In Russia, it seems, there is no person who has not heard about the group «Korol i Shut» and its frontman Mikhail Gorshenev (Gorshka). Shocking, provocative, but at the same time so real — true punk. This year, the musician could have turned 50. But instead, millions of fans will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the death of the famous rocker. What ruined the main punk of the country — we understand in this article.
Youth in the «dashing 90s»
Oddly enough, the main problem of punk was his way of life. Pot's youth fell on the 90s. Crisis, uncertainty — then all spheres were shaking and in a fever, including creativity, in which banned substances came. The rocker sat on them almost at the start of his career.
Then Pot met his first love — a girl named Anfisa. A strong sympathy immediately arose between them. The couple soon got married. But their marriage was not a happy one. Despite common interests, views, beautiful relationships, she ruined — addiction.
The spouses spent almost all the money on illegal substances, got into debt. But at the same time, they somehow hid their problem from their relatives for several years. The truth was revealed by accident when Anfisa, suffering from withdrawal, called Mikhail's father and asked him for a huge amount of money. The couple was sent for treatment.
Alas, the clinic did not help. After discharge, Pot and Anfisa returned to their previous way of life, which is why the rocker experienced clinical death more than once. According to some reports, at least eight times.
In 2003, the couple divorced. And if the leader of the «King and the Jester» found at least some balance in life thanks to music, the love of fans and loved ones, then Anfisa did not. She never got over her addiction. In 2009, Anfisa passed away.
Music and beloved wife Olga
Although Pot did not solve his drug problem, he built a successful musical career. It is the beginning of the 2000s that is considered the «golden period» in the work of the group. The rockers released the albums «Like in an old fairy tale» and «It's a pity there is no gun», and also actively toured.
All this helped Gorshenev, as they say, stay afloat and delight fans with unusual stage images, ranging from punk «needles» from the hair on his head and ending with an almost toothless smile.
Delighted Gorshenev and his future wife Olga, who, by the way, has never been a fan of the group «Korol i Shut» and illegal substances. They met by chance: in a restaurant where the girl had lunch with her friend.
Despite the defiant appearance, Mikhail almost immediately charmed Olga with intelligence and kindness. The romantic relationship that arose between them radically changed the musician: he married again, became a father and stepfather for the first time, having adopted Olga's daughter from his first marriage. And most importantly, almost left the drugs. It would seem a happy ending, turn on the credits to a joyful song. But no.
TODD is a horror zong-opera on stage and in Pot's life
In 2012, the premiere of the rock musical TODD, staged by the King and the Jester group with Mikhail Gorshenev in the image of the bloodthirsty hairdresser Sweeney Todd, took place at the Moscow Theater of the Film Actor with a full house.
Despite the positive reviews from critics and the full halls of the audience, the project plunged Pot into depression, the rocker returned to alcohol and drugs.
In July 2013, Olga found her husband's body in the house. The pot did not live up to 40 years for about two weeks. The official cause of death was «toxic cardiomyopathy with the development of acute heart failure due to the use of alcohol and drugs.»
And although relatives knew about Pot's addiction, the news of his death came as a shock to everyone. Thousands of fans of «The King and the Jester» have been bringing flowers to the grave of the musician and quoting lines from his songs for almost ten years.