Gradsky and his wife again became happy parents. Scandalous secrets of Alexander Gradsky's personal life - what he is doing now

Alexander Borisovich Gradsky, whose biography and personal life is so interesting to us, was born in Chelyabinsk region. In a town called Kopeisk. It was November 3, 1949. The musician's mother was professional actress. She played in the theater. And perhaps it was from her that the boy inherited artistry and love of art.

Father Alexander had a more “down-to-earth” profession. He worked as a mechanical engineer. In 1957, the family moved to the capital of the USSR, Moscow. Dad still worked at the factory, and mom worked as a teacher in kindergartens. theater studios. In addition, she was one of the authors of the then famous literary magazine. I wonder what for a long time the boy lived for a long time with his grandmother in Rastorguevo (Butovo district) near Moscow. There he studied at music school, learned to play the violin. This gave the child great interest. But he didn’t want to practice the violin much at home.

Childhood photo of Alexander Gradsky

At school, the boy also gravitated towards the humanities. He really liked history and literature. He was especially fond of poetry. And at the age of thirteen he wrote his first poem for the first time.

Gradsky recalls that instead of practicing the violin, he spent all his free time on sports. The artist played football and was fond of volleyball and wrestling. In addition, he went to chess. He graduated from music school in violin class. But the Beatles, who appeared at that time, changed the boy’s worldview so much that he had no chance of becoming a violinist.

In addition, Gradsky loved listening to modern music - both domestic and foreign performers. He adored Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong, Mark Bernes, Klavdia Shulzhenko, Lydia Ruslanova.

A. Gradsky in his youth

His uncle brought him from abroad vinyl records With modern hits. And the boy was amazed by the amazing music. In high school, he began performing as a performer at school events. He sang and played along with himself on the guitar or piano. In addition, he tried his hand as an actor in the school theater.

As a child, Alexander bore the last name Fradkin, which is his father’s last name. However, everything changed when his mother, Tamara Pavlovna Gradskaya, passed away in 1963. The boy missed her very much and decided to change his last name.

1963 became a landmark year for the boy. He lost loved one, changed his last name and took the first steps in his musical career. He first started playing in the rock band "Cockroaches", which included students from Poland. And in 1965, at sixteen, he organized the group “Slavs”. This group became very popular in the USSR, the young guys won the hearts of many fans. They sang songs of popular groups - Rolling Stones And The Beatles.

Gradsky in his youth

In 1966, Alexander Gradsky, whose biography and personal life contains many interesting moments, created another group - “Skomorokhi”. He himself was a songwriter, composed them on native language. And in the company of old friends from the “Slavs” - Vyacheslav Dontsov and Viktor Degtyarev - he travels around cities on tour. Soon they earn money to buy themselves high-quality expensive equipment. But he doesn’t abandon the “Skomorokhi” team either. He continues to tour with him around Soviet cities. And Gradsky personally receives honorary awards for their activities - “For vocals”, “For guitar” and “For composition”.

One day, director Andrei Konchalovsky noticed Alexander and invited him to take part in the filming of his film “Romance of Lovers.” Initially, Gradsky was invited simply as talented singer. And then he became the author of all the poems, songs and music that were heard in this film.

Gradsky and Kanchalovsky

Then Gradsky receives even greater fame and the “Star of the Year” award (1974). The young musician’s career is rapidly going uphill. The audience loves Gradsky very much; they come to his concerts with pleasure.

But Gradsky, despite resounding success, does not become arrogant - he continues to study. In 1974 he became a student at the Moscow Conservatory. His teacher was famous composer Tikhon Khrennikov. In 1988, Gradsky wrote compositions for films, which soon became popular.

In the late 70s, Gradsky wrote many songs in support of rock music. As you know, such compositions were not very encouraged in the USSR. They were considered a negative trend from the West. Because of such activities of Gradsky, he has many ill-wishers.

However, the musician remains true to his views and continues to work actively. For several years he taught at the Gnessin School, and then at the institute. Worked as head of the vocal department.

Vinyl record by A. Gradsky

From 1976 to 1980 he wrote the suite “Russian Songs” in two parts. He also publishes a collection of compositions, “Reflections of a Jester,” where he introduces himself as an artist capable of singing and playing music in various genres. In addition, Gradsky composes the opera “Stadium” and music for the ballet “Man”. And after the death of the poet and composer Vladimir Vysotsky, Gradsky changes the vector of creativity to tragic and dramatic.

It is interesting that Gradsky is popular not only in his homeland, but also abroad. Under his leadership, various creative projects. Concerts are held in the capital of the USSR with the participation of various orchestras, rock groups and choir soloists. Gradsky also has fifteen CDs with his compositions coming out. Abroad, Gradsky works with such celebrities as Liza Minnelli, John Denver, Diana Warwick and others.

A. Gradsky with John Denver

Today Gradsky is still popular, continues to tour Russia and works abroad. In addition, for a long time he was a member of the jury of the “Voice” project on central television. Young talents under his leadership have repeatedly become winners of this high-profile project.

Gradsky has been friends with Alexandra Pakhmutova for many years. They met at work. Gradsky was supposed to record a composition for the film “My Love in the Third Year.” And Pakhmutova wrote the music for this film. This acquaintance grew into a long friendship. And it was Pakhmutova who wrote it for Alexander Borisovich famous song"How young we were". It's been a hit for years now.

Gradsky admitted in an interview that he gained popularity precisely thanks to the composition “How Young We Were” and the popular film “Romance of Lovers,” for which he wrote musical accompaniment. The artist does not hide that he was offered a lot of money for concerts - like no one else in the USSR. The fact is that everywhere he could gather full houses. Not every touring artist can do this.

