Valery Leontiev


Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev is a Russian singer, songwriter and actor, whose popularity peaked in the 1980s and 1990s. He was titled a People's Artist of Russia in 1996. During his career, he achieved international success in Eastern Europe, has the status of a pop icon along with Alla Pugacheva, and is a winner of ZD Awards.
In 1993, Leontyev headlined the Voice of Asia festival, along with Boney M and Gloria Gaynor.
Over the course of his decades-long career, he has recorded more than 30 albums, many of which sold millions of copies. The media refers to Leontiev as a megastar and a legend of the Russian pop.

Early life

Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev was born on 19 March 1949, in Ust-Usa, a village in what is now Russia's Komi Republic. In 1961 the family moved to the city Yuryevets in Ivanovo Oblast.

Musical career

Leontiev's first performance on the big stage took place in 1971, during the Vorkuta regional competition "Song-71". There, Leontiev took second place with the song "Carnaval".
In 1980 Leontiev sang in various concerts, including the Moscow Variety Theatre, Oktyabrsky and Luzhniki. In 1981, the artist won the popularity prize at the prestigious music festival Yerevan-81. American journalists who attended the event noted the expressive manner of performing of the singer and compared him to Mick Jagger. In 1982, Leontiev underwent a serious operation to remove a tumor from his throat, which jeopardized his further singing career.
In 1983, the singer moves to work in the Voroshilovgrad Philharmonic in the Ukrainian SSR. A year later, he was given a whole section in the author's evening "Holy love of music" by composer Raimond Pauls in Moscow.
In 1986 he performed in Chernobyl for the liquidators of the nuclear power plant accident. Alla Pugacheva also performed in Chernobyl. In 1987, Leontyev already became an Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.
The beginning of the 90s was marked for Leontiev splash touring. His concerts were held in Germany, Israel, USA, Canada, India and other countries. In 1991 Leontiev was named the "Best Selling Soviet Artist" at the World Music Awards ceremony in Monte Carlo. In 1994 he performed on stage with Gina Lollobrigida in Saint-Petersburg concert hall "Oktyabrskiy", and in 1996 he was awarded the title People's Artist of Russia. in March 1998 а nominal star of Valery Leontiev was opened on the Star Square in Moscow. in 1999 Leontiev was awarded the "Living Legend Award" at the Russian national music award "Ovation".
In 2011 he was a member of the jury of Crimea Music Fest.

On the stage

  • 1972 – First solo concert was in Vorkuta.
  • 1975 – Tour in USSR
  • 1978 – Tour in Belarus
  • 1980 – First concerts in Moscow
  • 1981 – First solo concerts in Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall, Leningrad
  • 1981 – First participation in the finale of the festival "Song of the Year "
  • 1981 – participated in the competition – festival "Yerevan-81".
  • 1982 – Tour in USSR
  • 1983 – concert program, "I'm just a singer"
  • 1984 – concert program, "I run for life"
  • 1985 – concert program, "Alone with all", which became a cult. Because queues for tickets on a few central streets of Leningrad stopped traffic. 10 concerts
  • 1986 – concert program "Star story" Tour in Czechoslovakia.
  • 1987 – concert program "Favorites", Tour in Bulgaria.
  • 1988 June – 1989 November – rock opera "Giordano", more than 50 concerts in Moscow and Leningrad. Leontiev plays 3 main roles – Giordano Bruno, a clown and Satan.
  • 1988 – show "A matter of taste", tour in India
  • 1988–1989 grand tour of cities of the USSR. For example, only one Novosibirsk in 1988 Leontiev gives a series of 27 recitals. and in Almaty 33 solo concerts.
  • 1990 – show "It seems to me that I have not lived" in the Olympic Stadium. Concerts in USA, India, Germany, Israel
  • 1991 – Tour in India, Canada, USA, Germany
  • 1992 – Tour in Israel, Canada, USA
  • 1993 – show "Full Moon" – first super-show in Russia
  • 1994 – show "Beauty and Casanova" – the first concert of pop star with a symphony orchestra in Russia. With the participation of the sex symbol of the 1960 Gina Lollobrigida. Tour in Israel.
  • 1996 – show "On the road to Hollywood", touring in the US, Germany, Israel, Canada
  • 1998 – Concert on the Star Square, a solo concert at the 50 th anniversary of the State of Israel, a tour in Germany, the United States and the United Arab Emirates
  • 1999 super-show "Photographer of Dreams", a tour to Russia, Ukraine, Israel, United States, Canada, Germany, Baltic states
  • 2001 super-show "Unnamed Planet", a tour to Russia, Ukraine, Baltic States, United States, Germany.
  • 2002 – concert in Atlantic City, Moscow, Kyiv, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Minsk. Tour in Baltic states, Israel, Germany
  • 2003 – concert tour of "The Sixth Life"
  • 2004, concert in Los Angeles, 11–14 March – solo concerts in Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall.
  • 2004, 12 March – The 300th solo concert in St. Petersburg.
  • 2005 – concert program, "Valery Leontiev presents..."
  • 2006–2008 – Tour to Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Israel
  • 2009–2010 an anniversary show of "I love you, miss you, I'm waiting". Tour in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, USA., Israel, Australia, concert in Sydney, Melbourne.
  • 2011 – 21–22 October – concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
  • 2012 – Tour with a concert program "The best ever!", dedicated to the 40th anniversary of creative activity ;
  • 2012 – 21–22 October – concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
  • 2013 – Tour in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan
  • 2014 – 19, 21, 22 March – The anniversary concerts in the Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall, St. Petersburg; 28 March – the anniversary concert in the State Kremlin Palace, concert in Geneva, Israel
  • 2015 – in Sochi. Tour in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Germany.

