What happened to Alexei Potekhin from the "Hands Up!" What Alyoshka looks like now from Hands Up! About which all the girls in the country sighed. Why did Potekhin go up from his hands?

Group "Hands Up!" was at the height of fame 15 years ago. The first line-up, represented by Sergei Zhukov and Alexei Potekhin, has won many prestigious awards and music awards. Their songs "Alyoshka", "Student" and others were known by heart by all Russian youth. Today the group continues to perform, albeit with a different line-up.

What the Hands Up! Group used to be like: a photo of the old line-up

The group leader was originally Sergey Zhukov. In June 1993, he met on a radio broadcast with a promising musician Alexei Potekhin. They decided to create a group with the interesting name "Uncle Ray and Company".

Young and early Hands Up!

The compositions were dominated by elements of "techno" and "dance". Young people wrote songs, sang on the street for several years, but they did not manage to "break through" to the big stage. In December 1995, they recorded several new tracks, sent them to the radio.

The caption to the cassette was: "This will make everyone raise their hands in the air."

One of the compositions was staged live, and the audience really liked it. Since then, the group has stuck with this name - "Hands Up!"

They were like that

Real success came in 1997, when the group began to be invited to various international festivals. People really liked their simple songs and the images of two carefree guys.

"Hands up!" at the dawn of glory

Sergey and Alexey recorded their first studio album, the tracks from which became hits for many years. In just 9 years of collaboration, Zhukov and Potekhin recorded dozens of video clips and songs.

"Hands up!" now: Sergey Zhukov was left alone

In August 2006, the founder of the group, Sergei Zhukov, was left alone.

Sergey Zhukov now

He still performs, mainly in Russia, performing old favorite compositions.

Sergey Zhukov was left alone

The musician is happy, they have three children. The family owns. Business is going well.

Family and business of Sergei Zhukov

In 2012 Sergey released an album of 14 songs "Open the door for me". It was well received by critics.

"Hands up!" represented by Sergey Zhukov

In 2013, the single "Wings" was released, which Zhukov recorded together with the Azerbaijani singer Bahh Tee. He continues to give concerts, another tour recently ended.

Remember old songs

Some time ago, the musicians united and gave several joint concerts, but this was only once. The group no longer exists in the previous line-up.

What is Alexei Potekhin doing today

In 2006, Alexey started a new musical project called "Track & Blues", but he did not succeed in achieving wide popularity. The young man produced musicians Superboys and JWell. Under his leadership, 3 large collections of dance music were recorded. A few years later, he created the "Raise Your Hands Up" group, with which he still tours.

Alexey Potekhin now

The musician is now 46 years old. He does not like to talk about his departure from the popular band: “I am constantly asked this question, which is a little annoying. I left because I outgrew this project. As a grown man, it became uncomfortable for me to sing youth songs. "

Alexey has his own team

According to Alexei, Sergei was fine with everything. They hardly communicate with each other: "Try to call him yourself, he's a VIP."

Potekhin and Zhukov today

Group "Hands Up!" Is one of the most famous and successful projects on the Russian stage. Loud fame remained in the past, but their compositions are still heard at various competitions and festivals.

Rasklad.info

Former member of the popular group of the 90s Hands up Alexey Potekhin told why he actually left a successful musical project. Companion.

It turned out that he was no longer friends with the group's vocalist Sergei Zhukov, and personal disagreements were the main reason for its collapse.

“Everybody asks me why I left. I will answer you: because we all became adults. But Sergei did not think so, he was comfortable. He is comfortable now. He always wanted fame, and I didn't. Do we communicate? Ask him. Although you are unlikely to get through to him. He's a VIP, "- said Potekhin.

debosh.net

An important role in the departure of Alexei from the team was played by the fact that the producers did not pay them the due fees.

