▁pe aked ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁Also ▁occas ional ▁as ▁song writer ▁and ▁actor . ▁He ▁was ▁titled ▁a ▁People ' s ▁Art ist ▁of ▁Russia ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁He ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁artists ▁of ▁Soviet ▁and ▁Russian ▁music . ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁his ▁dec ades - long ▁career , ▁he ▁has ▁recorded ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁albums , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁sold ▁millions ▁of ▁copies . ▁The ▁media ▁refers ▁to ▁Le ont iev ▁as ▁a ▁meg ast ar ▁and ▁a ▁legend ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁scene . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Val ery ▁Y akov lev ich ▁Le ont iev ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁in ▁U st - U sa , ▁a ▁village ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Russia ' s ▁Kom i ▁Republic . ▁His ▁father ▁Y akov ▁Ste pan ov ich ▁Le ont iev ▁was ▁a ▁veter in arian , ▁a ▁special ist ▁in ▁de er , ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁Catherine ▁Ivan ov na ▁Le ont ie va ▁took ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁children : ▁Val ery ▁and ▁his ▁sister . ▁At ▁six , ▁Val ery ▁rec ited ▁po ems ▁to ▁her ders ▁from ▁an ▁impro vised ▁stage . ▁As ▁a ▁first - gr ader , ▁he ▁began ▁singing ▁in ▁the ▁school ▁cho ir . ▁Val ery ▁participated ▁in ▁school ▁plays ▁and ▁took ▁up ▁piano ▁less ons . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁the ▁family ▁moved