Alexander Gradsky

Alexander Borisovich Gradsky (; born Alexander Borisovich Fradkin, 3 November 1949 – 28 November 2021) was a Russian rock singer, bard, multi-instrumentalist and composer.

He was one of the earliest performers of rock music in Russia. His diverse repertoire included rock 'n' roll, traditional folk songs performed with a rock twist, and operatic arias. He composed two rock operas and numerous songs including soundtrack music for several films and cartoons.

Early life and musical beginnings Alexander Gradsky was born on 3 November 1949 in the Russian city of Kopeysk, into a family of mixed Jewish and Russian origin. His father Boris Fradkin was an engineer working in a factory, and his mother Tamara was an actress. His mother encouraged him to learn to play the violin as a child, and her brother, Boris Gradsky, Alexander Gradsky's uncle, was a dancer who toured abroad with the famous Moiseev dance group and brought home records of Western music artists including Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong and Little Richard. Such music was not ordinarily available in Soviet Russia at that time.

By the age of 12, Gradsky was singing Elvis Presley songs and accompanying himself on guitar. In 1963, at the age of 13, he sang with a Polish student band called Tarakany (Тараканы – The Cockroaches) in a concert at the International Club of Moscow State University. Gradsky performed two songs, one of which, "Zhil-byl Ya" (Жил-был я – Once upon a time I was), got critical acclaim. In 1973, film director Andrei Konchalovsky asked Alexander Gradsky to compose and perform music for the film "A Lover's Romance", which was released in 1974, the same year in which Gradsky graduated with a master's degree in vocal performance. He also composed a rock ballet Chelovek (Человек – The Man), released in 1988. He performed the demanding role of the Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Golden Cockerel (Золотой Петушок – Zolotoy Petushok) in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1988.

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In the 80s, Gradsky returned to the writing a poetry and creating social-themed songs. He formed a concert program in the "singer-songwriter" style. He participated in the organization of a number of Soviet rock festivals such as Rock-panorama. He also worked as a host of "Alexander Gradsky's hit-parade" show on radio "Yunost" showing near 107 artists from different genres (artists like Alexander Bashlachev, Yuri Shevchuk, Victor Tsoy, Konstantin Kinchev, Dmitriy Malikov, Vladimir Presnyakov Jr. got their first radio broadcast). Gradsky took part in a charity concert for the liquidators of Chernobyl disaster.

Since the late '80s, Gradsky taught vocals at the Gnesin Music Academy and performed there.

The Voice In 2012-2014, he took part in the TV project "The Voice" as a coach along with Dima Bilan, Pelageya and Leonid Agutin. In the first three seasons, the artists from his team won — Dina Garipova, Sergey Volchkov and Alexandra Vorobyova.

He also took part in 2015; his participant, Mikhail Ozerov, took the second place.

In 2017 and 2021 Gradsky, Pelageya, Bilan and Agutin (often described in mass media as a "golden composition") returned into the show once again. In 2017, a participant from Gradsky's team, Selim Alahyarov, has won the competition. In 2021, Alisher Usmanov took the second place.

A significant part of Gradsky's team made up the troupe of the "Gradsky Hall", opened in 2015.

Personal life Alexander Gradsky was married four times. His first marriage was when he was in his early twenties but it didn't last long and they divorced within months. He was married for the second time in 1970 to actress Anastasia Vertinskaya. His third marriage was with a then 20 year old Lomonosov Moscow University economics student Olga Fartysheva. They were married for 23 years and had two children together Daniel (March 1981) and Maria (January 1986). Alexander was in a relationship with Ukrainian fashion model Marina Kotashenko in his late years, they had two sons together: Alexander (2014) and Ivan (2018).

Death After contracting COVID-19 in September 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, Gradsky's health steadily deteriorated. On 26 November 2021, he did not feel well at home, and was urgently hospitalized at a Moscow hospital for a suspected stroke. On 28 November 2021, he died at the age of 72. On 1 December 2021, he was buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery.

