Grigory Leps

Grigory Leps
Background information
Birth name	Григорий Викторович Лепсверидзе Grigory Victorovich Lepsveridze
Also known as	Григорий Лепс Grigory Leps
Born	(1962-07-16) 16 July 1962 Sochi, Russian SFSR
Origin	Georgian
Genres	Soft rock, Russian chanson
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Singing, guitar, piano, drums
Years active	1995–Present
Labels	Мистерия Рекордс
Website	www.grigoryleps.ru

Grigory Victorovich Lepsveridze (Russian: Григо́рий Ви́кторович Лепсверидзе) known as Grigory Leps, is a Russian singer-songwriter of Georgian origin. His musical style gradually changed from Russian chanson in his early years to Soft Rock recently. He's known for his low, strong baritone voice with long-range vocals .^[1][2][3]

Biography

Grigory Leps was born Grigory Lepsveridze in the city of Sochi, Russian SFSR in an ethnically Georgian family. He finished music school in the class of Percussion instrument. After the army he started to play and sing in a few rock bands, and worked as a singer in restaurants.^[4]

He suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction, and to get far from that life he went to Moscow. There he started singing in restaurants, until he received a record deal, and in 1995 he released the album May God Keep You (Khrani vas Bog). The song "Natali" became a huge hit, but he didn't know that because he was hospitalized for drugs and alcoholism. The doctors told him that one more drop of any of the drugs could kill him completely.^[2][4][5]

In 1997, he released his second album, A Whole Life (Tselaya zhizn), which to had few hits including "Chizhik", "Gololed", "A whole life".^[5]

In 2000, he released the album Thank You People, with the major hits "Shelest" and "Nu i chto". At that album was seen the change in Leps's style, with him completely leaving the Shanson and moving to rock music.^[2] That year he met Anya, a dancer in the Laima Vaikule ballet who became his wife. At the same time he lost his voice, and went through an operation.

In 2002, he released the album On Strings of Rain (Na strunakh dozhdya), with a major hit "Rumka vodki na stole".^[2][5]

In 2004, he released a cover album of songs written by Vladimir Vysotsky in rock versions, Parus. The song "Parus" had a video clip and the album took top places at the selling charts.^[6] The second part of the album, Vtoroy was released in 2007 with its presentation concert being held in the Kremlin hall.^[5][7]

In 2005, he released a compilation album called Izbranoye... 10 let.

In 2006, he released two albums, both reaching high success. Labirint, with the hits Labirint and Vyuga,^[8] and the album V tsentre zemli, with the hit Zamerzayet Solntse. The premier concert for the V tsentre zemli album took place in the Luzhniki Stadium.^[1]

In 2007, he released two compilations. I'm Alive (Ya zhivoy, videoclips), and All My Life - a Road (Vsya moya zhizn - doroga, best songs).^[2]

In 2009, about the presentation of the album, "Waterfall ". It includes brand new songs old hits.

In February 2011, he took a trio of concerts devoted to the new album "Pince-nez" After a year Leps moved to a different style of music.

Musical style

Leps is known for his wide vocal range. He has a low growling voice. His style mixed rock music, pop music, and used to also has shanson in it.^[3]

Family

He met his second wife Anna Shaplykova in 2000, she was a dancer at the Laima Vaikule ballet, with whom they had two daughters, Eva (b. 2002), Nicole (b. 2007) and a son Ivan (b. 2010). He also has a daughter from his previous marriage with Svetlana Dubinskaya, Inga Leps, an actress.

Trivia

• Leps, a Russian Orthodox, always chose an apartment so a church would be seen through the window, or at least a road, because it "always leads to a church".^[9][10]
• He collects old books.^[9]
• He collects Icons, and for one of them he once gave his car. Among his collection he has an icon that belonged to the Romanovs, as well as another icon from the 15th century.^[3]
• He collects sunglasses.

Connections with International Criminal Groups

In October 2013, the US Department of the Treasury blacklisted Grigory Leps, over links with an international criminal group.^[11] He was accused of being a money courier for the Brothers' Circle, which the Treasury describes as a Eurasian criminal organization chiefly based in countries of the former Soviet Union.^[12]

Discography

Albums^[13]

• 1995 — Натали (Natalie)
• 1997 — Целая жизнь (Lifetime)^[14]
• 2000 — Спасибо, люди... (Thank you, people ...)
• 2002 — На струнах дождя... (On the strings of rain ...)
• 2004 — Парус (Sail)
• 2006 — Лабиринт (Maze/Labyrinth)
• 2006 — В центре Земли (In the center of the Earth)
• 2007 — Второй (Second)
• 2009 — Водопад (Waterfall)
• 2011 — Пенсне (Pince-nez)
• 2011 — Берега чистого братства (Bank of pure brotherhood) together with singer Alexander Rosenbaum
• 2012 — Полный вперед!

DVDs^[13]

• 2005 — Парус Live (Sail Live) Concert at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow March 13, 2004
• 2007 — В центре Земли Live (In the center of the Earth Live) Concert in SC "Olympic" November 16, 2006
• 2007 — Я — живой! (I (am) alive) Collection of video clips
• 2010 — Что может человек (What can a man) Sat ornik videos
• 2010 — Водопад Live (Waterfall Live) Presentation album, "Waterfall", SC "Olympic" November 20, 2009, Full version concert
• 2011 — Научись летать Live (Learn to fly) Presentation album, "Pince-nez", Crocus City Hall, 7 mat, Full version concert

Collections^[13]

• 2005 — Избранное... 10 лет (Favorites... 10 years)
• 2007 — Вся жизнь моя — дорога... (All my life - the road ...)
• 2010 — Берега. Избранное (Shore. Favorites)

References

External links

• Official website (Russian)