4 children and 20 years of a happy marriage: The difficult path to happiness of Grigory Leps

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

Hardly anyone can argue with the fact that Grigory Leps is a real example of extraordinary talent, masculinity and charisma on the Russian stage. With a vocals unique in terms of range and color, he sings every time, like the last, risking his vocal cords for live performances. Each new work of Gregory is always a special event for his fans. And now he is known as a famous musician and producer, as an excellent family man and a successful businessman, but, of course, it was not always so.

Gregory's path to success was hard and long. Loud fame and popular love came to him after forty years. In the mid-90s, several times on the verge of life and death, Leps was reborn again like a Phoenix from the ashes, thanks to doctors, his mother, prayers and faith in the Almighty, as well as his beloved woman. Moreover, he was able not only to survive, but also to stand firmly on his feet.

And now Grigory Leps is a popular Russian pop singer, composer, producer, member of the International Union of Pop Art Workers. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation (2011). People's Artist of Karachay-Cherkessia (2015). Winner of the awards "World Music Awards", "Song of the Year", "Golden Gramophone". For twelve years in a row, he has been one of the ten highest paid stars of Russian show business, according to a rating compiled by Forbes magazine.

His fortitude and deeds are worthy of great respect. Agree, not everyone can do the way - "through thorns to the stars" …

Turning the pages of a biography

Grigory Lepsveridze (Leps) was born in the middle of summer 1962 in the city of Sochi. Father - Viktor Antonovich, worked at the Sochi meat-packing plant. Mother - Natella Semyonovna, worked at a local bakery, and then moved to the hospital as a nurse. The singer also has a sister - Eteri Alavidze.

From an early age, Grisha had a craving for music and sports. In the school ensemble, he played drums, and in sports he preferred football. Between these two hobbies, the boy seemed to be torn, he could not decide what was more important for him. As a result, the music won. But with general education disciplines, everything was much more complicated. By his own admission, the teachers of the negligent student were even called "the damned poor". However, by and large, he went to school because he played in an ensemble.

After the 8th grade, Grigory applied to the Sochi Musical College and entered without difficulty. However, having not yet begun to study, he decided to postpone his studies until next year and took the documents back. Thus, he gave up his place to a guy who did not pass the competition. His mother was very sick, and this admission was very important to him. Grigory told his mother that nothing bad would happen if he started his studies next year.

No sooner said than done. As a result, the son graduated from college in the class of percussion instruments, served in the army in Khabarovsk, and when he returned, he plunged headlong into the frenzy of Sochi fun, in the full sense of the word. Leps began his singing career on the dance floor of the famous Riviera park in Sochi, then he was invited to expensive restaurants. In the late 80s he became the soloist of the rock group Index-398. And in the early 1990s, Grigory was already the main vocalist, performing romances in the restaurant "1.3.7" of the best Sochi hotel "Zhemchuzhina".

For ten years, Grigory has become a rather popular performer of chanson on the South Coast, he was adored by the visitors of the restaurant, he was invited to various corporate parties and prestigious events. He was immensely affectionate with the love of the Sochi people, and imperceptibly for himself almost drowned in this love.

Constant night performances sometimes exhausted Gregory to exhaustion, and the musician had to relax with the help of alcohol. The singer's fees at that time were exorbitant: it happened when he earned up to 150 rubles in one evening (in Soviet times, this was the monthly salary of an engineer, and even then not everyone). But, all the money he earned, Grigory spent on drinks, slot machines, casinos, women and a fun rampant life.

However, at some point, Leps felt that he was at a dead end, and that if he did not stop, and did not quit now with taverns, then he would lose himself not only as an artist, but also as a person. And besides, having listened to his songs for a long time, famous musicians, vacationing in Sochi, offered him more than once to try themselves in Moscow. At the same time, promising to help and support.

Conquest of Moscow

It was 1992 … The Soviet Union had just collapsed, and a huge country fell into poverty and was mired in food coupons. It was at this, not the best time to start a career, that 30-year-old Grigory went to conquer the capital of Russia, where it was incredibly difficult not only to advance anywhere, but simply to survive. By the way, those people who once admired his talent on vacation in Sochi restaurants and hotels, and who, inviting him to Moscow, so promised to help and support, also disappeared somewhere overnight.

According to Leps' recollections, the capital greeted him very unfriendly: And Gregory had no choice but to get back on the beaten track - to sing in restaurants. Immediately appeared in his life and money, and dissolute women, and alcohol, to which drugs were added. And the singer rolled downhill …

And it is quite clear how it would all end for Leps, if not for His Majesty - the case. In 1994, fate brought him together with the right people. Namely - the poet Anatoly Dolzhenkov and Yevgeny Kobylyansky, who wrote the song "Natalie", which will become in the future a famous hit and Grigory's calling card. By the way, they helped the singer with the recording of his first album entitled "Natalie", and shot a video for this musical composition, as well as the song "God bless you".

