Ryszard Rynkowski
Ryszard Rynkowski (born October 9, 1951, in Elbląg) is a Polish singer, composer, pianist and actor. In the years 1978—1987 accompanist of Vox music band, a solo artist since 1987. His trademark is the scratchy, smoky voice.
Ryszard Rynkowski

Ja Fryta from Strzegom · Ryszard Rynkowski Uploaded by Dudek1337 · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Ryszard Rynkowski
- Born
- 9 October 1951
- Birthplace
- Elbląg
- Nationality
- Poland
- Occupation
- singer · composer · pianist · actor
- Fields
- music · singing · piano performance · acting
- Education
- Higher School of Pedagogy in Olsztyn
- Honours
- Order of the Smile · Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis · Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta
- Languages
- Polish
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Ryszard Rynkowski (born October 9, 1951, in Elbląg) is a Polish singer, composer, pianist and actor. In the years 1978—1987 accompanist of Vox music band, a solo artist since 1987. His trademark is the scratchy, smoky voice.
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wikidata · Q55785 · wikipedia · Ryszard Rynkowski
In this article
Biography
Biography
Rynkowski worked across singer, composer, pianist and actor. The registers place that work in pop music. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition and 10 issued recordings drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
Ryszard Rynkowski studied at Higher School of Pedagogy in Olsztyn. The recorded working language is Polish. The field of work recorded is music, singing and piano performance. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are pop. Distinctions recorded are Order of the Smile, Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis and Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Ryszard Rynkowski - concert in Poznań
Klapi
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Ryszard Rynkowski • Born — 9 October 1951 • Birthplace — Elbląg • Genre — Pop • Instrument — Piano
Early career
Early career
• Illustration — Ryszard Rynkowski's star in Opole As a child he learned the piano, first from an organist in his home parish and then at a state music school. He then played in various amateur bands in Elbląg. From 1967 to 1970 he studied at the gymnasium Juliusz Słowacki in Elbląg, where he directed the cabaret "Tak To Bywa". With this cabaret he won 2nd place at a competition of schools in northern Poland in 1968. He then studied at the Faculty of Music Education in Olsztyn. He made his musical debut in 1972 with the group El at the 5th Student Cultural Festival in Olsztyn. In 1973 he moved to Warsaw and began working at the Warsaw Operetta and Theatre Targówek (later renamed Rampa Theatre). From 1977 to 1978 he was the pianist of the Gramine Blues Group, a Polish vocal/instrumental ensemble. At the same time, he wrote the music for the play Rapsod Polski, which was performed in Pruszków near Warsaw by a theatre group led by Bolesław Jastrzębski accompanied by a VIP band. He was then a member of the band Victoria Singers, which changed its name to Vox in 1979. He wrote numerous songs for this band, including: • Masz w oczach dwa nieba (3rd prize for KFPP Opole '79) (KFPP = National Festival of Polish Song in Opole), • Bananowy Song (awarded the Bronze Lyre at the Bratislava Festival 1980), • Szczęśliwej drogi, już czas.
Solo career
Solo career
• Illustration — Ryszard Rynkowski - concert in Poznań 2008 After parting ways with the group Vox in 1987, he embarked on a solo career. He managed to emerge as the winner of the National Festival of Polish Songs in Opole in 1979, 1989, 1990 and 1994 respectively. In 1993, he appeared in the title role of "Pan Twardowski" in the musical of the same name. In 2001, he was named Singer of the Year by Phonographic Academy of Poland and received the annual "Fryderyk" award as a distinction. Prize. On 10 December 2001, Rynkowski and Joe Cocker gave a joint charity concert in Warsaw, which culminated with a duet by the two (High Time We Went). In this way, Rynkowski celebrated his 50th birthday, which was celebrated in September of that year. Another joint concert took place on 5 July 2002 in Szczecin at the Pogoń Stadium. This collaboration led to, that the album Ten typ tak ma, released the following year in 2003, was recorded with support from some of Joe Cocker's band, including Deric Dyer, Nick Milo and Jack Bruno, and bassist Dale Davis (Tina Turner, Amy Winehouse). In 2011 he took part in the recording of the song Mazurski cud, created as part of the campaign "Mazury Cud Natury" (The Wonder of Nature in Masuria) to promote the region of Masuria. In December 2011, he appeared in the multimedia spectacle 16.12.1981 directed by Łukasz Kobiela, which took place on the 30th anniversary of the pacification of the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice. This "pacification" was the bloody suppression of a strike by mine workers in Katowice. In 2019, Ryszard Rynkowski participated as a judge in the Polish TV show "Szansa na sukces" (A Chance for Success), a Polish equivalent of the German DSDS.
