad from it “Road nowhere” enjoyed considerable popularity, the album failed to even wipe about the success of the debut. It was even worse in the case of the third album “Full” from 2003. Suddenly Gabriel Fleszar disappeared – he stopped appearing in the media or at industry events. What happened? Why did the artist's promising career get stalled? Many considered addiction to the cause. There is part of the truth in this, although, as the artist confessed, it was not about drugs or alcohol, but computer games.
I spent fourteen hours a day in front of my computer. I skip the fact that during these strings I destroyed my eyes … for a few years I was rehab
– the artist confided in an interview with naTemat.pl. Addiction to computer games certainly did not serve the career of Gabriel Fleszar, but it was not the direct reason for its ending. Years later, the singer confessed that the role of a teenager idol did not quite suit him. – I didn't want to be just a pretty boy whose skills end in breaking the hearts of teenagers. I wanted to be an artist who has anything wise to say – he argued in “Angora”. In another conversation, he also added that to build a career in the music industry you need features that he simply did not have.
– I was too modest and humble to become a great mainstream star. To start such a career, you must partly be a man who can really push his elbows. I did not belong to such people – confessed Gabriel Fleszar. – I have always had a really healthy approach to all this “career”, I think I had “organized in my head”. Maybe because I grew up in a “reading” home and because I had been dealing not only with singing, but also poetry or theater for years – he added in the same conversation.
Yesterday and today
The song “A drop of rain” is already over half a century, and yet it still happens to hear it on the radio. And what does Gabriel Fleszar do? Some time ago, the artist decided to remember about himself and appeared in the program “The Voice of Poland”, where he joined the team of Adam “Nergal” Darski. In 2019, Fleszar became one of the jurors of the second edition of the Polsat program “Let's sing together. All Together Now”. He is still professionally active, but as he admits, he went down to the musical underground. He works as a producer, he built his own recording studio at home. The artist also fulfills himself as a father – he has a son of Miłosz, who was born in 2002. – Despite the fact that I was a young father, I was already a mature man and this paternity brought me a lot of satisfaction. As for the traditional perception of the role of dad, I exceeded the classic scope of duties. Mother Miłosz studied in the evening, so I was the one who fed during the week, went out for walks and changed diapers – not only a week – said the singer about relationships with his son.
Gabriel Fleszar does not hide that if he started at other times, maybe his career would have been different. – If my debut was translated today, I think that a “drop of rain” would have tens of millions of views on YouTube and maybe I would be in a slightly different situation. Due to the fact that this market has changed, the situation of the debutant looks different – he explained to a conversation with cozatychn.tvn.pl. But the artist also emphasizes that he does not regret how things have happened.
– From the music scene and from the media scene I came down a bit at my own request for some time. I was a bit tired of popularity, let's say, because at one time it was a great popularity, high recognition. However, I have never left this music scene and I think that I am still moving forward and I am constantly developing in this field – confessed Gabriel Fleszar in an interview with Pleiades.