Alexander Gradsky, whose biography and personal life we ​​are discussing today, is widely known as the author of numerous stage productions. For example, his work - the rock opera "Stadium" became very famous and popular. It talks about the military coup in Chile in 1973. Then Augusto Pinochet subjected the country to terrible repressions. Many people died. The hero of the opera is musician Victor Jara, who also became a victim of the bloody regime. Although Gradsky does not indicate the name of the main character and the location of the events, it is clear that this is the story that is based on it. It is interesting that the role of the singer with a tragic fate was played by the artist himself.

During protrusion

This work was released on disc, so fans of Gradsky’s work can get acquainted with it. The roles in the work are played by the author's friends - Alexander Rosenbaum, Joseph Kobzon, Lolita, Andrei Makarevich, Grigory Leps and others.

With I. Kobzon during a speech

It so happened that the popular musician was married several times. His first wife is Natalya Gradskaya. The artist met her in his youth and, without thinking twice, got married. The second wife of the master was the famous Soviet actress Anastasia Vertinskaya.

This marriage also did not bring happiness to the artist. The actress and musician stayed together for only four years and broke up in 1980.

With Anastasia Vertinskaya and her son

For the third time, the artist married Olga Gradskaya, the website reports. They lived together for 23 years. Olga gave birth to two children to the musician. The son of Alexander Gradsky, whose personal life and biography is still of interest to fans, is called Daniil. He was born in 1981. And his daughter's name is Maria. She was born in 1985. The son is a successful businessman, which does not prevent him from seriously pursuing music. The daughter works as a TV presenter.

And in 2004, Alexander married again. His chosen one was the beauty and model Marina Kotashenko, who is thirty years younger than him. They met on the street, where the charming Gradsky was able to attract the girl’s attention. Marina later admitted in an interview that she was happy in her marriage. The musician treats her with love and takes care of her. In addition, she is interested in him as a person. Marina is currently filming TV series.

A. Gradsky with Marina Kotashenko

And in 2014 she gave Alexander Borisovich a son. Happy Event happened in the capital of the United States. The child was named Sasha in honor of his father, but it is too early to say whether the boy will become such a famous musician.

In 2016, paparazzi caught Gradsky and his young wife on vacation and posted photos of Alexander and Marina on the Internet. After which the family was hit with many malicious comments. Alexander, unlike his young wife, cannot boast of excellent shape. Therefore, many called their union nothing more than “Beauty and the Beast.” Alexander admits that he does not have a complex, but on the contrary, he is very glad that Marina chose him and not someone younger and more athletic.

Alexander and Marina

It should be noted that the beauty was never seen trying to cheat on her husband and never gave anyone any reason to doubt her love for her husband. However, it is not surprising that Gradsky really does not like journalists. It was he who introduced the word “journalist” into use, reflecting his negative attitude towards representatives of this profession.

Now Alexander Gradsky, whose biography and personal life is the subject of today’s article, lives with his family in the Moscow region. He writes music and teaches vocals.

The common-law wife of the famous singer Alexander Gradsky, Marina Kotashenko, spoke about her talents youngest son. The gifted heir already has his own guitar. Also, the wife of Alexander Sr. noted that she plans to send her son Sasha to a creative studio. The wife of a jury member of the show “The Voice” added that Sasha has an excellent sense of music.

“The guitar is real! They bought it especially for him. It’s child size, but you can play on it,” said Marina Kotasheno.

Officially, Gradsky was married three times. The artist got engaged for the first time at the age of 17, when he was a member of the group “Skomorokhi”. The marriage lasted three months. The singer's second wife was famous actress Anastasia Vertinskaya. Four years later, Alexander and his chosen one separated. The singer soon got married to young Olga Fartysheva, a student at the Shchukin School, from this union the singer’s heirs Daniil and Maria were born. After 25 years, the couple divorced. The fourth wife of Alexander Gradsky was Marina Kotashenko, but the couple never officially registered their relationship. However, according to both spouses, they are happy together. Gradsky never ceases to admire the beauty of a woman.

In the near future, Kotashenko is thinking about returning to work, especially since she has already begun to receive offers to act in films.

“Now many young mothers quickly return to work after giving birth. And I want to see how Sashulya grows. It will never come back: if you miss it, that’s all,” Marina, who was on maternity leave for three years, explained in a conversation with reporters "Komsomolskaya Pravda".

Besides little Sasha Gradsky has two more children from previous marriages. The eldest son Daniil is engaged in business and enjoys music. The guy even took part in the show “The Voice” on Channel One. Then Gradsky Sr. did not recognize his son’s vocals, but other judges of the competition turned to the singer.

Daughter Maria was her father’s assistant and adviser in the “Voice” project. The girl graduated from the Faculty of Arts of Moscow State University and studied at the London School of Art History. The heiress is well versed in modern music. Therefore, the father always listens to his daughter’s opinion about new trends in the industry.

Love has no boundaries. Sometimes, even a huge age difference does not stop people from taking such a serious step as marriage. In society, such couples are often treated with condemnation. Most often this concerns public people whose lives are in plain sight. Their relationship becomes the subject of heated discussions, mistrust and sincere feelings. But it seems that the lovers themselves are not interested in outside opinions.

1. Ivan Krasko and Natalya Shevel

Age difference - 60 years

24-year-old Natalya Shevel met her future husband at the St. Petersburg Institute liberal arts education, where she was a student and her fiancé taught. But he turned out to be not a shy graduate student, but 84-year-old People's Artist of Russia Ivan Krasko! The age difference between the spouses has discouraged many, but the lovers themselves do not pay attention to the gossip and continue to assure gossipers that they are happy.

2. Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris

Age difference - 60 years

Five years ago, the 85-year-old Playboy founder announced his engagement to 25-year-old model Crystal Harris. The engagement lasted two years, during which the lovers even managed to quarrel and cancel the wedding, but later changed their minds and still went down the aisle.

