Valery Leontyev - 70: What fans don't know about their idol

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

On March 19, one of the most famous Russian singers, People's Artist of Russia Valery Leontyev, celebrates his anniversary - it's hard to believe, but the idol of the public turns 70 years old. From time to time, news appears in the press that the singer is leaving the stage, but he himself has repeatedly denied these rumors - despite his health problems, Leontyev is still energetic and is not going to stop his concert activity.

In the biography of the famous singer, there are many blank spots, primarily regarding childhood and youth, which is why myths were often born that did not correspond to reality. So, in some publications it is indicated that Leontyev's parents were Yakut reindeer breeders and constantly roamed, which is why the boy did not go to school for a long time. The singer's family really had nothing to do with art - his father, a Pomor from the Arkhangelsk region, not a Yakut, worked as a veterinarian, specialized in reindeer, and therefore often went on business trips to the regions of the Far North. Valery was born in the village of Ust-Usa, in Komi, and spent his childhood in the city of Yuryevets. While studying at school, he studied in a drama club and sang solo in a choir, but he never dreamed of a career as an artist. After an unsuccessful attempt to enter a radio technical school after the 8th grade, Valery graduated from school, and then suddenly decided to try his luck at a theater university. However, the attempt to enter GITIS was also unsuccessful.

Before connecting his life with the stage, the future artist tried many professions, and this is not a myth. In his youth, he had the opportunity to work as an electrician, and a postman, and an auxiliary worker at a brick factory, and a tape-worker-lubricator at a flax-spinning factory, and even a tailor. For 3 years Leontyev studied at the Mining Institute in Vorkuta, but after that he dropped out. The first success on stage - in the House of Culture in Vorkuta - inspired him to further advance in this direction, and soon he won the regional competition "We are looking for talents" in Syktyvkar.

For some time Leontyev worked at the Philharmonic Society in Syktyvkar, performing as a soloist with the Echo collective in houses of culture. He first appeared on the big stage in 1978, and after a successful performance in a concert hall in Gorky, he was invited to work at the local philharmonic society. And the first resounding success came to him after 30, after winning the 16th International Pop Song Festival "Golden Orpheus" in Sopot.

Much in Leontyev's life was associated with Ukraine - his mother was from the Zaporozhye region, his older sister Valentina (mother's daughter from her first marriage) lived all her life in Zaporozhye, in the same city was born the singer's permanent producer - Nikolai Kara, he himself was somehow For a time he worked in the Philharmonic Society of Lugansk (Voroshilovgrad), in 1986 he performed in Chernobyl in the village of liquidators Zeleny Cape, and he also received his first title in Ukraine - in 1987 Leontyev became an Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.

Pauses in creative activity, which sometimes happened in Leontiev's biography, were associated with serious health problems. Back in 1982, the singer underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his throat and did not perform for a while until he restored his voice. Raimond Pauls, with whom Leontiev collaborated for a long time, helped him to return to the stage. Recently, the singer has sometimes been forced to cancel concerts due to health problems - for example, in the fall of 2018.he could not go on stage in Sochi due to pneumonia, and shortly before that he canceled his performance in Tula due to high blood pressure. But nevertheless, on the eve of his 70th birthday, he continued to tour actively.

And in his mature years, Valery Leontyev looks good - he is still as fit as in his youth. Because of this, he is often written about as a sports fan. But this is a myth - he himself admits that he used to really devote a lot of time to training, but treated them as boring and exhausting. Now he performs only a set of necessary exercises as exercises, and the main secret of good physical shape calls genes and the chosen profession, which never allows him to relax. A two-hour concert replaces him with several trainings, because the singer has always been very mobile and energetic on stage, participating in dance numbers with his ballet.

The singer often hears reproaches about the quality of the music he performs. On this occasion, he says: "".

In response to regular press statements that Leontyev is giving a farewell tour, the singer replies: "You will not wait!" He himself has never made statements that he intends to leave the stage, and at his concerts, full houses are still gathering. He spent 47 years on the stage, having released more than 20 albums during this time, and does not want to stop there - according to him, he simply cannot imagine his life without a profession.

The singer never talks about his personal life, which also gives rise to a lot of rumors. However, only one thing is known for certain: he was married only once, and this marriage has existed for over 40 years: Valery Leontiev and Lyudmila Isakovich.