Biography
Who is Alla Pugacheva?
Early life and music education
Alla Pugacheva was born on April 15, 1949, in Moscow, Russia. Her parents were Boris Mikhailovich Pugachyov and Zinaida Arkhipovna Pugachyova. She began her path in music during 1956 when she enrolled in music school number thirty-one. She continued her formal training at the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Musical Pedagogical Institute. By 1964, she finished her studies at school number 496 before focusing on the choral-conducting department at the college.
Her professional recording career started in 1965. She recorded the track Robot for a morning program on Radio Yunost. Following her graduation in 1966, she toured throughout western Siberia with the musical group Yunost. She also worked as a piano accompanist at the State Circus Musical college. These early experiences provided the foundation for her later success as a performer and composer.
Rise to fame and musical milestones
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Alla Pugacheva provided lead vocals for several bands. These included Novy Elektron, part of the Lipetsk State Philharmonic Society, and the band Moskvichi. She also performed with Oleg Lundstrem's band and the group Vesyolye Rebyata. In 1974, she placed third in the All-Union competition of musicians.
Her major breakthrough occurred in 1975. She won the Grand Prix of the Golden Orpheus international singing contest in Bulgaria. She performed the song Harlequin, written by Emil Dimitrov. The single became an enormous success, selling 14 million copies. The following year, she returned to the festival to perform a concert outside of the competition, resulting in the release of her first album, Zolotoy Orfey 76. Throughout the 1970s, she continued to record numerous songs for films, including the musical drama-comedy The Irony of Fate.
Film work and international tours
In 1977, Alla Pugacheva began working on the musical film The Woman Who Sings. She played the leading lady, a pop singer sacrificing personal life for her career. The soundtrack, co-written by her, reached a record audience of 55 million people in 1979. This soundtrack was part of her double album Zerkalo dushi, which collected her songs from 1975 to 1977. She also released collections in Japan and West Germany during this period.
Her touring schedule grew to include international destinations like the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands. She performed in famous venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Olympia in Paris, and the Apollo in London. In 1988, Billboard magazine compared her talent to musicians such as Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson. The New York Times later described her as a goddess of Russian pop music.
Awards and personal life
The Soviet state recognized her achievements with the title People's Artist of the USSR in 1991. She also became a People's Artist of the RSFSR. Her numerous honors include the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots and three classes of the Order For Merit to the Fatherland. She was named the best singer of the twentieth century in Eastern Europe by the ZD Awards and received the Ovation Award for the 1990s decade.
Regarding her personal life, Alla Pugacheva has been married to Mykolas Orbakas, Alexander Stefanovich, Evgeny Boldin, Philipp Kirkorov, and Maxim Galkin. She has three children, including her daughter Kristina Orbakaitė. She was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from 1998 to 2007. In 2017, Forbes included her in a list of the 100 most influential Russians of the century.
Birthday and age
Alla Pugacheva was born on April 15, 1949, which makes Alla 77 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Alla shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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