Gorshenev Mikhail Yurievich: biography, personal life and cause of death of the leader of the group "King and the Jester"

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Gorshenev Mikhail was born in 1973 (August 7) in the Leningrad region, in the city of Boksitogorsk. His father, Yuri Mikhailovich, was a major in the border troops, and his mother, Tatyana Ivanovna, was a housewife. The family moved frequently, mostly settling in the Far East. In 1975, Mikhail's brother Alexei was born.

Childhood

Gorshenev Mikhail dreamed of following in his father's footsteps for a long time and was even preparing to enter a military school. When the time came for the boy to go to first grade, the family lived in Khabarovsk. It was decided to send him to his grandmother in the Leningrad region. Soon the father was transferred to Leningrad, and the family was reunited. Parents received an apartment on Rzhevka. Mikhail moved to school number 147. He was a capable boy. He boxed and took private guitar lessons.

How did it all start?

Initially, the group was called "Office". It was created in 1988 by Mikhail Gorshenev, Alexander Shchigolev and Alexander Balunov. They were all classmates and close friends. Alexander Knyazev, nicknamed the Prince, was invited as a second vocalist and lyricist only in 1990. The lyrics were original from the very beginning. They looked fabulous motifs and unusual stories. In this regard, the group was renamed "King of Jesters", and later - "King and Jester". After graduating from school, Gorshenev Mikhail Yurievich entered the Lyceum, where he planned to engage in restoration. However, three years later he was expelled due to the fact that he devoted too much time to music, and this prevented him from studying successfully.

Solo work

The first solo album called "I'm an Alcoholic Anarchist" was released in 2004. In 2005, his songs entered the top 100 of the Chart Dozen hit parade. Mikhail participated in the Rock Group project, which took place in St. Petersburg, along with such performers as Yuri Shevchuk, Andrey Knyazev, Ilya Chertov, Alexander Chernetsky. Together with Alexander Ivanov in 2006, Mikhail participated in the recording of the song "Punk Rock Lessons", which belonged to the group "Brigade Contract".

Together with Alexander Balunov in 2008 Mikhail Gorshenev participated in the recording of the Red Elvises' album called "Drinking with Jesus". In 2010, he began theatrical activity. As a result, the idea arose to create a project about a maniac hairdresser named Sweeney Todd. Soon the musical "TODD" was released. The entire composition of the group "Korol i Shut" participated in this project. The band's album was later recorded based on material from the musical.

Private life

Not much is known about how the musician lived outside the stage. He never gave an interview on this topic. He was married twice. His first wife was Anfisa, and the second and last was Olga. In 2009, his daughter was born, who was named Alexandra. Her image was emblazoned on his body.

Tattoos by Mikhail Gorshenev

The musician treated the images on his body very reverently and put a separate meaning into each. He liked to tell reporters about them, so they can be described in detail. There were five tattoos in total. The first is the terrible and terrible Joker. The second is an image of the devil emerging from a tree. This image was taken from the group's album "Be at home, traveler." The third tattoo is seven people dear to his heart (Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Sid Vicious, and so on). The fourth is the letter "A" in a circle. This is a symbol of anarcho-punks, to which Mikhail considered himself. The fifth is his beloved daughter.

The King and the Jester

Mikhail Gorshenev was the founder of the group and the only one who was in it from the beginning until his death. The group has always had an unusual style. Each song is a separate story in a mystical, fantasy, historical key. Initially, all compositions were performed in a rhythmic punk rock style. Subsequently, the group's music absorbed several musical elements: art punk ("Demon's Theatre"), folk rock ("Acoustic Album"), hard rock ("Like in an old fairy tale"), hardcore punk ("Riot on the ship ") other. The group's image has changed along with the music. Beforeall this concerns the make-up, which was applied in accordance with the theme of the songs.

First songs

The first compositions were recorded at the studio in 1991-1992: "Hunter", "Dead Woman", "In the Swamp Valley", "King and Jester". Some of them were first heard on the radio. The first performance took place in 1992. It is from this year that the group "Korol i Shut" begins its official existence. Since 1993, she began to actively perform in clubs in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

Popular history

The first album was recorded in 1994 under the title "Be at home, traveler". It came out in a very limited edition and was considered a rarity among fans for a long time. In 1996, Yakov Tsvirkunov joined the group. Thanks to his work, the guitar sound and arrangement of compositions reached a professional level. Gorshenev Mikhail and his offspring were on their way to fame and unprecedented popularity. A short program "White Stripe" was filmed about the group, which was often broadcast on St. Petersburg television. In the same year, the album "Stone on the Head" was released, which was recorded at the Melodiya studio.