Discography

Rock operas Russian title English translation Year Стадион Stadium (rock opera) 1985 Мастер и Маргарита The Master and Margarita 2009

Other albums and EPs Russian title English translation Released Recorded Давид Тухманов. Как прекрасен мир David Tukhmanov. How Beautiful is the World(Alexander Gradsky sings two songs) 1972 1971 Поёт Александр Градский Alexander Gradsky Sings 1973 (EP) 1969—1972 Романс о влюблённых A Lover's Romance"A Lover's Romance" motion picture soundtrack 1974 1973 Солнце, снова солнце Sun, Sun Again 1976 (EP) 1976 Александр Градский и ансамбль "Скоморохи" Alexander Gradsky and SkomorokhiGradsky's music on R. Burns, W. Shakespeare, A. Voznesensky's verses 1976 (EP) 1976 Александр Градский и Элтон Джон(Только ты верь мне)Alexander Gradsky and Elton John(Only You Trust Me) 1979 (EP) 1972 Русские песни Russian SongsVocal Suite on the themes from the Russian folklore 1980 1976—1978 Александра Пахмутова. Птица счастья Alexandra Pakhmutova. Bird of Happiness(Alexander Gradsky sings two songs) 1980 (EP) Сама жизньВокальная сюита на стихи Поля Элюара Life ItselfVocal Suite on Paul Eluard's verses 1984 1981 Звезда полейВокальная сюита на стихи Николая Рубцова Fields StarVocal Suite on verses by Nikolai Rubtsov 1986 1982 СатирыВокальная сюита на стихи Саши Черного SatireVocal Suite on verses by Sasha Chyorny 1987 1980 Давайте начнём Let's Get Started 1987 (EP) 1985—1986 Утопия АГ Utopia AGVocal Suite on verses by R. Burnes, P. Shelley, and Béranger 1987 1979 Размышления шутаВокальная сюита Reflections of a JesterVocal Suite 1987 1971—1974 Флейта и рояльВокальная сюита на стихи Бориса Пастернака и Владимира Маяковского Flute and Grand PianoVocal Suite on verses by Boris Pasternak and Vladimir Mayakovsky 1988 1983 НостальгияВокальная сюита на стихи Владимира Набокова NostalgiaVocal Suite on verses by Vladimir Nabokov 1988 1984 ЧеловекБалет The ManBallet 1988 1986 Монте-КристоУзник замка Иф Monte Cristo"The Prisoner of Château d'If" motion picture soundtrack 1989 1987 Концерт-сюита Concert Suite 1989 1979—1987 Экспедиция Expedition 1990 1990 (n/a) Metamorphoses 1991 1991 Несвоевременные песни Untimely Songs 1994 1990 Фрукты с кладбища Fruits from the Cemetery 1995 1991 ЖИВьЁМ в России (A)live in Russia 1996 March 17, 1995 Золотое старьё Golden Junk 1996 Коллекция АГ (13CD) Collection of AG (13-CD set) 1996 Легенды русского рокаГрадский и группа "Скоморохи" Legends of Russian RockGradsky and Skomorokhi 1997 ЖИВьЁМ в России 2 (A)live in Russia 2 2000 November 3, 1999 Хрестоматия Reader 2003 2003 Песни для Иры Songs for Ira 2003 2003 Неформат Unformatted 2011 2010—2011

DVDs Russian title English translation Year ЖИВьЁМ в России 2Юбилейный видеоконцерт (A)live in Russia 2Jubilee video concert 2004 ЖИВьЁМ в РоссииЮбилейный видеоконцерт (A)live in RussiaJubilee video concert 2010 Антиперестроечный блюз(фильм-концерт 1990) Anti-Perestroika Blues(Film-concert 1990) 2010

Awards Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (1997) State Prize of the Russian Federation (1999) People's Artist of Russia (1999) People 's Artist of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (2014) Vladimir Vysotsky's "Own Track" Award (2019)