3. Armen Dzhigarkhanyan and Vitalina Tsymbalyuk-Romanovskaya

Age difference - 45 years

About the affair of the 79-year-old actor with 34-year-old Vitalina Tsymbalyuk-Romanovskaya, the musical director of the Moscow drama theater them. Dzhigarkhanyan, has been known for a long time. Dzhigarkhanyan left his wife Tatyana Vlasova six years ago, but he decided to formalize the divorce only now, on the eve of his anniversary. The actor’s novel caused a lot of noise not only in the press, but also in his theater, where Dzhigarkhanyan was recently the director. After Armen Borisovich gave his position to Vitalina, many actors quit. However, the artist and his muse seem to care little about this. The lovers settled in an apartment near Moscow, where they enjoy each other's company.

4. Andrei Konchalovsky and Yulia Vysotskaya

Age difference - 36 years

For 17 years now, Andrei Konchalovsky has been happy with his fourth wife, actress and cook Yulia Vysotskaya, who is younger than the eldest son of her husband, director Yegor Konchalovsky.

5. Ronnie Wood and Sally Humphreys

Age difference - 31 years

In 2008, Ronnie Wood, guitarist The group The Rolling Stones broke up with his wife Joe after 23 years of marriage for Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova, but the relationship between the old rocker and the fickle Katya did not last long. Three years after his affair with Katya, Wood married for the third time. His new chosen one was 34-year-old Sally Humphreys, a theater producer.

6. Clint Eastwood and Christina Sandera

Age difference - 33 years

Immediately after his divorce from his wife Dina, who was 35 years younger than him, the actor and director found solace in hugs new girlfriend- and again much younger than himself. Now 85-year-old Eastwood lives with Christina Sandera, the administrator of the Mission Ranch hotel owned by the star.

7. Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn

Age difference - 35 years

Woody Allen lived in a civil marriage with actress Mia Farrow for 12 years. The couple had a common son, Ronan, and the couple also took two adopted children, Dylan and Moses. The reason for the breakup between Allen and Farrow was the director's affair... with adopted daughter actress Soon-Yi Previn, whom she previously adopted along with her ex-husband. At that time, the girl was 22 years old, and Allen was 57 years old. In 1997, Soon-Yi Previn and Woody Allen got married and also adopted two girls. By the way, Soon-Yi Previn admits that she never treated Woody Allen as a father, and all the talk about her being his daughter makes her laugh. Mia Farrow does not agree with her, who, after breaking up with Allen, accused him of molesting her daughter and forbade him to communicate with the rest of the children.

8. Al Pacino and Lucila Sola

Age difference - 39 years

In March of this year, confirmed bachelor Al Pacino surprised fans with the announcement that he was going to marry his Argentine girlfriend, actress Lucila Sola. Pacino has been dating her for about five years and notes that a wedding is possible - because the actor never says “never.”

9. Oleg Tabakov and Marina Zudina

Age difference - 30 years

Tabakov met his future wife in 1986, when the young GITIS graduate was accepted into the troupe of Oleg Tabakov’s theater studio (the actor was 51 years old). After ten years of romance, the teacher and student got married, and then became the parents of two children: Pavel, who also started acting career, and Maria, whom Zudina gave birth to at the age of 41.

10. Alexander Gradsky and Marina Kotashenko

Age difference - 32 years

The 65-year-old composer and 33-year-old actress have been together for 12 years, and last year the young wife gave birth to a son from Gradsky, named Alexander in honor of his father. True, the musician is in no hurry to marry his beauty.

11. Roberto Cavalli and Lina Nilsson

Age difference - 47 years

The young model Lina became a muse for the designer and the beginning of a second youth after his divorce from Eva Dühringer. He met the beautiful Cavalli when she was only 20 years old, and, despite the couturier’s age, young Lina lost her head over him.

12. Bari Alibasov and Victoria Maksimova

Age difference - 40 years

The producer met his sixth wife at work: 25-year-old Victoria was Alibasov’s assistant. Despite the fact that the legendary creator of the Na-Na group proposed in live NTV, the wedding was secret.

13. Alexander Gordon and Nozanin Abdulvasieva

Age difference - 30 years

At the time of his acquaintance with 20-year-old VGIK student Nozanin Abdulvasieva, Gordon already had a reputation as a lover of young girls: the journalist had a divorce behind him from Nina Shchipilova, who was also 30 years younger than her husband, and from Katya Gordon, who younger than Alexander for 15 years. Nozanin became Gordon's fourth official wife and the mother of his third child.

Gradsky and his wife, the beautiful Marina Kotashenko, became parents on October 31, 2018, and three days later the artist turned 69 years old. This is Marina’s second child, and Alexander became a father for the fourth time. He has an adult daughter and son born in a previous marriage.

Gradsky and his wife are happy together

For the first time, Gradsky married Natalya Smirnova, but lived with her for only three months. Three years passed and he married Anastasia Vertinskaya. This marriage also did not last long - they separated after two years, although the divorce was not filed immediately. But in his third marriage, with Olga Fartysheva, Gradsky lived for 23 years, and their separation came as a surprise to those around him. This marriage produced a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Maria.

Now Alexander lives with Marina Kotashenko, who is 31 years younger than him. Gradsky and his wife have been living together for 14 years, although they have not formalized their marriage. In 2014, on September 1, their son Sasha was born, and on the last day of October 2018, another boy, Ivan, was born.

About meeting his fourth wife, Gradsky said that on his part it was love at first sight. Alexander saw Marina walking along the sidewalk as he passed by in a car. The beauty of the girl struck him so much that he could not help but stop. Soon Marina felt that next to her there was a man of extraordinary attractiveness, with whom she felt calm and comfortable. And communication with HIM brings joy.

Marina is proud that their eldest son is very similar to his father. Gradsky and his wife have already noticed the boy’s remarkable musical abilities. The baby already has a real guitar, he plays it and sings songs. Sasha enjoys reciting poetry and learning to read.

Gradsky repeatedly talked about how lucky he was that such a beauty fell in love with him, although she could have chosen someone more profitable. He is not at all offended by the fact that sometimes phrases like “beauty and the beast” are addressed to them; he does not at all doubt the reciprocity of their feelings.