Private life
Private life
His first wife Hanna died of breast cancer in 1996. This marriage produced a daughter, Marta (born 1978). In 2006 he remarried, after the new relationship remained a secret for a long time. He met his second wife, Edyta, 22 years younger, at a "Meet and Greet" after one of his concerts. In October 2008, his second child, son Ryszard Junior, was born. On 3 April 2009, the singer's first grandson was born, Jan and in 2010 his second grandson, Ignacy. In 2002, the Elbląg city councillors granted him honorary citizenship of the city of Elbląg. In 2005, he supported the election campaign of the PiS party and participated in the "Spring of Poles" concert series. On the night of 15 to 16 November 2016, he threatened his family with suicide. The reason was marital problems and a resulting nervous breakdown. However, after talking to the police for a few minutes, the singer calmed down and handed over the gun to the officers. The pistol in his hand was loaded with live ammunition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rynkowski, like many of his fellow musicians, was basically unemployed, which in turn plunged him into a deep emotional crisis. To make matters worse, the singer had been experiencing increasing problems with mobility in his hip for some time, which made him realise that he would no longer be able to perform larger concerts or even tours. In 2011, his wife Edyta was finally able to persuade him to invest the rest of his savings in a rehabilitation centre at his home Brodnica, where people with limb and spinal injuries are helped, thus guaranteeing him and his family, also for the future, a secure income.
Musical
Musical
• Pan Twardowski – Musical, P 1993 Polonia Records, Polonia CD 014.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — Title — Role • 2000 — Zaduszki narodowe 2000. Sybir, ostatnie pożegnanie (National All Souls Day 2000. Siberia, the last farewell) • 1991 — V.I.P. — "Fuks", Mr. Jeremy's bat • 1990 — Zabić na końcu (Kill at the end) — singer • 1988 — Alchemik (Alchemist) — Troubadour • 1988 — Alchemik Sendivius (Alchemist Sendivius) (Miniserie) — Troubadour
Life and work
Life and work
Ryszard Rynkowski was born on 9 October 1951 in Elbląg. Rynkowski held the nationality of Poland. Rynkowski was educated at Higher School of Pedagogy in Olsztyn. Rynkowski worked as singer, composer, pianist and actor. The fields Rynkowski worked in include pop music. Rynkowski played the piano and the voice. Rynkowski worked in Polish.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1951–2015
The full dated record · 4 entries
1951
Born at Elbląg.
2002
Receives Order of the Smile.
2010
Receives Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta.
2015
Receives Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Discography
Discography
•; Alben * Year — Title — Position — ZPAV * Official list of sales • 1991 — Szczęśliwej drogi już czas * Publisher: Polskie Nagrania Muza — | – * Una Luz en la Oscuridad * Publisher: Vede Records — | – * 1995 — Jedzie pociąg z daleka * Publisher: Agencja Artystyczna MTJ — | – * 1995 — Kolędy. Dziś nadzieja rodzi się * Publisher: Agencja Artystyczna MTJ — | – * 1998 — Jawa * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | - — * Gold. * 2000 — Dary losu * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | 6. — * 2× Platin * 2001 — Intymnie * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — 3 — * Platin. * 2002 — Kolędy * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | 30 * 2003 — Ten typ tak ma * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | 3 * 2009 — Zachwyt * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | 4 * Gold * 2011 — Ryszard Rynkowski * Publisher: EMI Music Poland — | 42 * 2012 — Razem * Publisher: EMI Music Poland — | - — * Gold * „—“: The item was not listed. —; Compilations * Year — Title — Position — ZPAV * Official list of sales • 1998 — Złota kolekcja – Inny nie będę * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | 13 — * 2× Platin * 2005 — Złota kolekcja – Śpiewająco * Publisher: Pomaton EMI — | – * „—“ The item was not listed.; Single * Year — Title — Position * polish radio hit list • 2001 — Dziewczyny lubią brąz — 35
Recordings and discography
Primary material
Recordings and discography
The discography assembled here shows how Rynkowski's work has been published in sound, not what Rynkowski made. 9 sound issues are catalogued, carrying dates from 1997 to 2015. An issue is a published recording, distinct from the composition it carries, from a printed score of that composition and from any single performance of it; none of the entries below is counted in the catalogue of compositions above, and several of them carry the same work in different readings. The 2000s are the densest decade of publication, with 6 issues. The performers and issuing labels are as the discographic register states them; where it names no performer the article names none.
Dary Losu
2000
Kolędy
2002
Ten typ tak ma
2003
Intymnie
2001
Kolędy polskie
2002
Jawa
1997
Bursztynowa Kolekcja
2015
Platynowa kolekcja: Złote przeboje
2003
Inny nie będę
1998
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Ryszard Rynkowski”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
institutional register
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q55785: Ryszard Rynkowski
General reference · Wikimedia Foundation
Medals awarded
Medals awarded
• 2002: Order of the Smile (Order Uśmiechu) • 2010: Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Order of Polonia Restituta) • 2015: silver medal "Gloria Artis Medal for Cultural Merit" (Srebrny Medal "Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis")
Institutional memberships
Where the work is held
Institutional memberships
Rynkowski is recorded as a member of Vox and Victoria Singers. Membership is stated by the bodies' own records and is not read here as evidence of office or of any particular role within them.
Honours and awards
Where the work is held
Honours and awards
They run from 2002 to 2015.
3 honours stand against the name
Order of the Smile
2002
Knight of the Order of Polonia Restituta
2010
Silver Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis
2015
Authority records
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessinstitutional register
Wikidata, structured authority record Q55785: Ryszard RynkowskiWikimedia Foundation
General reference
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Born at
1- ElblągPlace
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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