Valery Leontiev facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valery Leontiev
Валерий Леонтьев
Born	(1949-03-19) 19 March 1949 (age 76) Ust-Usa, Komi ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Alma mater	Saint-Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts
Occupation	Singer songwriter actor
Years active	1972–present
Title	People's Artist of Russia (1996)
Awards	Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (Russia,3rd,4th class) Order of Honour (Russia,2009) Order of Friendship (Russia,2014) World Music Awards (1991)
Musical career
Genres	Pop Dance-pop Rock
Instruments	Vocals
Signature

Valery Yakovlevich Leontiev (Russian: Валерий Яковлевич Леонтьев; born 19 March 1949) is a famous Russian pop singer, songwriter, and actor. He became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1996, he received the important title of People's Artist of Russia.

Valery Leontiev has been successful in many countries, especially in Eastern Europe. He is seen as a major pop icon, much like Alla Pugacheva. He has also won several ZD Awards for his music. In 1993, he was a main performer at the Voice of Asia festival, sharing the stage with international stars like Boney M. and Gloria Gaynor.

Throughout his long career, Valery Leontiev has released over 30 albums. Many of these albums sold millions of copies. The media often calls him a "megastar" and a "legend" of Russian pop music.

Early Life and Beginnings

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

His first big performance was in 1971. This happened during the "Song-71" competition in Vorkuta. Valery Leontiev won second place with his song "Carnaval."

A Look at His Musical Journey

In the early 1980s, Valery Leontiev performed in many concerts. These included shows at the Moscow Variety Theatre and the Luzhniki stadium. In 1981, he won a popularity award at the "Yerevan-81" music festival. American journalists at the event noticed his energetic style. They even compared him to the famous singer Mick Jagger.

In 1982, Valery Leontiev had a serious throat operation. This made people worry if he could continue singing. But he recovered and kept performing.

In 1983, he started working with the Voroshilovgrad Philharmonic in Ukraine. The next year, he had a special part in a concert in Moscow. This concert featured music by the composer Raimond Pauls.

In 1986, Valery Leontiev performed for the cleanup workers in Chernobyl. This was after the nuclear power plant accident. Other famous artists, like Alla Pugacheva, also performed there. In 1987, he was named an Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.

International Success and Awards

The 1990s were a time of many tours for Valery Leontiev. He held concerts in Germany, Israel, the USA, Canada, and India. In 1991, he won the "Best Selling Soviet Artist" award. This was at the World Music Awards ceremony in Monte Carlo.

In 1994, he performed with actress Gina Lollobrigida in Saint-Petersburg. In 1996, he received the high honor of People's Artist of Russia. A special star for Valery Leontiev was placed on the Star Square in Moscow in March 1998. In 1999, he received the "Living Legend Award" at the Russian national music award "Ovation."

In 2011, he was a judge at the Crimea Music Fest.

Valery Leontiev on Stage

Valery Leontiev has had a very active career on stage.

• 1972 – His first solo concert was in Vorkuta.
• 1975 – He toured across the USSR.
• 1980 – He performed his first concerts in Moscow.
• 1981 – He had his first solo concerts in Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall in Leningrad.
• 1983 – His concert program "I'm just a singer" had 18 sold-out shows in Leningrad.
• 1985 – His "Alone with all" concert program was so popular. People lined up for tickets on several streets in Leningrad.
• 1988-1989 – He performed in the rock opera "Giordano." He played three main roles in this show.
• 1990 – He performed a big show called "It seems to me that I have not lived" at the Olympic Stadium. He also toured in the USA, India, Germany, and Israel.
• 1993 – His show "Full Moon" was the first "super-show" in Russia.
• 1994 – He performed "Beauty and Casanova," which was the first time a pop star sang with a symphony orchestra in Russia.
• 1996 – His show "On the road to Hollywood" toured the US, Germany, Israel, and Canada.
• 1999 – He launched the "Photographer of Dreams" super-show. This show toured many countries.
• 2009-2010 – His anniversary show "I love you, miss you, I'm waiting" toured globally. This included shows in Australia, in cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
• 2011-2012 – He performed "The best ever!" concerts. These celebrated his 40 years in music.
• 2014 – He had anniversary concerts in St. Petersburg and Moscow. He also performed in Geneva and Israel.

Musical Achievements and Prizes

Valery Leontiev has won many important music awards throughout his career.

Golden Orpheus

• 1980 – He won the First prize at the XVI International Festival "Golden Orpheus" in Bulgaria.

World Music Awards

• 1991 - He was named "Best-selling Soviet recording artist of the year."