Gradsky and his wife settled in the Moscow region, in the village of Novoglagolevo, and live there very happily. Alexander still writes music and teaches vocals.

Creative paths of Gradsky and his wife

Alexander's parents sent him to a music school, where he learned to play the violin when he was 9 years old. The boy did not really like to study at home much, although he loved music.

At school he preferred the humanities and read a lot. At the age of 14, Alexander wrote his first poem. His uncle repeatedly went on tours abroad and thanks to this, records appeared in their house, thanks to which Sasha learned about modern Western music. The teenager became seriously interested in the work of the Beatles, and this played a role in his decision to continue studying music.

While still a fourteen-year-old schoolboy, Alexander took part in performances by the Polish student group “Cockroaches”. Then “Slavs”, “Skomorokhs”, “Scythians”, “Los Panchos”, “Electron”, he played in these groups, but did not sing. Gradsky simply set himself the goal of saving money to purchase decent equipment, and only then show himself and Russian rock and roll in Moscow.

At the age of 20, Alexander entered Gnesinka. Then he began giving solo concerts and singing with a guitar. After graduating from the Gnessin Institute, Gradsky became very popular and began giving many concerts, in which most of his songs were played.

In 1975, Alexander entered the conservatory, but did not stop touring. At the same time, he worked a lot on music for films and released several records. Soon he began teaching, first at Gnesinka, and then at GITIS.

Gradsky's wife, Marina Kotashenko, was a model in a Moscow agency at the time they met. Now, after graduating from VGIK, he plays in the theater studio of his master, Vsevolod Shilovsky. In addition, she can sometimes be seen in some TV series. Marina also received legal education in absentia. Marina motivates this by the fact that she relies only on her own strength, so that her influential husband does not have to provide her with protection.

His father is a mechanical engineer by profession, his mother is a drama theater actress. At one time, she was invited to play at the Moscow Art Theater, but she was forced to leave with her husband to the Urals, where he was assigned after graduation. In Kopeisk, Alexander’s parents are still remembered; on the stand of the Palace of Culture there is a mention of Tamara Pavlovna as the head of an amateur theater, several of whose artists subsequently made professional careers

The family returned to Moscow in 1957. Alexander's father, Boris Abramovich Fradkin, worked at the plant, his mother managed theater clubs, and then was a literary employee at the magazine " Theater life". Due to the excessive employment of his parents, Alexander lived with his grandmother Maria Ivanovna Gradskaya before school in the Moscow region, in the village of Rastorguevo, Butovo district.

Alexander Gradsky about the family Mom
- Gradskaya Tamara Pavlovna, graduated from GITIS, N. Plotnikov’s course, actress, director, then literary staff member of the “Theater Life” magazine.

Mom's parents:
Gradsky Pavel Ivanovich - master of leather goods tailoring, died tragically in 1948.
Gradskaya (nee Pavlova) Maria Ivanovna, housewife. Died in 1980
Mom's brother - Gradsky Boris Pavlovich, artist of the Igor Moiseev ensemble, dancer, played the button accordion beautifully, composed plays for the button accordion, died in 2002.

Dad
- Fradkin Boris Abramovich, graduated from MAMI, mechanical engineer, worked until he was 83 years old, died in 2013.

Dad's parents:
Fradkina (née Chvertkina) Rosa Ilyinichna, worked as a secretary-typist for about 50 years, died in Moscow at the age of 100, in 1996, “grandmother of Russian rock and roll”, welcomed all my professional colleagues who visited our house , for which she deserved this characteristic among them.
Fradkin Abram Semenovich, was divorced from his grandmother at the age of 50, worked as a house manager in Kharkov, and died there at an old age.
Before my mother’s death, I bore my father’s surname; I took the surname Gradsky immediately after her death in 1963 in memory of her.

In Moscow, the family - dad, mom, grandmother (dad's mother) and Sasha - for several years, up to early death mother (in 1963), lived in an eight-meter basement on the corner of Frunzenskaya Embankment, in the “company” of nine other families. From 1958 to 1965, Gradsky, at the insistence of his parents, studied violin at a music school (teacher - student of E.F. Gnesina V.V. Sokolov). The following fact speaks about how good this teacher was: when Sokolov, for some purely everyday reasons, was forced to move to the less prestigious school named after. Dunaevsky, almost his entire “Gnesin” class left behind him. The boy really liked music classes at school, but the need for many hours of home exercises was depressing.

IN secondary school relationships with objects developed somehow immediately. Sasha did not like all mathematical disciplines, physics and chemistry, but history and literature immediately became his element. He voraciously read prose and poetry, and at the age of thirteen he wrote his first poem. Early (for those times) he became acquainted with Western music (E. Presley, B. Haley, E. Fitzgerald, L. Armstrong, F. Sinatra), in Soviet stage gave preference to songs performed by M. Bernes, K. Shulzhenko, L. Ruslanova, and was fond of classical singing (Caruso, Chaliapin, Gigli, Callas).

Sasha's uncle (mother's brother) worked in the Moiseevsky ensemble (ensemble folk dance USSR), one of the few groups that were allowed to tour abroad not only in the countries of the socialist camp, but also in the largest capitalist powers. Thus, my uncle was among those who were lucky enough to participate several times in months-long tours across America. When my uncle returned from abroad, he brought not only foreign things, but also records with outlandish music, which in the Soviet Union only party officials and diplomatic workers had the opportunity to listen to. In my uncle’s collection there were as many as five or six (a rarity at that time!) records: Elvis Presley ’57, Louis Armstrong, an album by saxophonist Steve Getz, some blues. So, thanks to his uncle’s magnificent records and a luxurious “branded” stereo system, Sasha, already at the age of 10-12, had the opportunity to listen to the most modern music in world terms. But he was an aspiring musician, he could appreciate the quality of sound and voice... Alexander himself believes that it was then that he received the first rock and roll impulse, which fell on fertile soil - he was already captivated by the work of domestic performers such as Mark Bernes, Klavdiya Shulzhenko and Lydia Ruslanova. And one more interesting fact: at the age of thirteen, young Gradsky went to the “sound letters” studio on Gorky Street (now Tverskaya) and recorded the song “Tutti-Frutti” by Little Richard. However, under socialist conditions, Presley’s lucky chance was not repeated, and the flexible gramophone record, according to Alexander, “is still lying around somewhere.”

