I saw Leonid & Friends perform their musical magic this past Saturday night.
If you are unfamiliar with them, they are a world-famous Russian band that performs the music of Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ides of March, Tower of Power, Steely Dan, Lighthouse, and others.
The timing of this concert was perfect as my 60th birthday is around the corner.
Although it was a great gift of music, it was much more than that.
Before the show, I had the opportunity to spend time with Leonid Vorobyev, the band’s founder and leader.
He shared with me the band’s origin.
In 2014, for his 60th birthday, he wanted to give himself a present.
He was a recording studio sound engineer for many years, and his main passion was music.
While jogging in the park, a tune popped into his head. No, it wasn’t “Saturday in the Park,” but rather a lesser-known Chicago song, “Brand New Love Affair.” It’s a song he performed in the past for fun, but never with a horn section.
He decided to give himself a gift by recording that song with horns. Given his years in the music industry, he found friends who were willing to help out.
Soon after recording it, he posted the video on YouTube near midnight on New Year’s Eve 2014.
He told me he had no expectations of anyone ever watching the video. The recording was done just for him – his gift to himself. He never thought people would watch. But when he woke up on January 1, 2015, the likes and positive comments came flooding in.
Given the outpouring of love for the recording, he decided to create a Chicago tribute band that would perform in Russia.
He continued to post videos online and the fans continued to sing their praises. Given this global interest, in 2019, the band started touring the United States.
This year’s tour (with over 50 concerts) is nearly sold out. There wasn’t an empty seat at our Orlando show.
If you check out their YouTube page, you will see that some videos have millions of views. “After the Love is Gone” by Earth, Wind & Fire has 8.8 million views in the past two years.
And all of it started with a 60th birthday gift Leonid gave himself.
As I prepare to turn 60, I am not only launching a new book but also considering launching a new business.
Listening to Leonid’s music and his story was a great inspiration. (Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration” just popped into my head)
The picture is of me with Leonid.