“Serega and I were just doing what we really loved to do, music was everything to us. Every girl in the country had cassettes Hands up. But this did not affect our financial situation in any way. Our producers got it all. They had apartments, cars, wives. We have nothing. If you ask how much Andrey Cherkasov, who led us, and the company earned for us ARS-records, I will answer you: one hundred and forty million rubles ", - the artist admits.

After leaving Hands up Potekhin did not abandon his favorite business - now he is touring Russia with his own group, which he named Put your hands up, and writes music for other artists.

See photos with the group Hands up:

Alexey was born on April 15, 1972 in Novokuibyshevsk (Samara region). In the Potekhin family, it was customary to constantly listen to music. Moreover, the boy's mother was fond of the symphonic direction, the father - pop. The elder brother instilled in Alyosha a love of foreign music.

As a child, the boy had a cocky character. His parents decided to enroll him in the basketball section and art school. After the 11th grade, Potekhin left for Samara, where he entered the river technical school. Alyosha fondly recalls the period of study at this institution. There were teachers who, even at their venerable age, loved to joke along with the young.

Potekhin liked to follow the latest hits. At first he just listened to songs, and then he bought a guitar and began to try to compose himself. The young man even got a job as a DJ at discos.

After graduating from technical school in 1911, Potekhin (not without the influence of his mother) again becomes a student, now at the Samara State Technical University. In 1996, he received a diploma in the specialty "systems engineer".

In Samara, Aleksey worked at the Europe-Plus radio station as the host of the "Nursery from Potekhin" program. Having moved to Togliatti, together with Sergei Zhukov, he founded the Uncle Ray and Company group. This was the beginning of a stellar future called Hands Up! But at that time the project was not profitable. To stabilize the financial condition, the duo organized several discos in Tbilisi.

Arriving in Moscow, Alexey and Sergei got a job at the recording studio "Pavian-Records". They created arrangements for other bands for the opportunity to record their own songs. It was during this period that the duet was renamed "Hands Up!"

The music business took off after bringing in a professional producer. Already after the release of the first album "Breathe evenly" the group gained overwhelming popularity. The musicians began to tour in Russia and abroad. During the existence of the group, an impressive number of songs were written, many concerts were held. The duo has received many awards.

After the group disbanded in 2006, Potekhin became involved in producing young talents (Superboys, J Well, etc.). In two years, 3 collections of Potexinstyle dance music have been released. They brought together young performers and hits of famous bands (Turbomoda, Demo, etc.).

Currently, Alexey Potekhin is working on his TREK & blues project. The manager and organizer of the performances is his brother Andrey Potekhin, a former member of such groups as Boys, Turbomoda, Revolvers.

Personal life of Potekhin

Alexey was married twice. His first wife was Irina Tolmilova, whom he met as part of the Hands Up! Group. The girl was at their dancer. For two years after the legalization of the relationship, the couple unsuccessfully attempted to have a child. Before the final separation, the couple decided to live separately for a while. However, the “pause” taken could not save the marriage, the young people divorced.

In September 2009 Potekhin married again. His chosen one this time was the girl Elena, who has nothing to do with show business. Before meeting Alexey, she worked as a veterinarian. In March 2010 Potekhin became a happy dad. His wife gave birth to his daughter Maria. Elena left work for the baby. Nevertheless, she does not sit idle. A young mother moonlights as a make-up artist, periodically takes part in professional photo shoots.

It is unlikely that you will find at least one representative of the youth of the 2000s who does not know about the "Hands up" team and about its participant Alexei Potekhin. Also, everyone knows that the second musician of the star duet, Sergei Zhukov, has been performing alone for a long time. Where is now and what is the former singer of the acclaimed collective doing?

Childhood and youth

Alexey Potekhin was born in the Samara region in 1972. There were no professional musicians in his family, but all family members have always loved music, and this love to the future idol of millions was instilled from childhood by his parents and older brother.