Many probably remember how "Natalie", having become popular, literally conquered the whole country, she sounded from everywhere. Listeners bombarded all radio stations with requests for this composition. And across the country there were various legends about its history of writing. It was then that the singer shortened his last name, resulting in the pseudonym "Leps". - said the singer.

Between life and death

By the time "Natalie" gained incredible popularity and was included in the final of "Song of the Year-95", the singer himself was not able to perform, he could not feel all the euphoria of success, because he ended up in the Botkin hospital and did not know if he would survive at all. What can I say, many years of drunkenness affected. After a severe attack, an ambulance brought him to the clinic and immediately to the operating table. The severity of the patient's condition was so high that the surgeons did not give him any chance for a future life. Extensive internal bleeding, the most severe form of stomach ulcers and pancreatic necrosis of the pancreas - such a disappointing diagnosis was made by the doctors to Leps.

The singer spent more than a month in intensive care, where doctors fought for his life, and another six months in general therapy, where his mother, who flew in from Sochi, looked after him. A nurse by profession, she nursed her son - monitored the diet, gave medicine, and morally supported. She settled in the hospital, met all the doctors and nurses, spent days and nights at the bedside of her son, who was slowly recovering. As Grigory himself recalls, then at the edge of life, he first looked death in the eyes and firmly decided - to tie up with the past forever. It was incredibly creepy when the dead neighbors were carried out of the ward, and young Leps still so wanted to live.

When he was discharged from the hospital, doctors warned that one sip of alcohol could be his last. However, since then, Leps almost does not drink alcohol. Gregory left the clinic as a completely different person, not even because he lost 35 kg, but completely renewed spiritually and psychologically.

now recalls that terrible time Leps, -

Leps considers this act the smartest in his life and is very proud of him. Now he speaks openly about this dependence, without hiding anything. And what to hide? This is a matter of the past, you can't get away from it, you need to remember about it.

First marriage

Grigory Leps was married twice. And for the first time in early youth. His chosen one was the Russian girl Svetlana Dubinskaya. They met at the Sochi School of Music, when Svetlana studied at the vocal department of the school, and Grigory at the percussion department. The guy was bright and talented in his youth, it was impossible for him not to get carried away, and Dubinskaya, once in his field of vision, surrendered under the onslaught of his charm. And Grigory was in love with her "head over heels", dedicated songs to her, moved away from noisy companies for her sake.

Then Dubinskaya waited two years for him from the army, and when Grigory returned, the young people, realizing that they would soon become parents, legalized their relationship and settled in the house of Grisha's parents. And they did not feel special affection for the Russian daughter-in-law, considering the son's marriage very early. A strict father, and at all, brought up in an oriental manner, constantly found new reasons for nagging his newly-made daughter-in-law.

The desire to provide for his family was the first step to popularity - Grigory began to sing in Sochi restaurants, earning good money. But, this medal also had a downside, which negatively affected the family life of the young couple. After performances, he often lingered in restaurants, came home drunk. In the family, on this basis, scandals occurred every now and then. The hope that having a baby would alleviate tensions in the home did not materialize. Daughter Inga, who was born at the end of 1984, did not become a point of reconciliation either between the spouses themselves, or between them and Grisha's parents. Years later, Svetlana said that if

And then there could be no talk of any compromises. The constant misunderstanding and tense atmosphere in the house did their job - the family broke up. When the baby was one year old, Svetlana and her daughter returned home to their parents. The strong-willed character of the proud Svetlana did not allow her to turn to her ex-husband for alimony. She never married again, devoting her whole life to her daughter and work.

Leps, who had absolutely no part in raising his daughter, soon left for Moscow. The first years of his life in the capital, Gregory also did not remember the existence of his daughter - there was no time for that. And when the girl was 16 years old, he invited her to Moscow. After school, thanks to her father, Inga studied in London, then lived for some time in America, where she graduated from acting classes. Not so long ago, the girl decided to try her luck in the television project "Voice", but to no avail. The father, being a member of the selection jury, said that: "It's too early!" By the way, Inga often visits her father's house, she is on good terms with his wife, and is very friendly with her half-sisters and brother.

