Oleg Anatoliyovych Slobodenko (born December 20, 1949) is a Ukrainian singer, musician, composer, People's Artist of Ukraine (2011). Honorary Doctor of Khmelnytskyi National University.
Biography
Oleg Slobodenko was born on December 20, 1949.
At a young age, he began his career as a guitarist of the legendary band "Druhe svet" created in June 1966 together with his peers Sergei Charyshnikov (drums), Mykhailo Nikolaev (bass guitar) and Volodymyr Tkalych (guitar).
They performed not only covers of Beatles and Holies songs, arrangements of folk songs, but also created their own songs. At the Kyiv Big Beat Festival (October 1967), the band took first place. In 1968, the group moved to Ukrkoncert under the name "Happy Starlings", but it did not last long.
In the spring of 1969, Oleg Slobodenko and Serhiy Charyshnikov together with Yuriy Vinogradov (vocals, keyboards), Grigory Makhno (bass guitar) and Oleksandr Kuznetsov (guitar) created the professional group (VIA) "Graymo". Oleg Slobodenko became the band's artistic director. The band performed together with Yulia Pashkovskaya and accompanied her in the programs of the then popular humorous duet Shtepsel and Tarapunka. The group starred in their films, performed in the popular "Blue Light" program.
After the cessation of the existence of the band "Graymo" in 1986, Oleg Slobodenko worked as a commentator for State Television and Radio, and later became a famous pop composer, whose songs were sung by Vasyl Zinkevich, Alla Kudlai, Liliya Sandulesa, Volodymyr Udovichenko, the band "Krayani", Tamara Gverdtsiteli , Katya Semenova, Ion Suruchanu.
Виступав також як співак з своїми сольними програмами.
Написав книгу про творчу діяльність артистів розмовного жанру Юхима Бєрєзіна та Юрія Тимошенка.