Klenczon Krzysztof, *14 January 1942 Pułtusk, †8 April 1981 Chicago, Polish singer, guitarist, and composer. He made his debut in 1962 at the festival of young talents in Szczecin. He soon started a year-long collaboration with the band Niebiesko-Czarni, and then in 1964 joined the band Pięciolinie, which was transformed into Czerwone Gitary in 1965. The band, except for Klenczon, consisted of: B. Dornowski and J. Kossela (guitars), S. Krajewski (bass guitar) and J. Skrzypczyk (percussion). Songs composed and performed by Klenczon, such as Matura, Historia jednej znajomości, and Biały Krzyż, contributed to the immense popularity of the band and solidified its position among the so-called “big beat” bands. After leaving Czerwone Gitary, Klenczon formed his own band called Trzy Korony in 1970, with which he recorded such hits as 10 w skali Beauforta and Port. He moved permanently to the United States in 1972, where he continued his career with varying degrees of success. In 1978 and 1979, he held series of concerts in Poland, during which he performed his old hits. He died in a car accident in the United States.
Klenczon was one of the most interesting figures of the first genre of rock musicians in Poland. His songs, with a simple, catchy character, were primarily rooted in the estabilished patterns of rock and roll music enriched with elements of Polish big beat. Klenczon was the recipient of many music awards and prizes, including the main prize at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole in 1969.
