The famous Russian singer and theater actor is known and loved by millions. He has been fascinated by his work since the 1980s, when the young musician managed to organize the very popular Secret group. But Maxim Leonidov did not stop there. After leaving the team, he began a successful free "swimming" in the world of show business as a solo artist.
He knows how to surprise and fascinate the listener with his unforgettable timbre. His albums "Melody", "Recognition" were sold in millions of copies. To impress his fans even more, the singer released the Maxim album in Hebrew. But the star does not live by music alone, he is an excellent theater and film actor.
Maxim Leonidov starred in such films as: “Vysotsky, thank you for being alive”, “Deadly Force”, “Old Songs about the Essentials”, etc. You can also often see him on the theater stage in the most unpredictable roles.
The childhood of the artist Maxim Leonidov
The singer was born on February 13, 1962 in St. Petersburg in a family of honored artists of the National Comedy Theater. He was a late and desired child. His mother gave birth to him at the age of 40. Therefore, parents tried to give their son maximum love, warmth and care. But happiness did not last long. Maxim's mother died of a complex illness when the boy was only 5 years old. After some time, the father brought a new wife to the house, who managed to replace the real mother of the child.
From his parents, the boy received innate artistry, perfect hearing and a beautiful voice. Therefore, at the end of the secondary school, the guy entered the St. Petersburg Choir School. After graduating from it, he immediately submitted documents to LGITMiK. In 1983, Maxim received a diploma as an actor in theater and cinema.
The beginning of a creative career
No matter how it sounds, but the way to the pop world was opened to the guy by military service. Since Maxim already had a musical education, he was left to serve in the Leningrad military song and dance ensemble. Here he became friends with the already famous Nikolai Fomenko and Zhenya Oleshin.
After the army, Leonidov managed to fulfill his old dream - he created the Secret group. He invited Nikolai Fomenok, Andrei Zabludovsky and Alexei Murashov to it. The guys actively worked on creating an image and repertoire. Two years later, the team had a significant army of fans.
With this line-up, the musicians recorded and released two very popular albums, which were sold in millions of copies. Due to many reasons, the group broke up after 5 years of existence. All members began to pursue solo careers. At that time, Maxim Leonidov was already married.
When the opportunity arose to leave for permanent residence in Israel, the singer and his wife decided not to miss the chance and survive the difficult and “dashing 90s” in a developed country. Here the artist also managed to release two discs (one of which was in Hebrew). But the artist did not have such popularity as at home. In 1996, the couple returned to their homeland.
Arriving in Russia, the artist immediately released the next album "Commander". Songs from the collection instantly hit all radio stations in the country. And Leonidov again became popular. The singer created a new group Hippoband. He became its soloist and ideological leader. The first musical works of the group instantly became hits throughout the post-Soviet space.
Thanks to the album "Don't Let Him Get Away", the musicians were very popular. Not a single concert could do without their participation, all glossy magazines dreamed of interviewing them and doing a photo shoot. And also the group organized all sorts of tours around the country and abroad.
In 2017, the singer delighted his fans with the new album "Nad", which is dedicated to the anniversary. After the presentation and the magnificent celebration of the 55th anniversary, the artist organized several solo concerts in the big cities of Russia.
Theater and cinema in the life of Maxim Leonidov
Leonidov's unique acting talent was noticed while still studying at the theater institute. His thesis, where he played the role of Ivan Karamazov in a play based on the novel by F. Dostoevsky, received a lot of positive feedback from teachers.
In the 1980s, the name of the actor was on everyone's lips thanks to the popular play "Oh, these stars." Maxim also continued to develop in Israel in this direction, he played in the chamber theater. The most memorable role of this period was the Pharaoh from the musical "Joseph and his striped shirt."
Today, the artist surprisingly manages to harmoniously combine two creative professions - a singer and an actor. His first film work was the musical "How to Become a Star", where he played one of the main roles. The next musical "King of Rock and Roll" was created specifically for Leonidov, who played the main role of Elvis Presley.
In 2003, the audience was pleased with the new series "Demon of the Half Day" with the participation of Maxim Leonidov. And in 2005, the artist was invited to star in the New Year's musical Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
In 2013, the artist played in the musical Pola Negre by J. Yuzefovich. And the following year, the premiere of a new production of "Inveterate Scammers" took place. In it, Maxim Leonidov played on the same stage with his wife (actress Alexandra Kamchatova).
Personal life of the star Maxim Leonidov
In interviews with various publications, the singer tries to correctly avoid questions about life outside of creativity. The personal life of the artist is no less eventful than life in art. Maxim Leonidov was married three times. With his first wife, Irina Selezneva, the man lived for a very long time. Together they emigrated to Israel, where the woman tried to support her husband's creativity.
After the divorce, the singer married a second time to a colleague on the theater stage, Anna Banshchikova. But the relationship was fragile, and two years later the couple broke up. According to the artist, the last marriage was happy. The third wife of Maxim was Alexandra Kamchatova, whom the man married in 2004.
The age difference between the spouses is 17 years. But this does not prevent them from living in love and enjoying every day spent together. The couple has two children and makes many joint plans.
Maxim Leonidov in 2021
Leonidov presented a video for the track "Autumn in your city." The work was directed by D. Povyazny. In the video clip, Maxim plays the piano while his wife walks around black and white St. Petersburg.