    Musical prizes

Golden Orpheus

  • 1980 – First prize of the XVI International Festival "Golden Orpheus" in Bulgaria

    World Music Awards

  • 1991 – "Best-selling soviet recording-artist of the year".

    ZD Awards

  • 1980 – Singer of the year
  • 1984 – Singer of the year
  • 1985 – Singer of the year
  • 1986 – Singer of the year
  • 1996 – Best show of the year – "On the road to Hollywood"
  • 1999 – Best show of the year – "Photographer of Dreams"
  • 2001 – Best show of the year – "Nameless Planet"
  • 2009 – Special prize "Legend"
  • 2014 – Special prize for a contribution to the development of Russian pop music

    Ovation

  • 1998 – "Living Legend"

    Golden Gramophone Award

  • 1997 – For song "One ticket"
  • 1999 – For song "Everybody wants to love"
  • 2000 – For song "Augustine"
  • 2005 – Special prize "For contribution to the development of the Russian pop music"
  • 2008 – For song "Dove"

    Song of the year

  • 1997 – Singer of the year and prize for a great contribution to the development of Russian pop music.

    Muz-TV Awards

  • 2003 – Special prize "For achievements in the development of popular music"

    Russian Music Awards

  • 2015 – Special prize for "a unique contribution to the development of the Russian pop music".
  • 2019 – Special prize for "contribution to the development of national culture."

    Others

  • 1981 – Performer of the Year according to the contest, "Estrada-81"
  • 1983 – Singer of the Year according to a poll of readers of the newspaper "Smena"
  • 1987 – The best song of the year "White Crow" on the basis of open voting ITAR-TASS in the USSR, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and others.
  • 1988 – Singer of the Year on the basis of open voting ITAR-TASS
  • 1990 – Best song of the Year according to the All-Union charts TASS "Wicked Way"
  • 1992 – Singer of the Year according to chart hit of the newspaper "Vechernyaya Moskva"
  • 1992 – Song of the Year "At the gates of the Lord" according to chart hit of the newspaper "Vechernyaya Moskva"
  • 1998 – "Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Nine chrysanthemums"
  • 28 March 1998 – the inception of a star on the Star Square.
  • 1999 –"Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Everyone wants to love"
  • 2000 –"Stopudoviy Hit" award from the radio station Hit FM for the song "Augustine"
  • 2005 –Valery Leontiev listed in the Russian Encyclopedia.
  • "God of the Ether 2009" in nomination "Radiorekord"

    Honours and awards

;Orders
;Titles
;Medals
  • Medal "For Faith and Good"
;Awards
  • Lenin Komsomol Prize – for the promotion of Soviet pop songs of youth and high performance skills
  • Prize of the Moscow Government in the field of literature and the arts – for the super show "Full Moon" and "On the way to Hollywood"
  • Prize of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the field of literature and the arts
  • Belarus president award Through Art – to Peace and Understanding presented by Alexander Lukashenko on 12 July 2009
;Public awards
! colspan="3" style="background: pink;" | Golden Orpheus
! colspan="3" style="background: cyan;" | World Music Awards
! colspan="3" style="background: red;" | Ovation
! colspan="3" style="background: silver;" | Muz-TV Music Awards
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Slavianski Bazaar