Jiří Valenta, Longtime Olympic Keyboardist, Dies at 66

Jiří Valenta, a former keyboardist and singer for the iconic Czech band Olympic, has died at the age of 66. The band announced his passing on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, via their Facebook page, citing information from Valenta’s family.

A Significant Loss for Olympic

Valenta was a member of Olympic from 1986 to 2020, performing on hundreds of concerts both in the Czech Republic and internationally Aktuálně.cz. His departure from the band in 2020 was due to health reasons.

“Jirka was a prominent personality in the band and a respected musician. His premature death has deeply affected us,” Olympic stated on their Facebook profile.

Reflections from Fellow Musicians

Petr Kolář, a friend of Valenta, expressed his sadness at the news. “For me, he was a good friend who loved music,” Kolář said Ahaonline.cz. He added that he had recently seen Valenta and he seemed to be doing well, but noted that Valenta had struggled with his decision to leave Olympic.

Kolář also mentioned that Valenta had formed his own band and performed Olympic songs, which he found somewhat unusual. He described the atmosphere within Olympic as “a bit of a submarine” during Valenta’s later years with the group, acknowledging the challenges of a long tenure with the band – approximately 30 years or more.

Olympic’s History

Olympic was founded in 1962 under the name Karkulka and later renamed after a club in Prague’s Spálená Street. The band debuted in 1968 with the album Želva, considered the first Czech beat long-playing record.

Valenta’s Passing

According to ČT24, Valenta died tragically on Tuesday morning. Details surrounding his death have not been widely publicized.