All this was subsequently reflected in his writing and singing style. Already while studying at school, Gradsky tried his hand at school evenings, singing, accompanying himself on guitar and piano, and playing in a theater group...

At the end of 1963, Gradsky appears at the Moscow State University interclub and sings with a group of Polish students “Cockroaches” at several concerts (the repertoire includes two blues and one rock and roll by E. Presley). The first song that Alexander Gradsky performed as part of “Cockroaches” was A. Babajanyan’s twist “ Best city earth”, and during the performance the microphones in the hall were turned off and the finale of the song was performed without them to a “mad” reception from the students.

1964 - the time of moving to a more or less decent apartment and... The Beatles!...

It was then that the decision was made to become a musician, singer, guitarist, composer, poet, in short - Alexander Gradsky...

In 1965, A. Gradsky and Mikhail Turkov organized a group called SLAVS. Later they were joined by Viktor Degtyarev (bass guitar) and Vyacheslav Dontsov (drums). After another two months, Vadim Maslov (electric organ). SLAVS are the third, according to the time of creation, Soviet rock band(after “Brothers” and “Falcons”), which became famous and popular, lasted in this composition for no more than a year. The band's repertoire consisted almost entirely of songs by The Beatles and Rolling Stones. Alexander Gradsky decided that only the Russian language should be the basis of his future music and songs. Hence the creation of the group SKOMOROKHI (1966), focused exclusively on songs and compositions own composition and in Russian. In 1965, another significant event occurred: Gradsky wrote one of his famous early songs, “Blue Forest,” which later became his business card. At the same time, he continues to work with Degtyarev and Dontsov in a group called SKIFY. Initially, this group consists of Sergei Sapozhnikov (bass guitar), Yuri Malkov (drums) and Sergei Dyuzhikov (guitar) plus Gradsky. Landmarks - instrumental (big beat) music. A couple of months later, Sapozhnikov and Malkov are replaced by Degtyarev and Dontsov, then, instead of Gradsky, Yuri Valov comes (later a member American group"Sasha and Yura"). It is interesting that after the departure of A.G. from SKIFOV, his relationship with Dontsov and Degtyarev did not stop; on the contrary, they organized a group called “Los Panchos” and until 1968 they played Western hits at dances in clubs and schools.

The first SKOMOROKHI (except for Alexander Gradsky) are Vladimir Polonsky (drums), who subsequently played for a long time in VIA VESELIE GUYS, and Alexander Buinov (piano), he also ended up in VIA VESELIE GUYS, after which he made solo career. The uniqueness of this group consisted, first of all, in the fact that they “walked along paths unknown to anyone before them.” Gradsky determined the “purity” of the idea, but otherwise everyone was equal. Songs by A. Buinov ("Alyonushka" and "Grass-Ant") and hits by bass guitarist Yuri Shakhnazarov ("Memoirs" and "Beaver"), who joined the lineup a little later, were performed. Immediately after this, A. Buynov was drafted into the army and never returned to the group...

The eternal lack of money to purchase equipment pushes the band's musicians to work in philharmonic societies. Gradsky accepts the offer of the then aspiring composer and pianist David Tukhmanov and goes on short tours around the country, playing the guitar and carefully not showing vocals, so as not to “expose himself.” Sometimes (without Tukhmanov) Buinov and Polonsky join him, sometimes they work on trips and in “chess”, and A.G. "conquers" Moscow with LOS PANCHOS; in 1968, Gradsky even got a temporary job at the famous VIA "Electron", where he replaced Valery Prikazchikov on lead guitar and, again, did not sing...

VIA "Souvenir" In 1967, the first in Belarus opened in Gomel regional philharmonic society. Young energetic artists began touring around the region and beyond and delighting audiences with their art. In the early years, the legendary vocal and instrumental ensemble “Souvenir” worked at the Philharmonic, its main actors which were now widely famous singers Alexander Gradsky and Alexander Buinov, as well as drummer Vladimir Polonsky, who later joined the cult ensemble of Soviet times - “ Funny boys" Anatoly Yarmolenko also began his singing career in this group. In 1971, Souvenir was disbanded. In those years, such a pro-Western ensemble, which had many Beatles songs in its repertoire, could not exist for long. And Yarmolenko created another famous Belarusian ensemble “Syabry”, which also initially performed under the flag of the Gomel Philharmonic. At one time, the artists of the Philharmonic were the famous jazzman Eddie Rosner and the virtuoso accordionist Valery Kovtun.

During these two or three years he traveled almost half of the Union with the most varied repertoire and the most by different musicians and soloists and almost never sang anywhere... Only once, to the roar of a “stunned” audience, he sang a solo concert instead of a sick philharmonic soloist, calling himself by his name...

That was the idea - to earn money for equipment while traveling, then come to Moscow, prepare a repertoire and “produce” Russian rock and roll...

1969 is the year A. Gradsky entered the GMPI named after. Gnesins to the faculty solo singing to teacher L.V. Kotelnikova. Subsequently, he improves his skills in N.A.’s class. Verbova. Chamber class teacher - G.B. Orentlicher; in the opera class such masters as S.S. work with him. Sakharov, N.D. Spiller and M.L. Meltzer. Gradsky begins a parallel solo career, performing alone, with a guitar. This time includes “The Ballad of the Poultry Farm”, “Spain” based on the poems of N. Aseev, “Song of Fools” and the small rock opera “Fly-Tsokotukha”.

