The legend of the Russian chanson Vilen Ivanovich Tokarev was born on November 11, 1934 on the Chernyshev farm in the Republic of Adygea, his father was a hereditary Kuban Cossack.
Musical abilities began to appear in the boy as early as childhood, he organized an ensemble with friends, and they regularly tired concerts for fellow villagers. The basis of their repertoire was made up of Cossack songs. And already in his school years he showed himself as a poet, his poems were regularly published in the school wall newspaper.
After the Second World War, Willy's father was transferred to Kaspiysk to a leading position, the family moved after the head of the family. Willie continues to hone his musical talents and enters a music school.
But unexpectedly for his family, in 1948 he decides to see the world and gets a job as a fireman on a ship. In his youth, Willie manages to visit the ports of France, Norway and China.
Career
Tokarev says he accidentally became a singer. Nikolai Nikitsky, a film actor and a very popular singer at that time, invited me to accompany him at his concerts. Once during a concert, he himself invited me to sing one of my songs. When I finished, the audience applauded me. Nikitsky, seeing such a success, told me: "Willie, you must sing!" And Tokarev, in addition to playing the double bass and writing songs, began to sing.
From 1970 to 1974 he lived and performed as a singer in the city of Murmansk. According to Tokarev, he moved from Leningrad, because at that time in Moscow and Leningrad, jazz fell out of favor with the authorities, and in Murmansk he could be himself. Tokarev was immediately recruited as a singer at the trendiest restaurant in town, where he made good money and was recognized as a singer-songwriter.
In 1973, Tokarev's song "The Murmansk Girl" became the unofficial anthem of the peninsula.
Moving to the USA
Unexpectedly for family and friends, Willie Tokarev in 1974 decides to emigrate to the United States. At first, he took up any job in order to survive. He was once fired from his job as a courier on Wall Street due to his poor knowledge of English, after which he learned the language on his own from an audio tape. After getting a driver's license, Tokarev started working as a taxi driver, and, finally, earning some decent money. It took him four years in a taxi to raise $ 15,000 for the recording and release of the album. The album, released in 1979 on vinyl, was serious, but alas, was not successful. But the second album, "In a Noisy Booth" (1981), full of humorous songs stylized as urban folklore of the Russian criminal underground, made him famous in the Russian-speaking community of New York.
In the 1980s, his songs became widely known among Russian emigrants in the United States. Tokarev worked as a singer in three of the largest Russian-speaking restaurants on Brighton Beach: Sadko, Primorsky and Odessa, and soon he was able to buy an apartment on the seashore and a car.
Homecoming
Willy Tokarev's first tour of Russia took place in the late 80s. The artist attended more than 70 concerts in all corners of the USSR, and everywhere he was accompanied by sold out houses.
The first hits that brought fame to Willie Tokarev at home were the songs "Fisherman's" and "Skyscrapers". They are still popular among chanson lovers in our time.
In the 90s of the last century, the chansonnier regularly runs between Moscow from New York. In 2005, Willie decides to buy an apartment on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment and stay in Russia forever. Next to his house, he opens a recording studio, in which he still regularly records his new hits.
Personal life
Willie Tokarev, possessing phenomenal charm and charisma, always aroused love in the weaker sex, this could not but affect his personal life. For the first time, the singer tied the knot during his youth in Leningrad, in this marriage very quickly the young spouses had a son, Anton. He decided to follow in the footsteps of his parent and took up chanson-style vocals. Alas, Tokarev's first marriage broke up just a couple of years later. The second time Willie married in 1990, but this time not for long, although he had a second son, who was named Alex. The third time Willie was ringed for only a month, but the singer does not like to remember him. The third marriage lasted only a month, and Tokarev never mentions him in his interviews.
A chance meeting in the metro introduced him to his fourth wife, Yulia Bedinskaya. And despite the difference in age of 43 years, after some time the couple celebrated the wedding.
In an alliance with Julia, Willie had two children - daughter Evelina and son Milen. Now they are studying in the United States, but they are Russian citizens.
Willie Tokarev now
Willie Tokarev is still in excellent shape, he tours a lot and works in the studio. In 2016, at the "Chanson of the Year" concert, he won a standing ovation by performing "Cranes". And in 2017, Channel One released his concert program "Eh, take a walk".
