Stars of the 1990s: How the first singing DJ Sergey Minaev and the performer of the hit "Lilac Mist" Vladimir Markin became related

In the 1990s. the names of these two artists were known to everyone: Sergei Minaev became the first "singing DJ" who wrote music and poetry, was the author of parodies of world hits, performed songs, toured the country and abroad. And the songs of Vladimir Markin were sung by the whole country: "I am ready to kiss the sand …", "Lilac fog", "White bird cherry". In the 2000s. almost nothing was heard about them, and recently it became known that the artists were actually connected not only by their professional activities. Where did the stars of the 1990s disappear, what they are doing now and what unites them - further in the review.

Sergey Minaev

Sergey Minaev was fond of creativity from his youth - he learned to play the violin at a music school, participated in all school concerts, parodied famous personalities, and studied in a theater studio. After that, he graduated from the pop department of the circus school and continued his studies at the pop department of GITIS. As early as the 2nd year of college, he began performing in the VIA "Gorod". Once, during a performance in Alushta, he was asked to replace the disco host. Minaev conducted her with a bang, and after that he was offered to officially get a job as the head of the disco.

In the 1980s. Sergei Minaev became the first Soviet "singing DJ", as he called himself. He performed musical parodies of popular foreign hits - he wrote humorous texts in Russian using the music of famous songs. Often his parodies were much more successful than the original, they were staged at all perestroika discos. The whole country sang along with him "Yura - Wumen, Vasya - Men", "You are my bread, my salt." "Brother Louis", "Voyage", etc.

In the late 1980s. Minaev has already toured throughout the Union, and in the early 1990s. - already abroad. In 1990, the artist released his first disc. For a whole decade, he set the direction of the entire stage, especially in the field of popular dance music. Its popularity peaked in the mid-1990s.

He was largely considered a pioneer and pioneer: in 1986, he held the largest disco in the USSR at the Luzhniki Stadium, attended by 10,000 people, became the first DJ to perform songs, and brought the genre of musical parody to a new level. Minaev gave several performances every day, hosted popular TV shows and concert programs, acted in films, and became one of the most successful showmen.

Vladimir Markin

Vladimir Markin was also fond of music since his school years - he independently learned to play the guitar, performed in a school ensemble. Having entered the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, he was engaged in cultural work, led a circle of amateur performances, in the summer he worked as a cultural organizer in the sports and recreation camp "Alushta". It was there that he wrote his future superhit "I am ready to kiss the sand on which you walked", dedicating the song to the girl who later became his wife.

Before entering the professional scene, Markin changed several working professions: bricklayer, carpenter, editor, electrical engineer, piano tuner and even a seamstress-minder! At one time, he set up an underground sewing workshop for the production of jeans at home, and sold his products through thrift stores. This illegal business allowed him to continue doing what he loved - music.

Markin worked in the Alushta camp for 6 years. It was there that he met many musicians and received an offer to join the Magic Twilight rock group.With this collective, the singer got on television, in the program "Merry Guys". Later they were invited to the "Morning Mail", where Markin sang the song "I am ready to kiss the sand." She became his calling card and brought all-Union popularity.

After a while, the singer created his own group, Difficult Childhood, and later took up a solo career. His next creative victory was a new performance of the song "Lilac Mist". The video for this composition was shown in his program "Before and After Midnight" by Vladimir Molchanov, and after that incredible popularity fell upon Markin. His songs "The cutest in the yard", "Bells", "White bird cherry" became super hits.

One mother-in-law for two

Both musicians never spoke about their personal lives, and their fans did not even know that they have families. As it turned out, both have been happily married for a long time, and even have each other's brother-in-law. Vladimir Markin met his only love Irina in that very Crimean camp "Alushta". There he also met Sergei Minaev. Irina and her sister Alena performed with the singer as backing vocalists. At one of the concerts, Minaev saw her - and lost his head. Vladimir Markin married Irina, and Sergei Minaev married her sister Alena.

Markin said: "". Since then, according to them, they have become one big family, where all are like-minded people, partners, friends and relatives. Their marriages became an exception to the rule in the world of show business - they turned out to be extremely durable, strong and happy.

Both musicians continue to do what they love. In the 2000s. Sergei Minaev hosted TV programs, performed in clubs, periodically he holds the 1980s Disco festivals, in 2013 he became the author of the satirical Internet project "Posredysh", released 4 more music albums. In 2021, Sergei Minaev became the host of the TV project "I'm Almost Famous." The main source of inspiration for him, like 30 years ago, remains his beloved wife Alena. Of course, the artist is no longer as popular as in the 1990s, but he is still as energetic, witty and active.

Vladimir Markin organized the production company "Difficult Childhood", became the owner of the restaurant "Lilac Mist", where he filmed the program of the same name for television, was the chief music editor of the RTR channel, together with Minaev holds the "Disco 1980s" festival, continues to give concerts, and also engaged in social and political activities. Now "Difficult Childhood" is a whole corporation: an advertising agency, a restaurant, a studio with a tele-assembly, and a tea company.

In the 2000s. new stars appeared on the stage, but they did not shine for long: Was the duet "Nepara" a couple, and why did the artists break up?.