Alexander Gradsky is one of the most famous Soviet and Russian pop performers, who can be called the ancestor of rock in the country. For numerous musical, theatrical and pop achievements he was awarded several state prizes. The artist also had a rather interesting personal life: he was married several times, and the current wife of Gradsky is 30 years younger than him.
Biography of Alexander Gradsky
The future artist was born in 1949 in the Ural city of Kopeisk. A few years later, the family moved to Moscow, and at the age of 9, Alexander entered a music school. So the music captured the boy completely. He collected records from the most famous artists and was especially fond of the work of the Western group The Beatles. By the age of 16, Gradsky firmly decided to become a singer and musician. During this period, he began performing as part of the student collective "Cockroaches", and the very first song performed by the young singer "The best city in the world" became a real hit.
In 1969, Alexander joined the ranks of students of the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music. Studying at the university strengthened his vocal and musical skills. He formed a new group "Skomorokhi" and began to experiment with lyrics and melodies, leaning towards rock. The team traveled around the country and gathered enthusiastic applause everywhere. Diligence and perseverance turned Gradsky into a real celebrity, and in 1971 the Skomorokhs even won the prestigious Silver Strings festival.
In his post-student years, Alexander Gradskiy wrote his legendary songs "How Young We Were" and "How Wonderful This World", which were released on discs and sold like hot cakes. He also took part in the creation of musical scores for films. Especially famous is the "Romance of Lovers" written and performed by Alexander Gradsky, which sounded in the film of the same name, shot by Andrei Konchalovsky. This song earned the artist the title of "Star of the Year" according to Billboard magazine, which named Gradsky "a world star".
The musician not only wrote and performed compositions in films, but also personally performed several roles. He can be seen in the paintings "A Visit of Courtesy", "Tuning Fork", "Genius" and others. Connoisseurs of Gradsky's creativity also remember him well from his participation in the fundamental rock operas "Mukha-Tsokotukha" and "Stadium". And since the late 1970s, Gradsky began teaching young artists in his native "Gnesinka" and at GITIS, heading the vocal department. In the 90s, the artist made a world tour, performing with Chris Christophersson, John Denver and other popular performers.
In 2000, Alexander Gradsky was recognized as the People's Artist of Russia. He received the award personally from the hands of the country's President Vladimir Putin. Today, the artist continues to be engaged in creativity, and his discography already has 15 albums. Alexander Borisovich is also known for his work on television: several times he was a member of the jury of the vocal project "Voice" on the country's main channel, and under his mentorship several new talented musicians were born.
Personal life of the artist
Alexander Gradsky, by his admission, was always attracted by spectacular women. For the first time he got married in his student years, having married a girl named Natalya Smirnova. They lived together for only three months, and later Gradsky admitted this a mistake made in his youth.
The artist entered into his second marriage in 1976 with actress Anastasia Vertinskaya, but it did not last long either. The third chosen one of Gradsky was named Olga, and this union lasted for 23 years. The wife gave the singer two children - son Daniel (born in 1981) and daughter Maria (born in 1986).
In 2004, Alexander Gradsky had an affair with a model of Ukrainian origin Marina Kotashenko, who turned out to be 30 years younger than the artist. When they met, which took place right on the street, the girl did not recognize the Russian celebrity. They agreed to call and meet again. As Marina admits, Alexander won her over with his charm, and with him she managed to feel easy and calm.
Family and children of Gradsky
The artist and his beloved live together without ever entering into an official marriage. In 2014, they had a son, Alexander. The musician was very happy about this event, but at the same time he does not forget about the children from his previous marriage, maintaining warm relations with them. It is known that the eldest son and daughter of Gradsky live in the United States most of the time, only occasionally arriving in Russia.
Alexander Borisovich is making big plans for his son Sasha, trying to teach him the intricacies of music at an early age. The family lives in a large country house in the Moscow region, where they decided to move in order to hide from the ubiquitous representatives of the press, whom Gradsky often calls "journalists" for their importunity. Here Alexander continues to create musical masterpieces in a calm and measured atmosphere. And at the end of 2018, the common-law wife of the artist made him happy with the birth of his second son, who was named Ivan.
