{{Short description|Israeli musician and composer (1949–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Svika Pick | native_name = {{Script|Hebrew|צביקה פיק}} | native_name_lang = he | honorific_suffix = | image = Pick por.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Pick in 2009 | birth_name = Henryk Pick | birth_date = {{Birth date|1949|10|3|df=yes}}<ref name=birthdate>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ishim.co.il/p.php?s=%D7%A6%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%94+%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A7|title=צביקה פיק|website=Ishim.co.il|access-date=12 May 2019}}</ref> | birth_place = Wrocław, Poland | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2022|08|14|1949|10|03}} | death_place = Ramat HaSharon, Israel | years_active = 1966–2022 | death_cause = | other_names = The Maestro | citizenship = | education = Conservatory of Ramat Gan | alma_mater = | occupation = {{Flatlist| * Singer * songwriter * composer * television personality }} | spouse = {{Marriage|Mirit Shem-Ur|1970|1995|reason=divorced}} | partner = Shira Manor (2004–2021) | relatives = Quentin Tarantino (son-in-law) | children = 5, including Daniella | website = | module = {{infobox musical artist|embed=yes | origin = Ramat Gan, Israel | genre = {{hlist|Pop|rock|disco|Eurodance}} }} }}
'''Svika Pick''' ({{Lrm}}{{Langx|he|צביקה פיק}}, born '''Henryk Pick'''; also '''Tzvika Pik''', '''Tsvika Pick''', '''Zwika Pick''', 3 October 1949 – 14 August 2022)<ref name="birthdate" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=קוטנר |first=יואב |title=צביקה פיק |url=http://mooma.mako.co.il/artist.asp?ArtistId=1544 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110114949/http://mooma.mako.co.il/artist.asp?ArtistId=1544 |archive-date=10 November 2017 |website=Mooma.mako.co.il |language=he}}</ref> was an Israeli singer, songwriter, composer, and television personality.
Pick first gained traction on a national level after playing a lead part in an Israeli version of the musical ''Hair'', later pursuing a prolific songwriting and singing career. He later gained recognition after co-writing "Diva", which won the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 for Israel. Pick was described by peers and critics as the Israeli King of Pop, and the Maestro.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2022 |title=Svika Pick, Israel's 'king of pop', dies aged 72 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/15/svika-pick-israels-king-of-pop-dies-aged-72 |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-714668 Israeli music icon Zvika Pik passes away, age 72] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320103603/https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-714668 |date=20 March 2023 }}, Jerusalem Post</ref>
==Biography== thumb|alt=Pick with his first wife Mirit Shem Ur, 1986|Pick with his first wife Mirit Shem-Ur, 1986 Henryk (Zvi) Pick was born in Wrocław, Poland, to Jewish parents, Paulina (1930–2010) and Borys Pick. His grandfather was the head of a music school, and his uncle was a music professor. At the age of five, Pick studied classical music. In 1957, his family immigrated to Israel. Pick studied music at the conservatory of Ramat Gan, and started to perform in local Israeli rock bands at the age of 15.
Pick married Israeli songwriter Mirit Shem-Ur, with whom he has a son, and two daughters; Sharona and Daniella, who have performed together as the Pick Sisters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pick Sisters lyrics |url=https://lyricstranslate.com/en/pik-sisters-lyrics.html |access-date=11 May 2019 |website=Lyricstranslate.com}}</ref> Shem-Or wrote the lyrics for many of Pick's hits, including "Mary Lou", which was about her. After they divorced, they continued to collaborate artistically. Sharona is married to Israeli hotelier Daniel Federmann, son of businessman Michael Federmann, while Daniella is married to the American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Michallon |first=Clemence |date=29 November 2018 |title=Quentin Tarantino marries Daniella Pick in Los Angeles |newspaper=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/quentin-tarantino-wife-daniella-pick-wedding-la-married-israel-songs-movies-a8656141.html |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 November 2018 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/quentin-tarantino-wife-daniella-pick-wedding-la-married-israel-songs-movies-a8656141.html |archive-date=25 May 2022}}</ref>
Pick was also in a relationship with Israeli fashion designer Shira Manor, with whom he had two sons, Tim and Neal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 June 2016 |title="נולדתי להיות אמא" |url=https://www.yediot.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4812171,00.html |access-date=11 May 2019 |website=Yediolt.co.il}}</ref>
In the 1980s, Pick played football for Hapoel Yehud and Hapoel Nir Ramat HaSharon.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/08/15/svika-pick-israeli-singer-songwriter-dies-at-72 |title=Svika Pick, Israeli singer-songwriter, dies at 72 |date=15 August 2022}}</ref>
In 2018, EL AL flight from London to Tel Aviv was diverted to Vienna after Pick suffered a stroke.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plane makes emergency landing after legendary Israeli singer falls ill |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-legendary-israeli-singer-falls-ill-551176 |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US |issn=0792-822X}}</ref> He later stated that he had to go extensive rehabilitation afterwards, including relearning Hebrew and his ability to walk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=BCohen |date=15 August 2022 |title=Svika Pick, Israeli composer and pop legend, dies at 72 |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-08-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/zvika-pick-israeli-composer-and-pop-legend-dies-at-72/00000182-9c10-d6db-abef-dd167f4c0000 |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=The Forward |language=en |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222163650/https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-08-14/ty-article-magazine/.premium/zvika-pick-israeli-composer-and-pop-legend-dies-at-72/00000182-9c10-d6db-abef-dd167f4c0000 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Music career== thumb|alt=Long haired man singing into a microphone|Pick performing in front of soldiers in Beit HaHayal at Tel Aviv, 1972
