After leaving school, Alexey went to study in the regional center, in Samara. He entered the river technical school, and now he recalls this time with warmth:
There were other teachers who, despite their venerable age, were kidding like they were young. This period in my life was the best, because I made great friends.
Fresh hits were regularly played at home, and Alexey began to perceive 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 Jimmy Page and Hendrix.
After graduating from a technical school in 1991, he entered the Samara State Technical University - as Alexei himself recalls, "my mother influenced." He graduated in 1996 with a degree in systems engineering.
He worked at the radio station "Europe-plus" in Samara, hosted the program "Nursery from Potekhin." In Tolyatti, he created the Uncle Ray and Company group together with Sergei Zhukov. It was the beginning of a great future called "Hands Up!". But so far, these were only hopes that could not even bring income. To earn some money, the duo held a series of discos in Tbilisi.
Then they returned to Moscow and began working at the Pavian Records recording studio, 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 touring the country and abroad. Since then, countless concerts have been held, many songs have been written. "Hands" was awarded many awards. After the closing of the group in 2006, Alexey has been producing young performers such as Superboys, J Well (ex-member of the group Discomafia). During the period 2006-2008, 3 collections of Potexinstyle dance music were released, combining many young performers and hits from famous groups such as Demo, Turbomoda, Planka, etc. At the moment, Alexei is engaged in his new project TREK&blues, in which he invited - vocalist gr. Turbomod Vladimir Luchnikov and ex-participant gr. His Ruslan Achkinadze. In 2007, Alessandro Materazzo, a former member of the TV show DOM-2, was invited to the TREK & blues group, who toured with them in the summer of 2008 in southern Russia. Alexei has a hobby: he loves old, antique things. She loves the book "The Twelve Chairs" and is ready to re-read it endlessly. Alexei admits that he has always been a joker by nature and loves humor and practical jokes.
Alexei Potekhin has an older brother Andrei Potekhin, a former member of the gr. Turbomoda, Boys, Revolvers. To date, Andrey is the manager and organizer of the performances of Alexey's new project TREK&blues. Alexey invited many Samara musicians to produce. Mark Melnik, Handsome, his projects.
Ex-soloist of “Hands Up!.
Alexey Potekhin - former member of the group "Hands Up!" - has not appeared on TV screens for a long time. He does not go to social events and does not receive awards at music awards. While his former best friend and bandmate Sergei Zhukov, after the collapse of the team, continues to hold his position in show business. Correspondents of the site tracked down Potekhin and found out what the singer is doing now.
"All the girls were ours"
- Yes, I left show business for a while, - Alexey confirmed our conjectures. But he didn't stop playing music. I recently wrote a song for Buranovskiye Babushki. It will be timed to coincide with the World Cup.
Immediately after the collapse of the group "Hands Up!" in 2006, Alexey Potekhin, together with his friend Vladimir Luchnikov, created a project called "Raise Hands Up".
We are often called on tour. But we do not travel to large cities, but most often to villages, Potekhin admits. - Sergei Zhukov will not go there, for example. Like most of the people you see on TV. All they know is that walking on red carpets, wearing masks, dancing on skates and receiving various awards in the form of plates, which are of little use.
Alexey Potekhin complained to our correspondents that during the huge popularity of the group "Hands Up!" he earned practically nothing.
“Sergey and I then just did what we really loved to do, music was everything for us,” the artist nostalgically. - And many envied us: we came to any city and all the girls were ours. The most interesting thing is that out of all the two hundred and thirty songs that we wrote, everyone was only interested in the simplest ones. “La-la-la-la, I sing all day long” - we became famous on such songs. Every girl in the country had "Hands Up!" cassettes. But it didn't affect our financial situation. Here our producers fucked everything. They had apartments, cars, wives. We have nothing. If you ask how much Andrei Cherkasov, who led us, and the ARS-Records company, earned from us, I will answer you: one hundred and forty million rubles. Be sure to write about it!