Second wife - Anna Shaplykova

With the second marriage, Leps was much more fortunate than with the first, and now he is a happy and successful family man. For almost two decades, the personal life of Grigory Leps has been full of happiness, harmony and love, which is given to the singer by his wife Anna and their three children: daughters Eva (born in 2002) and Nicole (born in 2007), as well as son Ivan (Vano) (born 2010)

However, the path to this state was rather long and thorny. For the first time, Leps saw his betrothed in 2000 in a metropolitan nightclub, where he was resting with friends. That night, the club hosted a concert by Laima Vaikule and her show ballet. One of the dancers, Anna Shaplykova, immediately drew the attention of Leps, and he pointed at the girl and told his friends: However, that evening he did not even approach her.

The acquaintance took place much later. Having met a spectacular blonde two months later at a family celebration at Laima, Gregory went up to Anya and dumbfounded with an offer to marry him. The girl quickly got her bearings and, thinking that this was a joke, she also joked in response. She asked if the groom has a residence permit in Moscow? To which Leps honestly replied that: no., - continued the comic dialogue Anna. Nevertheless, Leps managed, using all his charm, to get her phone number. And, of course, he began to periodically call the girl, inviting her on dates.

Anna had a young man, and Leps did not fit into her plans at all. But the singer persistently tried to draw attention to himself - he went to her concerts, gave huge bouquets, invited to restaurants. But the novel did not work out. Even after learning that his beloved has a boyfriend, Gregory did not back down. Luck smiled at him only a year later, when Ani's love "cracked" - her relationship with her boyfriend went wrong, and the girl finally agreed to a date with Leps. After this meeting, their romance began, which grew into a marriage. Gregory was then already thirty-eight years old, and Anna was ten years younger than him. The couple officially legalized the relationship almost a year later, when they learned that a child was due to be born.

Later, Anna said: The wife of Grigory Leps also admitted that there were periods when her husband was fond of strong drinks and it was difficult for her to find a common language with him. Nevertheless, avoiding sharp corners, she managed to stop him.

The singer, in turn, is grateful to his wife for her patience and wisdom, and for the fact that in the most difficult moments she was always there, as well as for the fact that she understands him perfectly:

P. S

Now 58-year-old Grigory Leps has everything in life that a person needs to be happy. In addition to being the father of a happy family, he is a successful musician and businessman, producer and avid collector. Being a deeply religious person, over the past 20 years he has amassed a very impressive collection of icons dating from the 16th - 20th centuries, which is estimated at an average of about $ 30 million.

Many may have a question for what money Grigory is engaged in such expensive collecting, when 20 years ago he did not have a flat - Moscow registration … Yes, everything is very simple: for almost these two decades he is the most welcome guest at parties billionaires. On average, his performance is estimated at $ 100,000.

And twelve years ago, he entered the top ten highest paid stars of Russian show business, according to a rating compiled by Forbes magazine. Then the musician was on the 46th step with an annual income of $ 2.2 million. The very next year, Leps immediately jumped to 9th place in the rating, earning about $ 12 million in a year and since then has been in the top ten for several years. And since 2013, Leps has completely settled in the third step in the list of leaders in the rating and today is unconditionally one of the most successful and wealthy musicians in Russia, losing only the first and second steps to Sergei Shnurov and Philip Kirkorov.

Many fans may remember how Leps first appeared on stage wearing branded black glasses. But not many people know that it was not for the sake of an intriguing image, but out of compulsory necessity: from the bright light of spotlights on the stage, the singer's eyes began to ache and water. Over time, the points became more and more, and when the musician collected more than 200 copies, the thought came to him that this hobby should not be in vain. Having figured out all the intricacies of the correct selection of glasses and frames, he launched the production of branded glasses. So, in 2014, the artist opened the Leps Optics salon and showroom, where various types of glasses and frames began to be sold, some of the models for which were developed by the singer himself.

But Leps did not stop there either. The idea of creating a jewelry brand has been ripening in his head for several years. Having met young and talented designers, whom the singer offered cooperation and support, they allowed him to seriously engage in jewelry production. In 2015, Grigory Leps founded the Leps Jewelry House and presented the Angels and Demons line of jewelry. This is how the first silver collection was born, on the sketches of which the designers and the artist worked together. Now the Jewelry House produces stylish jewelry and accessories for men and women, made mainly of silver. For several years now, the hit of sales has been the original bracelet in the form of a bandolier with the engraved words of the prayer "Our Father". A similar decoration can be seen on the arm of Leps himself. The artist is also happy to give his personalized products to friends and colleagues on the stage.

For more information about the collection of the singer's icons, read our publication: What Russian stars collect: Icons of Leps, Meladze's daggers, Moiseev's cows, etc.