Sergey Penkin is a popular Russian singer and musician. He is often referred to as the "Silver Prince" and "Mr. Extravagance". Behind Sergey's magnificent artistic abilities and crazy charisma lies a voice of four octaves.
Penkin has been on the scene for about 30 years. Until now, he keeps afloat and he is rightfully considered one of the brightest artists of the modern Russian stage.
Childhood and youth of Sergei Penkin
Sergei Mikhailovich Penkin was born on February 10, 1961 in the small provincial town of Penza. Little Seryozha lived in very modest conditions. In addition to him, the family raised four more children.
The head of the family worked as a train driver, and my mother was a housewife, she cleaned the church. Sergei Penkin's mother was a deeply religious person and tried to accustom children to religion.
Sergey Penkin began to master musical notation in the church choir. The guy even dreamed of becoming a priest. At the very last moment, he turned onto the path of social life, leaving forever plans to enter the Spiritual Academy.
Sergei, in addition to attending high school, took flute lessons. The guy enjoyed visiting the music circle of the House of Pioneers. Having received a certificate of graduation from school, he entered the Penza Cultural and Educational School.
The Penkin family barely made ends meet. There was not enough money for the most elementary things, not to mention giving his son a normal education. Sergei had no choice but to sing in local restaurants and cafes after classes at the school.
After receiving his diploma, Sergei went to serve in the army. He wanted to serve in a hot spot - Afghanistan. However, the command sent Penkin to the Scarlet Chevron army band, where he became a vocalist.
Sergey Penkin: Moving to Moscow
In the early 1980s, Sergei moved to the very heart of Russia - the city of Moscow. He had long wanted to conquer the harsh capital with his singing. However, his path to the goal turned out to be so thorny that the young Penkin even had plans to return to his homeland.
Penkin has been sweeping Moscow streets for a long 10 years. He worked as a janitor and did not lose hope that someday he would enter the famous Gnesinka. Only from the 11th attempt, Sergei became a student at an educational institution.
The creative path of Sergei Penkin
The singing career of Sergei Penkin did not begin with recording studios. For a long time he sang in the capital's restaurants.
In the daytime, holding a broom in his hand, the guy looked after the order in his area. And at night, putting on his favorite suit with sequins, Penkin hurried to the Cosmos, where he delighted the audience with a delightful voice.
The performances of the little-known singer were bright and original. Therefore, tables at the Lunnoye establishment were booked several months in advance - visitors wanted to see a charismatic artist.
Becoming a student of Gnesinka, Sergei did not leave the occupation, thanks to which he received income. He continued to sing in restaurants. In addition, the artist became part of the Lunar Variety Show. Together with the musicians of the band, Penkin began to tour abroad.
In the mid-1980s, Sergei personally met Russian rock legend Viktor Tsoi. The musicians became friends. Their communication grew into the fact that Tsoi suggested that Sergei organize a common concert. Despite the fact that the musicians worked in completely different genres, the performance was incredibly successful. The collaboration and friendship of celebrities lasted until the death of Viktor Tsoi.
In the early 1990s, Sergei Penkin was holding a diploma from the Gnessin Music and Pedagogical University in vocal class. It is not clear what pleased the artist more - the presence of a diploma or the fact that his debut album Holiday appeared in his discography.
Then Sergey was already a very famous person abroad, but he was not noticed in his native country. Penkin often received offers to perform in London, New York and Paris.
Penkin's concerts can be compared to shows and extravaganzas. He performed Russian folk songs to a modern motive. His rainbow colored concert costumes were immediately visible. Sergey was open with his audience - he joked, entered into dialogues with fans. Of course, the audience loved it. All this aroused genuine interest.
Before the collapse of the USSR, only visitors to restaurants and nightclubs knew about Penkin. He was not invited to television. In addition, he was persona non grata at the concerts of most Russian singers.
Sergey Penkin: Peak of popularity
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation changed a lot. Sergei Penkin was first shown on a commercial channel, and then on the rest. The artist's video clip for the song Feelings was often played on central television.
Soon Sergei Penkin went on his first tour in Russia. The tour received the symbolic name "Conquest of Russia". But one RF tour did not end. The artist performed in Germany, Australia, Israel.
