Michotek Jerzy, *31 August 1921 Częstochowa, †17 July 1995 Warsaw, Polish singer, composer, actor, songwriter. He came from a family with musical traditions – his father was an opera singer in Vienna and Milan. Michotek studied singing in Lviv; he spent the years 1939–45 in Russian prisons and camps. In 1950, he graduated from the Faculty of Polish Literature at the University of Wrocław and moved to Warsaw, where he collaborated with the Student Satirical Theatre [Studencki Teatr Satyryków], the Teatr Muzyczny and the Syrena Theatre [Teatr Syrena] as an author and performer. In 1953, he made his film debut in Sprawa pilota Maresza (directed by L. Buczkowski). He directed stage shows for Pagart and TVP. He performed calm, melodic compositions, often set to his own lyrics. He popularised country and western songs and the urban folklore of Lviv. Michotek recorded for radio and Polskie Nagrania with the orchestras of K. Turewicz, J. Abratowski, E. Czerny, W. Machan, A. Wiernik, and B. Klimczuk. He promoted, among others, the songs Rancho Texas (music by H. Czyż, lyrics by A. Nowicki), Wesoła warszawska karuzela (music and lyrics by Michotek), Żabka i miś (music by R. Żyliński, lyrics by R. Sadowski), Piosenka dla sąsiadki (music by M. Sart, lyrics by J. Korczakowski), Nie ma kwiatów dla Marianny (music by E. Pałłasz, lyrics by A. Osiecka). He appeared in the film Emergency Exit [Polish original title Wyjście awaryjne] (dir. R. Załuski, 1992) and the television series Polskie drogi (dir. J. Morgenstern, 1977) and Dom (dir. J. Łomnicki, 1980–82). Michotek was also involved in the reconstruction of the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv. He published a memoir entitled Tylko we Lwowie (Warsaw, 1990).