In 1972, he entered a tune for the Shema prayer in the Chassidic Song Festival. The tune violated Jewish law by repeating lines of the prayer.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=ARZA.org |title=Pik-ing And Choosing – The Legacy of Zvika Pik |url=https://arza.org/pik-ing-and-choosing-the-legacy-of-zvika-pik/}}</ref>
Pick was one of Israel's leading pop singers in the 1970s, and was named "Israeli male singer of the year" by Kol Israel every year from 1977 to 1980. He played a lead part in the Hebrew version of the musical ''Hair'' in the early 1970s.<ref>[http://cdbaby.com/cd/hairinhebrew CD Baby: ORIGINAL ISRAELI CAST: Hair – In Hebrew<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220231733/http://cdbaby.com/cd/hairinhebrew |date=20 February 2009 }}</ref>
Pick wrote the song "Diva" with lyricist Yoav Ginai and performed by Dana International, which won the Eurovision Song Contest 1998. He also wrote songs for several other Eurovision contestants. In 2002 he reunited with Ginai to write the "Light a Candle" for Sarit Hadad, who represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002. That year, Habima Theater staged a musical called ''Mary Lou'' based on Pick's old hits.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/Fantastic-Mr-Fox|title=Fantastic Mr. Fox – Arts & Culture – Jerusalem Post|website=Jpost.com|access-date=11 May 2019}}</ref> In 2009, this musical was made into the television series ''Tamid Oto Chalom'' (or ''Mary Lou''), directed by Eytan Fox.
[[File:שופטי כוכב נולד.jpg|thumb|Pick as a judge on ''Kokhav Nolad'' in 2008]] [[File:Dan Hadani collection (990040143300205171).jpg|thumb|Svika Pick performs at a music festival at Neviot Beach in Eilat, 1978]] In 2003, he composed the song "Hasta la vista" with Shem-Or, to whom he was married at the time, for Oleksandr Ponomariov, Ukrainian entrant in Eurovision 2003. He also wrote a song for the Belarusian contestant of Eurovision 2005, Angelica Agurbash, but she later decided on a different one, acknowledging Pick for his effort. He competed seven times in the Israeli preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2010, he composed an entry for Harel Skaat for Israel, and for Sopho Nizharadze for Georgia.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mouriquand |first=David |date=15 August 2022 |title=Svika Pick, Israeli singer-songwriter, dies at 72 |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/08/15/svika-pick-israeli-singer-songwriter-dies-at-72}}</ref>
=== Eurovision entries === {{Inc-musong|date=August 2022}}
==== Eurovision Song Contest ====
*"Diva" by Dana International, Israel, (Eurovision Song Contest 1998), 1st place *"Light a Candle" by Sarit Hadad, Israel, (Eurovision Song Contest 2002), 12th place *"Hasta la vista" by Oleksandr Ponomariov, Ukraine, (Eurovision Song Contest 2003), 14th place
==== National selections ====
*"Ein li ish milvadi" by Svika Pick (Israel 1979), 2nd place *"Romantica" by Svika Pick (Israel 1982), 6th place *"Layla layla" by Svika Pick (Israel 1986), 7th place *"Domino" by Svika Pick (Israel 1987), 10th place (tied) *"Artik Kartiv" by Svika Pick (Israel 1993), 7th place *"Moonlight" by Svika Pick (Israel 2005), 3rd place *"Lifney SheNifradim" by Svika Pick (Israel 2006), 4th place *"Sing My Song" by Sofia Nizharadze (Georgia 2010)
==Television career== From 2005 to 2009, Pick was one of the judges for the singing reality show ''Kokhav Nolad'' (the Israeli version of ''Pop Idol'') that aired on Channel 2.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/pick-of-the-pops-raises-roof-1.32320 |title=Pick of the pops raises roof |access-date=23 April 2018 |archive-date=23 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423170450/https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/pick-of-the-pops-raises-roof-1.32320 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In 2005, Pick starred in the docu-reality series ''HaMaestro'' that aired on Bip and followed the daily lives of him and his family.
In 2009, the musical drama series ''Tamid Oto Chalom'' ("Always the same dream") aired on HOT 3. Pick's songs were used for its title and soundtrack, and he guest starred in one of the episodes.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0683187}} * {{Discogs artist|צביקה פיק}}
{{S-start}} {{S-bef|before=Kimberley Rew}} {{S-ttl|title=Eurovision Song Contest winning composers|years=1998}} {{S-aft|after=Lars Diedricson}} {{S-end}}
{{Kokhav Nolad}} {{List of Eurovision Song Contest winners}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pick, Svika}} Category:1949 births Category:2022 deaths Category:20th-century Israeli male singers Category:Israeli composers Category:Israeli male stage actors Category:Polish emigrants to Israel Category:Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent Category:Israeli Ashkenazi Jews Category:Eurovision Song Contest-winning songwriters Category:Entertainers from Ramat Gan Category:Hapoel Yehud F.C. players Category:Hapoel Nir Ramat HaSharon F.C. players Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position Category:Israeli men's footballers Category:20th-century Israeli sportsmen