Rock critic and journalist Dušan Vesić dies at 67

Dušan Vesić, one of the most important chroniclers of the Yugoslav rock scene, has died in Belgrade at the age of 67 after a long and serious illness. He was far more than a journalist: a participant, insider, critic and meticulous archivist of a cultural era whose echoes remain.

Vesić belonged to a rare generation of chroniclers who did not observe history from a safe distance. He stood at its centre as it unfolded, recording its triumphs and tragedies first-hand. His death, the article says, means not only the loss of a skilled author but also of a living repository of stories, anecdotes and deep knowledge of the music that shaped generations.

Born in Belgrade in 1959, Vesić liked to say that he had dreamed as a boy of becoming a tram driver. That changed in June 1972 in Tučepi, when he used money meant for ice cream to buy a ticket to a Pro arte concert. Music then became his lasting fascination and life’s work. A sports injury later ended his efforts to play drums, directing his energy toward studying Yugoslav popular music.

His journalism flourished during the golden age of Yugoslav rock in the 1980s. He wrote for leading publications including Zdravo!, Rock, Pop Rock, Itd, Ćao, Džuboks and Politika, and edited domestic-scene coverage for Rock and Pop Rock. He also sang backing vocals on albums by Krvna grupa and Plavi orkestar, served as executive producer and manager for Marina Perazić, produced the group Instant Karma and organised concerts.

Longtime colleague and friend Sandra Rančić confirmed his death. In a farewell message, she wrote: “I will miss you more than my parents. Everything I am today, I learned from you.”

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I will miss you more than my parents. Everything I am today, I learned from you.