Stasys Povilaitis

Stasys Povilaitis was a popular Lithuanian singer and poet.

Stasys Povilaitis was born in Kaunas, Lithuania on January 15th 1947. From 1954 to 1961, he studied at the Kaunas 4th Secondary School and also the Special Music School, where he attended violin and oboe lessons, and sang in the Kaunas Radio Boys' Choir. After this, he went to Palanga, eventually graduating from the Grammar High School. His music education continued outside of the school from that point on, and he also joined an unnamed pop band. However, from 1962 to 1965 he was forced to earn his money as a construction worker in Palanga. In 1965, Povilaitis enrolled at Vilnius University, studying journalism, also collaborating briefly with composer Mikas Vaitkevicius, being invited by him to sing in the group “Rhythm”, which toured the nightclubs. He was then fortunate enough to be accepted as a soloist with “Nemuno Ziburiaithe” in 1970, an ensemble belonging to the Soviet Socialist Republic Philharmonic Orchestra, and he travelled and performed with them throughout the Soviet Union. In 1973 the ensemble disbanded, and Povilaitis joined the band “Nerija”, which soon gained huge popularity. However, he did take one year off from the band to tour with Mikas Suraucius band in 1976. From 1984 to 1987 he belonged to a variety of ensembles and orchestras in Vilnius, also participating in the vaudeville shows put on by the Radisson Blu Hotel. In addition, from 1987 Stasys Povilaitis worked with various artistes signed to the “Tonas Koncertines Organizacijos”, preparing copyright applications, while still himself performing in Lithuania and abroad. Having won numerous awards in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1991 and 1997, he appeared on Lithuanian broadcaster TV3 family musical talent show “Seimu Dainos” in 2010, as the chairman of the judges. However, in 2012 he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and retired from music, though he he did make one last public appearance in July 2015, when he teamed up with Algirdas Kaušpėdas to perform (as a campaigning national hymn) “Tautiška Giesmė Aplink Pasaulį”, on Palanga bridge.