For me, Alexander Gradsky has always been associated with an incredibly powerful voice paired with heavy smoking. While others would say that no vocal singer should ever smoke, Gradsky smoked like a chimney and then walked out to sing in a way that gave you goosebumps.
I never really thought about what kind of person he was in everyday life, but his voice always captivated me. My favorite song performed by him has always been “How Young We Were,” the song that earned him the Pesnya Goda (Song of the Year) award in the year I was born. So, you could say this song is my peer (though it was written two years before I was born).
On November 28, 2021, Alexander Gradsky passed away. A month later, the final of the show The Voice aired on Channel One, where Alisher Karimov performed “How Young We Were” as a duet with Alexander Gradsky, who appeared only on screen.
Tears in my eyes, the other coaches stood up and listened to the song while standing… And Gradsky, even 44 years after first performing this song, effortlessly dominated the melody. Alisher’s performance (no offense to him) simply paled in comparison to Gradsky’s timeless power.
