ABSTRACT
As numerous contributors to the growing field of star studies have demonstrated, successful and popular star images always relied on transmedia functioning. Fame is almost never developed on a single platform but migrates and manifests itself through diverse media. However, not much emphasis has been placed on the process of creating, performing and managing these diverse outputs into a coherent star image. The case of Oldřich Nový, a major Czech star in the 1930s and early to mid-1940s allows me to address the issue of the star performer’s agency vis-a-vis entertainment and media industries. Taking a closer look at the musical aspect of Nový’s career gives us a better understanding of how various strands of this particular star’s image were connected and manifested themselves on multiple levels, in terms of vocal performance, absorbing international influences and reflecting on the nature of stardom.