Group "Hands Up!" / Global Look Press
“You are unlikely to get through to him. He's a VIP"
On the sidelines after the collapse of the group "Hands Up!" There were many rumors about the difficult relationship between Alexei Potekhin and Sergei Zhukov. It was said that former friends do not even greet each other at random meetings. But in 2016, at a concert dedicated to the twentieth anniversary of the group, Potekhin and Zhukov reunited on stage again. However, during a conversation with our correspondents, Alexei made it clear that he did not communicate with Sergei.
- Everyone asks me why I left Hands Up! I will answer you: because we have all become adults, - says the singer. - But Sergei did not think so, he was comfortable. He is comfortable now. He always wanted fame, but I didn't. Do we communicate? Ask him. Although you are unlikely to get through to him. He's a vip.
Despite his cheerfulness at the beginning of the interview, at the end of the conversation, Potekhin nevertheless admitted that he did not entertain himself with vain illusions. The musician understands that the time of former popularity cannot be returned. There are, of course, loyal fans that Alexey is very proud of, but there are not so many of them left.
- Our fans already have several children. Once one of them told me: “Lyokha, look at my children! It's all yours - all the love stories in my life took place under your songs! Thank you!" Alexey boasts. - Well, in general, to be honest, I'm very surprised that you wanted to interview me. I haven't been popular in a long time. I'm sitting on the Internet - there is silence. Nobody writes. Although I am ready to answer everyone!
Recently, the group "Hands Up!" won the MUZ-TV award in the nomination "Best Song of the Fifteenth Anniversary". The award for the composition "My Baby" was taken by Sergey Zhukov, who appeared on stage without Alexei Potekhin. But once the guys were inseparable.
The journalists contacted the former member of the team and found out why he is no longer visible. “Yes, I left show business for a while, but I didn’t stop playing music,” Potekhin said. “I recently wrote a song for Buranovskiye Babushki. It will be dedicated to the World Cup.”
The artist did not talk about his former colleague of nasty things. “Everyone is asking me why I left Hands Up!” I’ll answer you: because we all became adults, but Sergey didn’t think so, he was comfortable. He is comfortable even now. He always wanted fame, but I don’t " - Alexei spread his hands.
Apparently, the musicians do not maintain relations after the collapse of the team. “Do we communicate? Ask him. Although you are unlikely to get through to him. He is a VIP,” the performer replied evasively.
If Zhukov continues to lead an active social life and occasionally appear in the news (for example, in connection with the sensational), then the pen sharks managed to forget Potekhin. "Honestly, I am very surprised that you wanted to interview me. I have not been popular for a long time. I am sitting on the Internet - there is silence. Nobody writes. Although I am ready to answer everyone!" - The site "Interlocutor" quotes the artist.
Alexey admitted that although the whole country sang his compositions, he did not enrich himself. "The most interesting thing is that of all the two hundred and thirty songs that we wrote, everyone was only interested in the simplest ones. "La-la-la-la, I sing all day" - we became famous on such songs. Every girl in the country had cassettes " Hands Up!", but this did not affect our financial situation," Potekhin complained.
According to a former member of the "Hands Up!" group, all the money went to other people. “Our producers had everything. They had apartments, cars, wives. We had nothing. If you ask how much Andrei Cherkasov, who led us, and the ARS-Records company, earned from us, I will answer you: one hundred and forty million rubles Be sure to write about it! the artist asked.
Alexey Evgenievich Potekhin (b. April 15, 1972 (38 years old) Novokuibyshevsk (Samara region) - Russian musician, producer. Member of the Hands Up! group (the group officially broke up in 2006).
Biography
Alexey was born into a very musical family: a tape recorder was constantly playing at home, listening to records. Mom liked symphonic music more, and dad - pop music. The elder brother carried him away with foreign music. The boy had a lively and cocky character, but his parents insisted that he study at 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 recalls this time with warmth:
There were other teachers who, despite their venerable age, were kidding like they were young. This period in my life was the best, because I made great friends.
