Uzi Hitman

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Uzi Hitman

| image = Uzi Hitman (cropped).jpg

| caption = Hitman in 1972

| background = solo_singer

| native_name = עוזי חיטמן

| native_name_lang = Hebrew

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1952|6|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Giv'at Shmuel, Israel

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|10|17|1952|6|9|df=y}}

| death_place = Ramat Gan, Israel

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|composer|actor|director|television personality}}

| years_active = 1971–2004

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|piano}}

| genre = {{hlist|Israeli world music|rock|pop|mizrahi|children's music|hasidic}}

| website =

}}

Uzi Hitman ({{langx|he|עוזי חיטמן}}{{lrm}}; 9 June 1952 – 17 October 2004) was an Israeli singer-songwriter, composer, actor, director and television personality.[https://www.ishim.co.il/p.php?s=עוזי+חיטמן Uzi Hitman’s filmography] (in Hebrew)

Biography

Uzi Chitman was born in Giv'at Shmuel and lived all his life in Ramat Gan. His parents, Holocaust survivors, followed a traditionalist Jewish lifestyle; his father served as a cantor. He and his sibling Chaim, who lives in Ra'anana, attended secular schools. At home they listened to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Enrico Macias and opera along with liturgical and religious songs. When Chitman was 11, his parents gave him his first guitar, which he taught himself to play. When he turned 17, he received a piano from his grandmother. From 1971 to 1973, he served in the Israeli Central Command military entertainment troupe, along with Shem Tov Levy, Shlomo Bar-Aba, Dorit Reuveni and others.

He was married to Aya (nee Waldman) and they had three children: Ido, Yoav and Oded.{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/leisure/grieving-for-a-music-maker-uzi-hitman-1952-2004-1.137769 |title=Grieving for a music maker: Uzi Hitman 1952–2004 |author=Sagi Bin Nun |date=October 18, 2004 |work=Haaretz}}

Music career

His career began in 1976, when he composed a popular melody for Adon Olam.[http://www.jafi.org.il/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/Eye+on+Israel/Gallery+of+People+%28Biographies%29/Uzi+Chitman.htm Uzi Hitman (1952–2004)]{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on the Jewish Agency website He became a popular Israeli artist during the 1980s and 1990s. He composed and wrote over 650 songs. His most famous songs include "Noladati Lashalom" ('I Was Born for Peace'), "Ratziti Sheteda" ('I Wanted You to Know'), "Todah" ('Thank You'), "Mi yada' sh'kach yihiye" ('Who Knew It Would Be Like This') and "Kan" ('Here'), which reached third place during the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Hitman also appeared on the 1980s children's programmes Parpar Nechmad, Hopa Hei and Shirim K'tanim which was the first video set to be published in Israel in 1989.

Hitman was a devoted supporter of Maccabi Haifa, and even wrote its 1993–94 championship song named "Green in the Eyes", (ירוק בעיניים) which he gave to Haim Moshe. He also wrote and performed its 2001 championship song "Here She Rises", (הנה היא עולה).{{Cite web |title="אבא היה אוהד בלב ובנשמה" |url=https://mhaifafc.com/newsPage.asp?newsID=59628 |access-date=2023-03-03 |publisher=Maccabi Haifa FC - The Official Page |language=Hebrew}}

Death and commemoration

File:Uzi hitman memorial in ramat gan.jpg

Hitman died following a heart attack in Ramat Gan on 17 October 2004 at the age of 52. Following a funeral in Ramat Gan, he was buried at the Yarkon Cemetery near Tel Aviv. The City of Ramat Gan renamed Kikar Hashoshanim ('Roses Square') in his neighborhood of residence to Kikar Hitman (Hitman Square).

A minute of silence was given to Hitman during a Maccabi Haifa match against Bnei Yehuda, followed up by fans singing the chorus of the championship song he wrote for the club.{{Cite web |title=מכבי חיפה מול בני יהודה |url=https://mhaifafc.com/gameZone.asp?gameID=3948 |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=Maccabi Haifa FC - The Official Page |language=Hebrew}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20080331221057/http://uri.webpoint.co.il/uzi-hitman/welcome.html Official site] {{in lang|he}}
{{IMDB name}}
{{discogs artist}}

Category:1952 births

Category:2004 deaths

Category:People from Giv'at Shmuel

Category:People from Ramat Gan

Category:Israeli male composers

Category:Israeli male singer-songwriters

Category:Israeli male television actors

Category:Israeli television personalities

Category:Israeli rock singers

Category:Israeli children's musicians

Category:Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent

Category:Jewish Israeli singers