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Grigory Viktorovich Lepsveridze (Russian: Григо́рий Ви́кторович Лепсверидзе, Georgian: გრიგორი ვიქტორის ძე ლეფსვერიძე), known as Grigory Leps; born 16 July 1962), 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 is known for his low, strong baritone voice.[1][2][3]People's Artist of Russia (2022). Grigory Leps reported the highest income of all singers in Russia in 2013 with $15 million,[4] 2014 with $12 million[5] and 2015 with $12.2 million.[6]
Biography
Grigory Leps was born Grigory Lepsveridze in the city of Sochi, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union 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.[7]
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 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.[2][7][8] In 1997, he released his second album, A Whole Life (Tselaya zhizn), which had a few hits including "Chizhik", "Gololed", "A whole life".[8]
In 2000, he released the album Thank You People, with the 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] In 2002, he released the album On Strings of Rain (Na strunakh dozhdya), with a hit "Rumka vodki na stole".[2][8]
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.[9] The second part of the album, Vtoroy was released in 2007 with its presentation concert being held in the Kremlin hall.[8][10] 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,[11] 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 ".
On 22 February 2023, Leps sang at Vladimir Putin's 2023 Moscow rally.
In June 2023, Leps' concert in the Almaty Region of Kazakhstan was canceled following pressure from the Kazakh public and activists over his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan canceled a music festival where pro-Kremlin Russian singers, including Leps, were scheduled to perform.[14]
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 have shanson in it.[3]
Leps, a Georgian Orthodox Christian, 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".[15][16]
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]
Connections with International Criminal Groups
In October 2013, the US Department of the Treasury blacklisted Grigory Leps, over links with an international criminal group.[citation needed] 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.[17]
^Not mentioned in the discography, but quoted here: 1997.Archived 10 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine ... We are releasing the album "Lifetime", where I experiment with different authors ...
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