A significant period begins when Gradsky, in fact, becomes one of the first experimenters in rock with lyrics in Russian (his own and famous poets). He also turns to Russian folklore.

In 1969 “The Buffoons” are still played by the three of them (A.G. plus Polonsky and Shakhnazarov), in 1970 they were joined by Alexander Lerman, an intellectual, linguist and professional musician, the leader of the group “WINDS OF CHANGE” (later, together with Yu. Valov, he works in the USA in the group “SASA and YURA”, at the same time teaching linguistics at an American university), and instead of V. Polonsky, who moved to VIA “VESELIE GUYATA”, comes breathtaking drummer Yuri Fokin (then left for the USA, at one time he served in the Russian Orthodox Church in a parish near New York). This is the star group cast of “SKOMOROKHOV”. They freely sing songs of their own composition in three or four voices. Moscow has been conquered once and for all. There are no equals, as they say. Unfortunately, almost no records from that period have survived...

At the end of 1971, A. Lerman and Yu. Shakhnazarov (later the founder of the ARAKS group of the Lenin Komsomol Theater, with whose name all subsequent musical success Lenkom, a man who later worked as the leader of A. Pugacheva’s music group) ten days before the start of the All-Union festival in Gorky, Gradsky and Fokin leave...

Fokin brings pianist Igor Saulsky, son, to Gradsky famous composer and a jazzman, and on the Moscow-Gorky train, Gradsky teaches Igor to play the bass guitar and at the All-Union festival of beat groups “Silver Strings” in Gorky, sharing first place with the Chelyabinsk “Ariel”, “Skomorokhi” won six first prizes out of eight. And three of them - “for guitar”, “for vocals” and “for composition” - were received personally by Gradsky. All the previous seven years fit into twenty minutes of a fantastic show on the stage of the Gorky Palace of Culture. After the festival, from time to time, the group is joined by flautist, pianist and vocalist Gleb May, who later made a career as a composer, and the magnificent drummer from Yerevan Armen Chaldranyan...

The period of the first sound recording experiments begins. One of the jury members of the Gorky competition, musicologist Arkady Petrov, who was working at the Yunost radio station at that time, at his own peril and risk, organizes studio recordings of Gradsky and SKOMOROKHOV on the radio. Alexander Gradsky was the first among Soviet rock musicians to create a cycle of compositions based on poems by Burns and Shakespeare - a kind of encyclopedia of rock styles: from blues to rock and roll (ten years later recorded on a record).

Here it becomes completely clear: “Buffoons” is Alexander Gradsky. The Voice of America and Moscow Radio talk about him and the group; his first songs are heard throughout the entire Union.

Since 1972, the group has become Gradsky’s individual (along with guitar, vocals, etc.) instrument for the approval of his musical and poetic ideas. Gradsky's first recordings in the studio became the only and first rock compositions of their kind in the USSR, recorded in a studio multi-channel method, in which he acted as a multi-instrumentalist, the author of all the music, some poetry, a super vocalist, who for the first time in the USSR carried out multiple overdubbing of four voices, and one composition (“Only you trust me”), for the first time since Paul McCartney, was recorded by him in its entirety (parts of all instruments and voices)... In the same 1972, at the suggestion of Tukhmanov, he recorded two of his songs for the LP “How beautiful this world" ("La Gioconda" and "Once Upon a Time"), for the first time in the Union 16-channel equipment is used.

In the same year, “SKOMOROKHI” went on tour to Kuibyshev and Donetsk. At the same time, A. Buinov, Yu. Shakhnazarov, G. May, drummer Boris Bogrychev appeared in their composition, especially for the trip... At the concert in Kuibyshev there was incredible success- after the concert, the group left for the hotel, but half an hour later an instructor from the city Komsomol committee came running for the musicians and reported with horror that the audience was not leaving, was behaving aggressively and demanding to be continued... and the concert was continued until one in the morning...

At the end of 1972, next to Gradsky on stage for the first time, we see bass guitarist Yuri Ivanov, who, almost to this day, is part of the “SKOMOROKHOV” group, as needed.

At the beginning of 1973, Gradsky and Ivanov (I. Saulsky by that time had taken up a number of other projects, playing alternately with different musicians and groups, as well as Yu. Fokin) perform constantly together, changing drummers and inviting various concerts either Fokina or Chaldranyan (currently Igor Saulsky lives in the USA, having made a fantastic career as a professional computer engineer, manager-composer, and subsequently as a businessman).

Leapfrog with the composition, taking into account that the group (according to A.G.’s conviction) should consist of no more than 4 people, leads to a search, and then to the invitation to the group of new participants, as it turned out, Alexander’s constant and forever true friends Gradsky, with whom he recorded all the main songs, compositions, music for films, performances, vocal suites and much more... Outstanding drummer, superjazzman and stylist Vladimir Vasilkov and one of the most powerful saxophonists and flutists of the Union Sergei Zenko, together with Gradsky and Ivanov, composed those “SKOMOROKHOVs” whom we can hear in the recording and be convinced of the skill of the entire group and each individual.

In 1973, Alexander Gradsky’s first solo EP was released with the compositions “Spain”, “Buffoons”, “Blue Forest”, “Coal Miner’s Girlfriend”. In the same year, at one of the studio recordings, again organized by Arkady Petrov, the director of the future film “Romance of Lovers,” Andron Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky, invited by Petrov, appears in the control room. He immediately makes Gradsky an offer to participate in the film, first as a singer, and then as a songwriter, part of the poems and all the music...

An unprecedented case at that time: a 23-year-old composer (not a member of the Union of Composers!) receives an order for music for a 2-part musical film by one of the most famous and talented directors in the country...

The picture was released on the screens of the Union in 1974, in the same year - Alexander Gradsky’s first LP with music from “Romance...”, for which “Billboard” (an international music super-magazine) awarded Gradsky the title “Star of the Year - 1974” for “outstanding contribution to world music" (quote).

