Saša ‘Žika’ Jakšić (born February 6, 1964 in Aleksandrovac) is a prominent Serbian musician, television producer and entrepreneur. He is known as the creator of popular singing shows Grand stars and Never too late, and the media describe him as one of the most influential entertainment producers in the region. In his youth he played bass in a band heart rhythm, with whom he recorded four albums. He gained his television fame as a long-time member of Grand Production, whose projects he shaped as a creative spirit and creator of the format.
Early life and education
Jakšić started his education in his native Aleksandrovac, and continued in Kruševac. He graduated from the Pedagogical School and the Academy of Educational and Vocational Studies in Kruševac, and then studied sports and physical education in Belgrade (he did not complete the faculty). Music attracted him as a teenager: he studied piano, but he especially fell in love with the guitar. With the money he received for his great success at the end of elementary school, he bought his first bass guitar, with which he soon started playing in local bands. That beginning laid the foundation for him for a musical career.
music career and heart rhythm
In 1984, Žika became a bassist of a rock group heart rhythm, in which he remained until the early 2000s. For almost two decades, the group performed throughout the former Yugoslavia and Western Europe. During this period heart rhythm released four albums, among which the most famous titles are:
- Maria (1995)
- created by God (1996)
- I want now (1998)
- Partying (2000)
In addition to working in his own band, Jakšić also played bass with Aleksandar Stefanović’s orchestra and with the group Midnight program. Musical experiences in these ensembles and travel abroad (especially Germany and Switzerland 1999–2003) helped him gain insight into TV projects and concepts of musical competitions.
Television shows: Grand stars and Never too late
After returning to Serbia in 2003, Žika Jakšić achieved great success as the creator and producer of the show Grand stars. That music show quickly became the most watched regional spectacle for discovering singing talents, launching numerous domestic stars. In 2015, it launches a new project – a show Never too late, intended for talented singers of older generations. Both shows are produced by Grand production, in which Jakšić was the main creative author and producer for a long time.
Winery Never too late
After the success of television formats, Žika transferred his creativity to oenology. In 2015, he founded a winery “It’s never too late”, named after the show of the same name. The winery today is managed by his son Mr. Andrija Jakšić, graduate oenologist, who provided the family winery with a reputation through quality red and white wines. With this, Žika showed that he is entrepreneurially mature – he managed to connect the media brand with a successful wine business and thus expanded his influence outside television.
Jakšić was in two marriages. He married Snežana for the first time, with whom he has a son Andrija, and then a singer and presenter Dajana Paunović, with whom she has a son Dušan. In the interviews, he emphasized that the divorces passed in peace and that children are always his priority. His younger brother Vladimir ‘Musa’ Jakšić is also a musician – he is a singer and frontman of a rock group ex revolvers. Žika Jakšić privately enjoys being a family man and states that his sons have a close brotherly relationship, despite differences in age and mothers.
Conclusion
With his contribution to music and television entertainment, Žika Jakšić remains one of the most impressive figures in the region. from playing in a local band heart rhythm, over the creation of television formats that shaped the media scene, to the launch of his own winery, his professional journey is diverse and inspiring. If you want to learn more or follow current events, you can visit his Instagram profile (@zika.jaksic) or watch the show Never too late on national television. Žika Jakšić works on new projects every day, so there is always a lot of news and content available for fans on the networks of Grand production and his media appearances.
Sources: Data on Žika Jakšić’s life are taken from relevant media reports and biographical portals, which document the key dates, projects and statements we have stated in the text.
