The death of the pop singer Tose Proeski, at the age of 26 in a car crash, has been marked by a wave of public grief across the Balkans - not only in his native Macedonia, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Proeski was unique among contemporary Balkan entertainers in his ability to build bridges between different nations and ethnic groups, and some observers say that no figure has been more mourned across the former Yugoslavia since the death of its leader Marshal Tito in 1980.
Whether Proeski's music will endure or have any lasting influence is uncertain - though comparisons were made to Elvis Presley, his slick, well-sung Balkan pop made him more akin to Cliff Richard. None the less, he was appreciated as a beacon of optimism in a region where bad news is commonplace.
Todor "Tose" Proeski was born in the southern Macedonian town of Prilep. He grew up in Krusevo, studied classical music at school and began his singing career through participating in the youth festival Melfest in 1996. His good looks, strong voice and confident stage presence made him an immediate hit and he quickly became a local star, enjoying hits with the romantic ballads Usni Na Usni (Lips on Lips) and Sonce Vo Tvoite Rusi Kosi (The Sun in Your Golden Hair). In 1999 he released his debut album, Nekade Vo Nokta (Somewhere in the Night).
His local appeal continued to grow with the release of his second album, Sinot Bozji (The Son of God), the following year. The Serbian company BK Sound bought the rights to Sinot Bozji and successfully promoted it across the former Yugoslavia. Having established his popularity at home, in 2001 Proeski toured Australia, where that nation's large Macedonian community received him enthusiastically.
In late 2002 Proeski released his third album, Ako Me Poglednes Vo Oci (If You Look Into My Eyes), singing in both Macedonian and Serbian. Recorded in Athens, this album was packed with hits - most notably Magija (Magic), a duet he sang with Esma Redzepova, Macedonia's celebrated Queen of the Gypsies. Relentless bootlegging of the album across the Balkans won Tose his own royal nickname - Kralot na Piraterite (King of the Pirates). When asked in an interview on Macedonian television if he was upset about losing so many royalties to pirate cassette and compact disc sales, Proeski shrugged the matter off: having once been a struggling student, he imagined his younger and poorer self also choosing the pirated one.
Proeski now worked a relentless touring schedule that found him performing in Greece and Bulgaria as well as the former Yugoslavia. For his UK debut at the Equinox club in London's Leicester Square in January 2003, he was joined on stage by Redzepova for a memorable night of Macedonian pop culture. He regularly played charity concerts throughout Macedonia: he was awarded the Mother Teresa humanitarian award, and then appointed a Unicef regional goodwill ambassador.
In 2004 he represented Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Istanbul, though finished only 14th. The following year, his fifth album Po Tebe (After You) sold strongly throughout the Balkans, topping the charts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. After studying with Pavarotti's vocal coach William Riley in New York, he was backed by a symphony orchestra in his 2006 album Bozilak (Rainbow). What proved to be his final album, Igri Bez Granici (Game Without Borders), was released last August.
When not performing, Proeski continued to study classical music in the Macedonian capital of Skopje. His wholesome image - in a region where many singers emphasise an extreme and trashy sexuality - ensured his popularity with all ages.
Proeski died when the Jeep in whose passenger seat he had been sleeping hit a truck and crashed into a fence on Croatia's Zagreb-Lipovac highway; he was one of many Balkan entertainers to have died or been injured in accidents while travelling between performances, due to bad roads and bad drivers. His death gave rise to a national day of mourning and a state funeral Krusevo. He is survived by his parents and sister.
· Todor 'Tose' Proeski, singer-songwriter, born January 25 1981; died October 16 2007