ZD Awards

• 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986 - He was named "Singer of the year."
• 1996 - His show "On the road to Hollywood" won "Best show of the year."
• 1999 - His show "Photographer of Dreams" won "Best show of the year."
• 2001 - His show "Nameless Planet" won "Best show of the year."
• 2009 - He received a special "Legend" prize.
• 2014 - He received a special prize for his contribution to Russian pop music.

Ovation

• 1998 - He was given the "Living Legend" award.

Golden Gramophone Award

• 1997 - For his song "One ticket."
• 1999 - For his song "Everybody wants to love."
• 2000 - For his song "Augustine."
• 2005 - Special prize for his contribution to Russian pop music.
• 2008 - For his song "Dove."

Song of the Year

• 1997 – He was named "Singer of the year." He also received a prize for his great contribution to Russian pop music.

Muz-TV Awards

• 2003 - He received a special prize for his achievements in popular music.

Russian Music Awards

• 2015 - Special prize for his unique contribution to Russian pop music.
• 2019 - Special prize for his contribution to national culture.

Honors and Special Titles

Valery Leontiev has received many honors and titles. These show his importance in Russian culture.

Orders

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  Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd class
  Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd class (2022) – for his great work in developing national culture and art.
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  Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class
  Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class (2005) – for his big role in music development.
• 

  Order of Honor
  Order of Honor (2009) – for his great work in national music art.
• 

  Order of Friendship
  Order of Friendship (2014)

Titles

• People's Artist of Russia (1996)
• Merited Artist of Ukrainian SSR (1987)
• People's Artist of the Republic of Komi (2009)
• Honorary Citizen of Sakha Republic (2014)

Medals

• Medal "For Faith and Good" (2010)

Awards

• Lenin Komsomol Prize (1985) – for promoting Soviet pop songs and his great performance skills.
• Prize of the Moscow Government (1996) – for his super shows "Full Moon" and "On the way to Hollywood."
• Prize of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (1999).
• Belarus president award Through Art - to Peace and Understanding (2009) – presented by Alexander Lukashenko.

Discography

Valery Leontiev has released many albums throughout his career. You can find a full list in the Valery Leontiev discography article. Here are some of his studio albums:

Songwriting Contributions

Valery Leontiev has also written some of his own songs.

As a Composer

He composed these songs with Yuri Varum:

• 1985: Mongolia
• 1985: Flower Seller
• 1986: Remember them Flying
• 1986: Game № 1
• 1986: Fires
• 1987: Dog Show
• 1987: Familiar Fairy Tale
• 1987: Kukaracha
• 1987: Skyscrapers
• 1987: I Don't Like
• 1988: I Went to the Microphone

As a Lyricist

He wrote lyrics for these songs:

• 1985: Birth Day (with Vladimir Kostrov)
• 1993: Touch (with Nikolai Denisov)

Film and TV Appearances

Valery Leontiev has appeared in several films and musical TV shows.

Filmography

• 1981: In a strange feast
• 1985: Do Not Marry, Girls
• 1985: Insurance agent
• 1992: Psychic

Musical Films and Shows

• 1979: Crimean Dawns
• 1979: The film-concert "Stars Olympic regatta"
• 1984: I do not say goodbye to you
• 1984: Winds Baltic
• 1985: Stained glass maker
• 1986: Clown with autumn in the heart
• 1986: How to become a star
• 1987: Valery Leontiev (film)
• 1990: Valery Leontiev. Let me go with you
• 1991: Valery Leontiev Sings
• 1991: Valery Leontiev. Made in India
• 1997: Saturday evening with Valery Leontiev
• 1997: Such different Valery Leontiev
• 1997: Parade parade is Valery Leontiev
• 2000: The reverse side of Valery Leontiev
• 2002: Cinderella (Musical film)
• 2003: Three tunes for the film Valery Leontiev
• 2009: Valery Leontiev in Komi
• 2009: I have not lived. Valery Leontiev
• 2009: Valery Leontiev: Lost laughter
• 2009: Benefit Valery Leontiev "The Book of Fate"
• 2012: Anniversary concert of Valery Leontiev "The best ever!"
• 2012: "Hurtling time if a rider"

Personal Life

Valery Leontiev is married to Lyudmila Isakovich, who is a bass guitarist. They have been together since 1972. Their marriage was officially registered in 1998. His wife lives in Miami.

Images for kids

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  Leontiev receives the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin, 31 July 2014

See also

In Spanish: Valeri Leóntiev para niños

• Russian pop music