In his school years, the future star did not differ in good behavior and diligent study. Knowledge was given with great difficulty, and hooligan status and academic failure had to be compensated for by a creative approach to social activities. Alexei's parents decided to send their son to the sports section. Playing basketball helped the boy learn self-organization and gave birth to a love for sports.

After graduating from school, Potekhin left for Samara, where he graduated from a technical school and received the profession of a shipbuilding technician. He continued his studies at the Samara University. Despite the fact that Alexei received an engineering degree in 1991, he still did not work out as a technical specialist.

While studying at the university, Potekhin worked at a radio station in Samara. There he conducted his program of a humorous nature.

Creative career

As it turned out, the second future soloist of the group, which became popular throughout the country, Sergei Zhukov, also worked at the same Samara radio station.

The guys worked almost at arm's length for a long period of time, but they met only in 1991.

The popularity of radio presenters was not enough for young people, and they decided to organize a new musical project "Uncle Ray and Company". Not yet particularly popular musicians were serious about reaching a new level and for the next three years they worked a lot, being in a creative search.

In 1994, their first performance became the winner of a music competition in Moscow, unexpectedly even for the guys themselves.

Two years later, the group finally moved to the capital of our Motherland and gained its fame thanks to producer Andrey Malikov and the first hits that sounded everywhere. The producer recommended that the musicians change the name of the group, which seemed too long to him, to a brighter and more sonorous one. This is how the Hands Up! Group was formed. ».

After the first triumph of the compositions "Student" and "Baby", which became the undisputed leaders in all charts, many tours were organized, and the band released their first album. For the entire period of its creative activity, the group has released 14 music albums. Here are some of them:

• "My baby";
• "Ataman";
• "I'm 18 already";
• "Alyoshka";
• "Tears are falling."

Why did the Hands Up group break up?

Until 2006, the musical group delighted admirers of their work with tours around the country, the release of new albums and videos. In the same year, the fans were bewildered by the unexpected news that their idols had parted.

Fans were interested in only one question: Why did Alexei Potekhin leave the group? It turned out that everything is quite simple. Sergei Zhukov is tired of his own, so beloved by fans, the image. He wanted creative development and lasting fame. It became difficult for participants to work in one project.

Former colleagues themselves do not disclose the true details of the breakup of the group, saying that they just grew up and everyone decided to go their own way. Zhukov decided to realize himself in a solo career, and Alexey opened his own production center, began to help in the promotion of young performers and released an author's album of dance music.

Since the spring of 2008, Potekhin took part in touring the country with his new colleague Vladimir Luchnikov, who was the vocalist of the Turbomoda group. Unfortunately, this collaboration did not bring Alexei either satisfaction with the results, or similar explosive popularity, as with his participation in Hands Up.

In this video, reporter Alexander Orlov will tell you why the creative paths of Potekhin and Zhukov diverged, what happened between the artists:

Personal life of Alexey

The first wife of Alexei was a colleague in the Hands Up project, Irina Tomilova. The girl worked as a dancer and sang along at the concerts of the group. Young people entered into marriage in 2002. The couple had no children. It was rumored that this was due to Irina's health condition, but later both spouses gave a negative comment regarding the reliability of this information.

Before the final separation, Potekhin and Tomilova lived separately for some time, but this pause did not save the relationship and marriage.

With his current wife, the artist legally entered into a marriage relationship in 2009. Elena has nothing to do with show business, and before the birth of the child she worked as a veterinarian. The day and place of the wedding celebration was not classified, but did not attract much attention, since on the same day the wedding of the famous figure skater Evgeni Plushenko and the equally popular producer Yana Rudkovskaya was scheduled. All the attention of the press and television was drawn to this event. Therefore, the wedding of Alexei and Elena was not discussed or broadcast in the media.

In 2010, Elena gave Alexei a daughter, who was named Maria.

To date, none of the sources indicate the exact place of residence of the former member of the most popular group in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. It is only known that he lives in Russia and does not stop engaging in musical creativity, you can follow his creative path using his page on instagram .