Fresh hits were regularly played at home, and Alexey began to perceive music with interest, at first he just listened, and then he bought a guitar and began to compose himself, even managed to earn money as a DJ at a disco. His tastes included* Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Foreigner, The Cult, Metallica* and others like that. He is still a fan of creativity Jimmy Page and Hendrix.
After graduating from a technical school in 1991, he entered the Samara State Technical University - as Alexey himself recalls,
"Mom influenced."
Graduated in 1996 with a degree* in Systems Engineering.*
Worked at the radio station "Europa Plus" in Samara, broadcast "Amusement from Potekhin". Created a group in Tolyatti "Uncle Ray and Company" together with Sergey Zhukov. It was the beginning of a great future called "Hands up!". But so far, these were only hopes that could not even bring income. To earn some money, the duo held a series of discos in Tbilisi.
Then they returned to Moscow and began working at a recording studio. "Pavian 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 their first album. "Breathe Evenly", and the musicians began to travel with tours around the country and abroad. Since then, countless concerts have been held, many songs have been written. "Hands" many awards have been given. After the closure of Ruk in 2006, Alexey has been producing young performers such as Superboys, J Well(ex-participant of gr.Diskomafiya).
During the period 2006/2008, 3 collections of Potexinstyle dance music were released, combining many young performers and hits from famous groups, such as At the moment, Alexey is working on his new project TRACK&BLUES, in which he invited the ex-vocalist gr. Turbomod (Vladimir Luchnikov) and Ruslan Achkinadze, ex-participant of Svoi group. In 2007 Alessandro Materazzo, a participant in the TV show DOM-2, was invited to the TREK & Blues group, with whom the group toured in the summer of 2008 in the south of Russia and abroad.
Alexey has a hobby:
Alexei has an older brother Andrei, a former member of gr. T*urbomoda, Boys, Revolvers.* To date, Andrey is the manager and organizer of the performances of Alexey's new project TRACK & blues.
Group "Hands Up!" was on top of fame 15 years ago. The first composition represented by Sergey Zhukov and Alexey Potekhin 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, however, in a different lineup.
The leader of the group was originally Sergey Zhukov. In June 1993, he met a promising musician Alexei Potekhin on a radio show. They decided to create a group with an 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 it was not possible to “break through” to the big stage. In December 1995 they recorded some new tracks and sent them to the radio.
The caption to the cassette sounded: "This will make everyone put their hands up."
One of the songs was broadcast live, and the listeners liked it very much. Since then, this name has stuck to the group - “Hands Up!”
That's how they were
The real success came in 1997, when the group began to be invited to various international festivals. People really liked their simple songs and images of two carefree guys.
"Hands up!" at the dawn of glory
Sergey and Alexey recorded the first studio album, the tracks from which became hits for many years. In just 9 years of joint work, Zhukov and Potekhin recorded dozens of video clips and songs.
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 Sergey Zhukov
In 2012 Sergey released an album of 14 songs "Open the door for me". It was fairly well received by critics.
"Hands up!" represented by Sergei Zhukov
In 2013, the single "Wings" was released, which Zhukov recorded together with the Azerbaijani singer Bahh Tee. He continues to give concerts, the next tour has recently ended.
Recall old songs
Some time ago, the musicians teamed up and gave several joint concerts, but that was only once. The group no longer exists in its original composition.
In 2006, Alexey started a new musical project called "Trek & Blues", but it was not possible to achieve wide popularity. The young man produced the musicians Superboys and JWell. Under his leadership, 3 large collections of music in the dance style 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 team: “I am constantly asked this question, which is a little annoying. I left because I outgrew this project. It became uncomfortable for me, an adult man, to sing youth songs.
Alexey has his own team
According to Alexei, everything suited Sergey. Between themselves, they almost do not communicate: "Try to get through to him yourself, he's a VIP."
Potekhin and Zhukov today
Group "Hands Up!" - one of the most famous and successful projects on the Russian stage. Loud fame is a thing of the past, but their compositions are still heard at various competitions and festivals.
