Nikolay Arutyunov

Nikolay Arutyunov was a Soviet and Russian singer, composer, blues and rock musician. He was the founder and leader of several bands, such as "League of Blues", "Thursday Arutyunov", "Funky Soul", "The Booze Band", "Nikolay Arutyunov & The Blues Barbarians", and "Arutyunov & Quorum". He was influenced by American and British rock, blues and soul vocalists, and developed his own style of powerful, expressive and recognizable singing. He performed both in English and Russian, covering classics and writing his own songs. He was one of the pioneers of blues and rock music in the Soviet Union and Russia, and was widely respected by his fans and colleagues. He died of a heart attack in Moscow at the age of 63.