Igor Krutoy is 67: Why 20 years ago the audience said goodbye to the famous composer

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

On July 29, the famous composer and producer, People's Artist of Russia Igor Krutoy celebrates his 67th birthday. He is called one of the most successful and sought-after composers on the Russian stage, he wrote songs for stars of the first magnitude, he is known both at home and abroad. But few know that his life almost ended 20 years ago, and that this made him radically reconsider his views on life and values …

Many people think that the sonorous surname is the composer's pseudonym, but in fact, he got it at birth. He grew up in the town of Gaivoron, Kirovograd region of Ukraine, in the family of a freight forwarder at a radio components plant and a laboratory assistant at a sanitary and epidemiological station. His father played the button accordion, and since childhood Igor himself, not knowing musical notation, played the songs he heard on the radio on the button accordion. At first, he performed at local discos, playing the button accordion and synthesizer, graduated from the Kirovograd School of Music, tried to enter the Kiev Conservatory, but did not pass the competition.

From a rural school teacher to one of the most fashionable composers of the USSR

After working for a year as a music teacher in a rural school, he entered the Nikolaev Pedagogical Institute at the conductor-choir department. In parallel with his studies, Krutoy performed in restaurants in the evenings, where he once met Alexander Serov, with whom he subsequently collaborated and was friends for many years. Later, the composer did not hide these facts of his biography, believing that working both in a rural school and in a restaurant became a very valuable life experience necessary for a musician.

Even then, Igor Krutoy began to write songs that were performed by the artists of the Nikolaev Philharmonic, and in the late 1970s. he moved to Moscow and got a job as a pianist in the ensemble of Valentina Tolkunova. Alexander Serov followed him to the capital. Thanks to her support, the singer got to the international music competition in Budapest, where he sang the song "Madonna" by Krutoy and won first place. When this composition was first performed on television, both the singer and the composer received recognition throughout the USSR.

In the 1980s. Igor Krutoy has become one of the most popular composers of the Soviet stage. He wrote songs for stars of the first magnitude - Irina Allegrova, Valery Leontyev, Laima Vaikule, Alla Pugacheva, Oleg Gazmanov, Angelica Varum, Anna Veska, Larisa Dolina, Lev Leshchenko and many others. Many believed that one of the most reasons for his incredible demand was that he often gave his compositions to artists, did not enter into contracts with them and did not take a percentage for the performance of his songs. Already at that time he realized himself not only as a composer, but also as a producer: Krutoy headed the ARS company, which soon became one of the largest concert production organizations in Russia.

Black line

One of the most difficult periods in his life was not the time when he was not yet known to anyone, but the beginning of the 2000s, when news of his sudden departure appeared in all the media. Then the composer underwent a serious operation on the pancreas, it was not very successful, he spent 12 hours under anesthesia, complications began, and everything could have ended tragically. The press immediately wrote about his departure, and Krutoy's wife began to express condolences.

Although he was then really on the brink, he was saved. Later, the artist admitted: "".

Life in two countries

For the first time, Igor Krutoy got married back in the days when no one knew his name. At the age of 26, he became the spouse of Elena, a native of Leningrad, and wandered with her through rented apartments in Moscow. They had a son, Nikolai, but this did not save the marriage from collapse. His wife did not believe in his potential and as a result left him, which made the composer very worried. Years later, he said: ""

In 1995, during a tour in the United States, Igor Krutoy met the beautiful Olga and, on the third date, proposed to her. She was an emigrant from the USSR, settled in America long ago, got married and gave birth to a daughter. At that time, the woman was still married, but soon after meeting the composer, she filed for divorce and married him. It was to her that Krutoy dedicated the song "I love you to tears", which was performed by Alexander Serov. At the same time, Olga did not dare to return to Russia, just as her husband did not want to move to the United States forever. His wife's daughter, Vika Krutoy, was accepted as his own, he gave her his last name, they have a very tender relationship. In 2003, the couple had a daughter, Sasha, in whom the composer loves.

Since then, the composer has lived in two countries: in Russia he has his favorite work, and in America he has his beloved women: his wife, two daughters and a granddaughter. They always spend their holidays together and visit each other whenever possible. According to the artist, distance is not a hindrance to family happiness. His family at the moment is the only thing he is sure of, because he has suffered more than once because of his gullibility. "", - admits Krutoy.

On the eve of his 55th birthday, the artist said words that he could probably repeat even now, 12 years later: "".

Many trials fell to his lot: How Igor Krutoy survived creative and personal failures.