Hospital 'denies' pop star hair theft

Jimmy Zambo won many awards

A Hungarian hospital has denied that the hair of one of country's most popular pop stars was stolen after he died, it has been reported.

Jimmy Zambo, 42, known by his fans as the "King", died last week after accidentally shooting himself in the head.

Zambo's long hair was shaved off before an ill-fated operation on his brain at the Hoved hospital in Budpaest to try and save him.

Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid newspaper, reported that the hair had disappeared, quoting hospital officials.

But a rival newspaper, the Budapest Sun, claims the hospital is still in possession of the hair.

'Safe place'

The newspaper claims that the hospital has denied that the singer's hair had ever gone missing.

It claims that it is being kept in a safe place and would be given to his family, if they requested it.

Zambo fatally wounded himself in the head at his home in Budapest.

The singer failed to realise that a bullet was still in the chamber of the pistol after previously firing the weapon out of a window.

Zambo was voted Hungary's singer of the year in 1993 and his 2000 album Christmas With Jimmy has been Hungary's top-selling record for many weeks.

He started his singing career in the State Radio Children's Choir and for four years in the 1980s he moved to the US to try his luck on the club circuit before returning to Hungary.

All his albums since have gone platinum.

Zambo is survived by his wife and three sons.