In the same year, Gradsky received a diploma from the Institute. Gnessins as “an opera and concert chamber singer” (quote). In the same year he became a laureate international competition pop song "Bratislava Lyre".

Career A.G. unfolds at breakneck speed. He gets the opportunity to tour the country, and his concerts are held in crowded halls with incredible public excitement.

In huge sports palaces, he works three to four solo two-hour concerts a day, stunning the audience with a three-octave range of his voice, a completely unusual repertoire for that time, harsh hard rock accompaniment (in those cases when the group “SKOMOROKHI” is with him), extraordinary acting manner, etc. All this work is organized through philharmonic societies, and the “stamp” of official art appears on Gradsky’s work, i.e. rock music may be officially allowed. Few people remember that A.G. He was the first to “break through” this insurmountable wall, and after him, into the resulting “gap,” all the other rockers rushed...

In 1974, Gradsky completed work on the cycle of songs “Reflections of a Jester.”

In 1975, he worked (following the footsteps of "Romance...") on several films, not forgetting about recordings, even participating in projects of other authors (G. Gladkov, V. Terletsky, E. Kolmanovsky, M. Fradkin, M. Minkov and etc.). At the same time, he entered the Moscow Conservatory in the composition class of T.N. Khrennikova and... records “How young we were” by A. Pakhmutova and N. Dobronravov (you know the result). By the way, this song performed by Gradsky is the only one that was “promoted” by TV and Radio. All his other works are still “squeezed” to this day, despite any changes in politics and everyday life...

In 1976, Gradsky composed and recorded the first part of the suite “Russian Songs”, and in 1978, on the advice of A. Petrov, the second part. "Russian Songs" is the first rock record in the USSR (released in 1980) which became one of the most significant works in rock music of that time. The album's style is defined as "vocal-instrumental suite".

Starting from this time, Gradsky “produces” one studio work after another, vocal suites: “Utopia AG”, “Satires”, “Life Itself”, “Star of the Fields”, “Nostalgia”, “Flute and Piano” - based on classic poems , "Concert Suite", "Reflections of a Jester" (a collection of recordings from 1971-1974, in which A.G. proves the possibility of singing in Russian in different rock styles), "Monte Cristo", "Expedition" - on his poems, the opera "Stadium" (libretto by A.G. and Margarita Pushkina), the ballet "Man" (libretto by A.G.), intended for LP, but their publication is constantly delayed for "understandable reasons" ... " The record here belongs to the suite “Reflections of a Jester” - despite the release of the single in 1978, the entire work was published 16(!) years after recording.

A.G. continues touring activities, songs based on his poems actively appear in his repertoire, sometimes satirical, sometimes simply dangerous for the existing regime... He writes a number of articles in defense of the rock music genre, actively polemicizing with retrogrades and... making a bunch of enemies for himself.

Gradsky begins teaching, works for several years at the Gnessin School - he graduates from the course; the next few years, already at the Gnessin Institute, another course was released. This stage of his work ended with two years of heading the vocal department as a professor at RATI (GITIS). According to him, further teaching is possible only if there is exclusively own class, most likely, we will have to create something like an educational institution...

1980 - the year of Vysotsky’s death becomes a turning point for A.G. He completely goes into the category of “Protestants”, “mixing” tragic satire and dramatic lyrics on a fatal musical basis (“Song about a friend”, “Song about television”, “Monologue of a loaf for 28 kopecks made from premium flour”, “The story of a man, who was unable to go on vacation to the Canary Islands," etc.). At first they don’t “touch” him, then, in 1983-1984. some “troubles” happen, but his voice and talent are always “taken into account”... Gradsky was “grindingly” accepted into the Union of Composers only in 1987, and his first trip abroad (to the USA) took place only in 1988. , to the conference, along with a group of artists, cinema and politics. He sings brilliantly at the closing of the conference, the Americans give him a fifteen-minute ovation...

1987 Work at the radio station “Yunost”. Alexander hosts the “Gradsky Hit Parade”. It was there that the songs of “Kino”, “Alice”, DDT, “Cloud Region”, Bashlachev, “AVIA”, “Zoo”, “Secret” were first performed. According to the composer, his hit parade was a confrontation with “boring officialdom.”

In the same 1988, he already heard a twenty-five-minute ovation addressed to himself and, naturally, to the famous conductor Evgeniy Svetlanov and his stage partners, participants in the Bolshoi Theater production of “The Golden Cockerel” - one of the most difficult operas by Rimsky-Korsakov to perform. The Stargazer Party, the most difficult party in the world opera repertoire, A.G. "clicks" like a nut...

By this time, thanks to the support of Valery Sukhorado, director of "Melody", he was releasing almost all of his works in the form of LPs, writing music for the films "The Prisoner of the Chateau d'If" and "The Art of Living in Odessa", thus increasing the number of films from his music and songs up to thirty-eight! At the same time, he is gradually reducing his touring activities, completely switching to creating a Theater in Moscow modern music. With the support of the Moscow Government, he receives a building in the city center and begins its reconstruction...

The Moscow Theater and Concert Music Association (MTKMO), under his leadership, is implementing a number of complex projects, including: organizing “crazy” solo concerts in Moscow (January 25, 1990, March 17, 1995, and also anniversary concerts 1999, 2004, 2009) with participation symphony orchestras and Russian orchestras folk instruments, choirs, rock groups and their friends in the “workshop”, the release of the “AG Collection”, i.e. thirteen CDs with full meeting works and recordings of Alexander Gradsky, the creation of two musical films"Anti-perestroika blues" (1991), "Live in Russia" (1996) and "Live in Russia - 2" (1999), later released on DVD.