Alexey Potekhin is producing his new group with a similar name "Raise your hands up" and tours with her throughout the country.

Alexey also continues to write music not only for his group, but also for other Russian performers. His name does not sound as loud and often as it did in the 2000s.

When asked why Alexei does not communicate with Zhukov, the artist always evasively replies with advice to talk about this topic with Sergei himself. It is known that Potekhin intended to start legal proceedings with a former colleague in the shop for the illegal single use of the name of the eminent group. But the matter never came to lawsuits and hearings.

In his free time, Alexey pays attention to reading his favorite books and is engaged in replenishing his antique collection.

There is information that the ex-member of the famous group opened his own small restaurant business, but these rumors have not yet been confirmed.

I would like to please the fans that Alexey Potekhin did not disappear into anywhere, and did not immigrate abroad, but only went behind the scenes of show business. He is also devoted to his work and continues to work as a composer, singer and producer.

Video: Potekhin's exclusive interview

In this video, Alexey will tell the real reason for the breakup of the group and the quarrel with S. Zhukov, about his current creative plans:

Alexey was born into a musical family: at home he constantly played a tape recorder, listened to records. Mom liked symphonic music, and dad liked pop music. His elder brother carried him away with foreign music. The boy had a lively and cocky character, but his parents insisted that he attend an art school and a basketball section.

After leaving school, Alexey went to study in the regional center, in Samara. He entered the river technical school, and now he remembers this time with warmth:

There were other teachers who, despite their venerable age, made fun of them as if they were young. This period in my life was the best, because I made great friends.

At home, they regularly played fresh hits, and Alexei began to take music with interest, at first he just listened, and then he bought a guitar and began to compose himself, even managed to earn extra money at a disco as a DJ. His tastes included Led Zeppelin, AC / DC, Def Leppard, Foreigner, The Cult, Metallica and others in the same vein. He is still a fan of the work of Jimmy Page and Hendrix.

After graduating from college in 1991, he entered the Samara State Technical University - as Alexei himself recalls, "my mother influenced." He graduated from it in 1996 with a degree in systems engineer.

He worked at the Europe-plus radio station in Samara, hosted the program "Nursery from Potekhin". In Togliatti, he created the Uncle Ray and Company group together with Sergei Zhukov. It was the beginning of a big future called Hands Up! But so far, these were only hopes that could not even bring income. To make some money, the duo held a series of discos in Tbilisi.

Then they returned to Moscow and began to work at the recording studio "Bavian Records", creating arrangements for other groups for the right to simultaneously record songs for their own. By that time, a new name had been chosen - "Hands Up!".

With the involvement of a professional producer, the music business began to develop. The group became incredibly popular after the release of the first album "Breathe evenly", and the musicians began to travel on tour around the country and abroad. Since then, countless concerts have been held, many songs have been written. “Hands” have been awarded many awards. After the group was closed in 2006, Alexey has been producing young performers such as Superboys, J Well (ex-member of the Discomafia group). For the period 2006-2008, 3 collections of dance music Potexinstyle were released, combining many young performers and hits of famous groups such as Demo, Turbomod, Plank, etc. -vocalist gr. Turbomod Vladimir Luchnikov and ex-member of gr. Own Ruslana Achkinadze. In 2007, Alessandro Materazzo, a former participant in the DOM-2 TV show, was invited to the TREC & Blues group, who toured with them in the summer of 2008 in southern Russia. Alexey has a hobby: he loves old, antiques. Loves the book "The Twelve Chairs" and is ready to re-read it endlessly. Alexey admits that he has always been a joker by nature and loves humor and practical jokes.

Alexei Potekhin has an older brother, Andrey Potekhin, a former member of gr. Turbo-fashion, Guys, Revoлvers. Today Andrey is the manager and organizer of the performances of the new project of Alexey TREK & Blues. Alexey invited many Samara musicians to produce. Mark Melnik, Handsome, his projects.