The colourful life of a small and yet great man - the story of Willi Tokarev

Willie Tokarev - one of the brightest and most interesting representatives of the Russian scene. However, he is also an American performer! At the age of 40 Tokarev left for the West with a hundred dollars in his pocket! Those were not easy times - in the USA, in fact, Willi was a nobody wasn't expecting. Nevertheless, he managed to withstand the blows of fate and realise his "American dream.".

But it is not only the years he spent away from his homeland that deserve attention. Willie also had time to see and do a lot in our country, both before and after his return to America. He was an extraordinary man - warm-hearted, open, generous and loving to his fans. People who had the opportunity to personally communicate with Tokarev, unanimously say: he did his work conscientiouslyHe did not suffer from star disease, he was always pleasant and easy to talk to. Despite his short stature (only 1.51 metres), Willi Ivanovich was a great man! And his difficult fate like a real Hollywood blockbuster...

Closely socialised with both stars of the national pop music scene and authorities underworldwhich he never hid or was ashamed of. Otherwise, it was difficult to survive in those years - for example, if it had not been for "Japonchik." (Vyacheslav Ivankov), in America Willie would simply disappear... One day the singer was approached by the Italian mafia, who wanted money. It was to "Yaponchik", who settled the matter, that Tokarev dedicated the song "Glory.". And he also helped find a "fictitious" wife so that Ivankov could stay in the States. But that's another story.

Early years and first endeavours

Contrary to popular belief, Tokarev was not Jewish - he was born into a family of Kuban Cossacks in 1934 on the farm Chernyshyov. Already at the age of 14 Willi (real name Vilen) was working as a stoker on a ship! Then service, studies, work - the young double bassist played in the country's most famous pop orchestras including "Sovremennik" Anatoly Kroll! During this period Willi discovered himself as a poet - it was his pen that belonged to "Rain." Edita Piekha, "Who's to blame?" Anatoly Korolev and other famous compositions. And his song "Apatity - a polar town" (together with Vladimir Yartsev) has become an informal anthem for Apatity residents!

Willie moved to Murmansk not out of the call of his heart, but because of the persecution of jazz musicians. Here, in fact, he became local starand his famous "Murmanchanka" - his first big hit. But soon his work gets into the "black list", as a result of which Tokarev decides to take a risky step - he leaves his native land and goes to the centre. U.S.A. with a hundred dollars in his pocket.

"Hello, America!"

America wasn't expecting 40-year-old The Soviet musician was welcomed with open arms. Moreover, it was very difficult for Willie to find a job in the new country: when he was working as a nurse, his colleagues were trying to weed him out of the team in every possible way - they didn't like the Russian man. Tokarev was a courier, and a cleaner, and a newspaper carrier... And even unemployed - he knew English poorly, and without it in a foreign country the roads were closed to him. So he learnt by reading American newspapers. And later taxi driver I got a job - that's a separate, true crime story. In those years, New York taxi drivers had a hard time - robberies and assaults were commonplace. So, Tokarev was robbed many times, and several times his life was on the line....

But Willie cheer up: performed in "Carnegie Hall." with a balalaika bought in a souvenir shop for $50.and was saving up money to record an album. In order to release the record "And life is always beautiful!", Tokarev had to lay out $25,000.! A colossal sum in those days! And the record, ironically, was not a success. But the second album "In a noisy buffoonery." changed the situation radically: Russian-speaking emigrants fell in love with these songs without memory! Soon they reached the USSR, where every third person sang "In a Noisy Balagan"!

On the wave of success, Tokarev performed in popular Russian restaurants, founded the own label and recorded about twenty more albums! But suddenly he decided to return to his homeland.....

"Home sweet home."

Willie flew home at the end of the 80s, not "empty-handed", but with concerts! All 70 speeches The concerts were a smashing success - tickets were sold out faster than "hot cakes"! Some people liked the concerts very much, some did not - but many people found in Willie's songs something close, necessary at that moment. At the moment of difficult perestroika...

A year later Tokarev repeated his tour - the excitement was still there. That's how Willie began to live two countries - With America, despite all the trouble it caused him, the artist was not going to say goodbye.

"I am grateful to America for sheltering me and allowing me to realise what I had planned - it was a great, very valuable experience. But being there, even during the creative upswing, I never forgot my roots. I always have Russia in my heart..."

A turbulent personal life and the sunset of history

Willie Tokarev was a man flamboyant, charismatic, fabulous.! And it is not surprising that his personal life was so turbulent - three wives, four children, grandchildren! Willy married his first wife when he was still a student. This marriage turned out to be eternal, but it gave birth to a son Anton. The second wife, Svetlana, appeared in Willie's life in the early 90s, when the musician was touring the Soviet Union. Alas, the woman turned out to be mercantile - she moved her entire family to the United States at her husband's expense. She gave birth to Tokarev's son Alex, who today lives in New York. Feeling that she needs only money, Willy divorced....

Tokarev's last love and wife was the very young Yulia - with Willi they had an age difference of more than a year. 40 years! But no one was embarrassed by this. The couple was happy, and in this union two children were born - daughter Evelina and son Milen.

In 2019, the phenomenal poet, performer, actor and chansonnier was gone: Willi Tokarev passed away from cancer at the age of 84. The musician himself planned to live at least 100 years, but a serious illness did not allow these plans to come true....