The first trips abroad give results. Gradsky works in joint projects and concerts with such “whales” of Western music as Liza Minnelli, Charles Aznavour, John Denver, Kris Kristoffersson, Diana Warwick, Sammy Davis, Grateful Ded, Cindy Peters in the USA, Germany, Spain, Greece, Sweden. Finally, in 1990, after one of his joint concerts with John Denver in Japan, Gradsky received a contract with VMI (VICTOR), a leading Japanese company. Releases two CDs under her label (Metamorphoses and The Fruits From The Cemetery) and gives several concerts in Japan with a wide variety of repertoire, starting with own songs in Russian and ending with Western hits and Japanese classical romances... Three of his ballets ("Man", "Rasputin" and " Jewish ballad") is staged by the Kiev Ballet Theater (choreographer G. Kovtun), and the last two by the Ice Ballet Theater (artistic director I. Bobrin). All these performances are "tinkering" around Europe and America with enormous success. Despite everything, he does not stop on what has been achieved and persistently continues, in the literal and figurative sense, the “construction” of its musical theater.

“Official recognition” followed - at the turn of the third millennium, Gradsky became the People’s Artist of Russia and the laureate of the State Prize of Russia, as they say, according to the “totality” of merits... The building of the Gradsky Musical Theater is being reconstructed “with difficulty”, but hopes still remain, as and continuation of touring and concert activities. The latest works of Alexander Gradsky can confidently be called events in musical life. This is a “Chrestomathy” - a CD with compositions that are stylistically reminiscent of “Reflections of a Fool”, i.e. an attempt to speak in Russian again in modern genres, and of course, the opera “The Master and Margarita” by M. Bulgakov with a unique cast of participants, work on which went on for more than thirty years in parallel with the “main” activity, which you could read about above... This opera by A.G. was published in a luxurious design (in the form of an old book), included four discs and a complete libretto - by the way, it is also printed in the book "Selected" - it is still awaiting its biographer, since it is not possible to describe the impression of the opera in two words.. .

What now? And now, after the opera, new, “socially tailored” songs, romances and tours, concerts at which A.G., once again entering the hall, demonstrates his brilliant voice, fantastic musicality and artistry, in a word, everything what we have known about him for a long time...

As they say: God willing...

The experience was
Alexander Gradsky, Aug 09, 2011 11:01 am What can make you go to a rally? Practically nothing. It happened before, I went. There was some kind of need, and it seemed that this could contribute to something. Over time, a person comes to a more complete understanding of life, and what I see around me can in no way force me to go to such an event.
I think that even for the sake of something good today it is very difficult to unite people. And all kinds of meetings are most often spontaneous, and they take place when something concerns someone personally. Politicians go to rallies to do their personal business, simple people- to somehow defend your dignity.
As I get older, I begin to think that you shouldn’t go to rallies, but simply, through your existence and work, affirm an idea or concept that is close to you. In my opinion, it is better to improve in your profession. I don’t see the threat that some kind of regime could allegedly set in and work in the profession would become unbearable.
Running a country and society is very difficult. But going to rallies and telling people how to do it is not my thing. Why bother? Now there is a fuss about the pie. But since this pie is not mine, I don’t fuss. Moreover, I have my own.

Alexander Gradsky / singer, composer, National artist Russia
www.golos.org, May 02, 2007 Alexander Gradsky became a father for the third time on September 1, 2014 common-law wife singer, Marina Kotashenko gave birth to a boy. The 64-year-old artist and his 33-year-old companion decided to name their son Alexander. The birth took place in New York, and not by chance. After all, it is known that Gradsky has dual citizenship. The baby was born in one of the city clinics, where Marina was observed throughout her pregnancy. Happy parents have already come up with a name for their newborn baby. “The boy’s name is Alexander Alexandrovich Gradsky. I named him that on purpose. With such a name, patronymic and surname, he will be forced to study music. And I provided him with genes,” Moskovsky Komsomolets quotes Alexander Gradsky.
Let us remember that Alexander Gradsky was married three times. The first marriage, as he calls it, was a student, “trial” marriage. With his second wife, with whom the artist lived for two years, was the famous actress Anastasia Vertinskaya. From the third marriage two children were born - son Daniil Gradsky (1981) and daughter Maria (1986).

Evgenia Khodos- I have a photo - it was provided by Alexander Borisovich Gradsky several years ago for the book “The Voice”. Tell us about this photo: where is it and when?
Leonid Yarmolnik- This photograph is many years old. Zhenya Boldin (third husband of Alla Pugacheva - MP editor), director from St. Petersburg, this is Gradsky himself, of course. And this is Andrey Makarevich.

Information Magazine "VZOR"- a fascinating publication that presents all the diversity and versatility human life: cultural heritage civilizations and their scientific achievements, life stories of outstanding people, impressions of famous travelers, opinions of diplomats and public figures. The magazine "VZOR" covers: poetry and prose, art and architecture, photography and diplomacy, history and life of theater and cinema, paradoxical scientific views and travel. And the magnificent illustrations famous photographers make these materials alive and vibrant.
The magazine "VZOR" is one of the few periodicals accredited and distributed in State Duma Russian Federation, General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, Constitutional Court Russian Federation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies foreign countries, largest airlines, in the best hotels in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan, as well as among representatives of industrial and business business.
Beautifully illustrated periodical, with whom the most famous writers, journalists, scientists, photographers and travelers collaborate. Among them are photographers: Alexander Tyagny-Ryadno, Viktor Akhlomov, Katya Galitsyna, Hermann Westmann (Cologne); journalist and writer - Tatyana Shcherbina; world-famous scientists - Sergei Averintsev; English scientist - Geoffrey Ash; writer - Alexander Kabakov and many others.
The editor-in-chief of the magazine is Oksmon Boris Moiseevich.
The deputy editor-in-chief is famous writer Evgeny Popov.
Members of the editorial board of the magazine are: Vadim Abdrashitov - film director; Vasily Aksenov – writer; René Guerra (France) – professor of Slavic studies; Alexander Gradsky– singer, composer; Boris Messerer – artist; Tatyana Tolstaya is a writer.