Sergey Penkin is one of the first Russian singers who managed to perform on Billboard. In London, he sang on the same stage with a cult figure named Peter Gabriel. The artist even went to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. At the time of these events, Penkin's discography already consisted of 5 studio albums.
In the early 2000s, the artist gave a concert in the capital (accompanied by the Silantiev Orchestra). He also celebrated his anniversary in the hall "Russia". Finally, Penkin's dream of conquering Moscow came true.
Every year, the artist replenished the discography with new albums. Among Penkin's most popular records were the following albums:
- "Feelings";
- "Love story";
- "Jazz Bird";
- "Do not forget!";
- "I can't forget you."
In 2011, he presented one of the most guest albums of his discography. We are talking about the album Duets. The collection includes songs performed in a duet with Lolita Milyavskaya, Irina Allegrova, Anna Veski, Boris Moiseev, Ani Lorak.
Penkin's discography includes 25 albums. In 2016, Sergey presented another collection "Music". Music lovers have found the opportunity to listen to Penkin's old compositions in a new arrangement.
Sergei Penkin contributed to the development of Russian music. Several full-length films have been released about the artist, which deal with his creative and personal life.
By the way, he repeatedly took part in dubbing cartoons (“New Bremen”, “Frozen”) and starred in Russian TV series (“My Fair Nanny”, “Travelers”, “Doomed to Become a Star”). Despite the fact that many see Penkin as a cheerful person and a charismatic artist, his voice is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
Personal life of Sergei Penkin
Sergei Penkin never liked questions about his personal life. He was often accused of being gay. It's all to blame - colorful outfits, bright makeup and manner of communication.
During the first tour to London, Penkin met an English journalist who had Russian roots. The couple's relationship was so serious that in 2000 Sergei married a girl. However, the couple soon filed for divorce. Sergei lived in Russia, in a country house built according to his own sketches. His wife Elena did not want to leave Britain.
Sergei wanted to marry Lena. The woman is tired of living in two countries. She did not like that her husband was practically never at home due to constant touring.
In 2015, journalists said that the heart of Sergei Penkin was busy again. The press wrote articles that the artist was dating an Odessa woman named Vladlena. The girl worked as a presenter on a local TV channel.
The singer was truly happy. He even adopted Vladlena's daughters from his first marriage. Soon the couple went to Paris, where Penkin made a marriage proposal to the woman. Vladlena did not reciprocate the artist.
Sergey was difficult to experience the rejection of his beloved woman. A strong emotional shock led to the fact that he lost 28 kg. After some time, Penkin again began to appear at social events.
Interesting facts about Sergei Penkin
- In the mid-1980s, Sergei went to conquer the Gnesins Moscow Musical and Pedagogical Institute. He made a bet with his dad for a box of vodka that he would study at a prestigious university.
- In the USSR, the name of Sergei Penkin was included in the so-called "black list". Often his concerts were canceled, and the clips were not broadcast on television.
- Once he took part in the competition "Superstar. Dream Team" on the NTV channel, where he took 2nd place.
- For his triumphant performances in Canada, he was nicknamed the "Silver Prince".
- As a child, he played hockey and roller skates. Now it can not be called an extreme. The artist prefers a quiet rest at home.
Sergey Penkin today
In 2016, Sergei Penkin turned 55 years old. He met this solemn event at the site of Crocus City Hall. The celebration of the anniversary passed on a significant scale.
Sergei paid considerable attention to touring life. He organized tours not only in his native Russia, but also abroad with a full house. The last concert program of the artist was called "Music Therapy". On stage, Penkin created a 3D mapping show, where each track was accompanied by its own video art, as well as lighting effects.
In 2018, Penkin presented his new show "Heart to Pieces" to fans of his work. It is not difficult to guess that the show is literally filled with lyrical compositions. In addition, he presented the single "Flew with me."
In 2020, Sergey Penkin expanded his repertoire with the track "Mediamir". In addition, the artist performed with his show on the territory of St. Petersburg and Moscow. The latest news can be found on the official website of the artist.