Korol i Shut performs at the festival Fill the Sky with Kindness, which was organized by members of the DDT group. They take part in major Moscow and St. Petersburg festivals. In 1997, the second album was released, called "The King and the Jester". In 1998, the "Acoustic Album" was written, which was highly appreciated by music critics. Written in the same year, the song "I'll jump off a cliff" made the group incredibly popular and stayed at the top.hit parade record time. In the summer, a video was filmed for the song "Eat Meat Muzhiks". After showing it on the MTV channel, the group gained all-Russian popularity. In 1999, the group's first solo concert took place. The group enters into contracts with companies such as ORT-Records, Bomba-Piter and others. In 2000, the album "Heroes and Villains" was released.

First decade

In 2001, the group's best collection of songs called "The Meeting" was released. In addition, the "King and the Jester" went on a grand tour of all the major cities of Russia and Belarus. Since that time, the group has become a regular participant in the largest festivals in Russia. According to the readers of Fuzz magazine, the group becomes the best in 2001. In 2002, she received the Ovation Award. Since that time, the King and the Jester have been constantly touring and giving concerts almost daily.

In 2003 the band gives concerts for the first time in Israel, America and Finland. In 2004, the album "Riot on the Ship" was released. In the same year, Vyacheslav Batogov became the director of the group. In 2006, there were some changes in the composition of the group. In the same year, the musicians perform at the Corkscrew festival in America and give a solo concert at the San Francisco venues. The group includes Dmitry Raidugin (as a lighting designer). Thanks to this, the concerts turned into full-fledged shows. For the celebration of the new year 2007, the group has prepared a surprise for their fans. The musicians voiced the fairy tale "Morozko". Subsequently, the audiobook "Penny Dreadful" based on the stories of the brothers was released. Grimm. In 2008, "The King and the Jester" received the Ramp Award. At the IV Prize "Petersburg Musician" the group receives three awards at once. In the same year, the tenth album, Shadow of the Sorcerer, was released. In 2010 the group gives a concert in Prague. Before this event, the local radio station presented the listeners with a program about the work of the group.

Second decade

At the beginning of the second decade of the group's existence, changes in its composition continue. In 2011, the "King and the Jester" organizes a large-scale tour with the program "King of Eternal Sleep". The group continues to delight fans with new compositions. In 2012, the musicians were invited to the Evening Urgant program. In 2013, together with the new bassist Alexander Kulikov, a program of 30 songs was developed. It was supposed to be played on July 20th. But she was not destined to see the light.

How is he remembered?

The leader of the "Korol i Shut" group died on the night of July 18-19, 2013. The wife of Mikhail Gorshenev discovered his body in their apartment on Ozersky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. Relatives remember him not only as an outstanding musician, but also as a kind, disinterested person. He always came to the aid of his friends without question. He was educated and well-read, had an extraordinary mind. He always positioned himself as an anarchist, but he understood this word in his own way. For Michael, anarchy is the ideal, the highest society. In addition, he was a true patriot.

According to him, many songs were written based on the true history of Russia. His musicbecame a reflection of his essence, thoughts and views. She was born in his mysterious soul and delighted thousands of people around the world with her sounds.

Monument to Mikhail Gorshenev

A memorial service for the musician was held on July 22, 2013 in St. Petersburg on the territory of the Yubileiny sports complex. The body was cremated. Initially, the ashes were to be scattered. This is due to the fact that Mikhail Gorshenev was an opponent of various burial rites. Nevertheless, his grave was arranged in St. Petersburg at the Bogoslovsky cemetery. Thus, fans of the work of this man have the opportunity to bow to his ashes. The true cause of death of Mikhail Gorshenev is unknown. The official conclusion reads "toxic cardiomyopathy and acute heart failure." All this was a consequence of the abuse of morphine and alcohol. On July 22, an action was launched to collect signatures for the installation of a monument in memory of Mikhail Gorshenev. On July 27, "Our Radio" launched a program consisting of twelve chapters telling about the history of the "Korol i Shut" group. The stories were compiled from surviving interviews with musicians and the memories of people who lived and worked with Mikhail Gorshenev. Many famous musicians have written compositions in memory of the soloist of the legendary group "Korol i Shut". His memory will live on in the hearts of his loved ones and numerous fans for a long time to come. His amazing songs will bring up more than one generation of lovers of real music.