Mišo Kovač, Croatia’s best-selling singer, dies aged 85
Mišo Kovač, the Croatian singer who sold more records than any other artist from Croatia and the former Yugoslavia, has died at the age of 85. The news was reported on Saturday, 31 October, by the Croatian news portal Index.hr, citing sources close to the singer, and was picked up by news outlets across the region. No cause of death was given.
Kovač was born in Šibenik on 16 July 1941 and began singing as a teenager, winning a local contest in 1961. He signed with the Yugoslav record label Jugoton in 1964, and his career ran for almost five decades. He won the Split Festival in 1971 with “Proplakat će zora”, one of many songs that became part of the region’s musical heritage.
He sold more than 20 million records, was named singer of the year five times, and in 2012 received the Porin award for lifetime achievement, Croatia’s top music honour. His concerts were famous for a simple moment: he would put down the microphone, and thousands of people in the crowd would sing his songs for him.
The 1990s brought deep personal loss. His 16-year-old son Edi died in 1992, and Kovač marked the loss with a “Night of Candles” concert in Split’s Poljud stadium, in front of about 50,000 people, before announcing his retirement from the stage. He later returned to music and kept recording and performing.
Why it matters
Kovač was more than a hitmaker. His songs were sung at weddings, in cafes and at football stadiums across Croatia and the former Yugoslavia, and they stayed popular with new generations long after they were first released. For many listeners, his voice was the sound of home. His death closes a chapter in the region’s popular music that no other singer has matched in record sales.
What happens next
Tributes are expected from fans, fellow musicians and public figures across Croatia and the wider region. No funeral or memorial arrangements had been announced in the reports so far.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://sarajevotimes.com/miso-kovac-one-of-the-greatest-singers-in-croatia-passes-away/ (Sarajevo Times, 31 October 2026)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mi%C5%A1o_Kova%C4%8D (Wikipedia, 1 November 2026)
