Leonid Vorobyev was born in Chita, Siberia in the former Soviet Union. Rock and Roll was illegal in those days. Groups of Russian Rock and Roll lovers would get together with their reel to reel tape recorders when one of them would get a new tape of the latest rock and roll album. They would connect their recorders to experience the latest in rock and roll.
In the early days these Russian Rock and Rollers had to make their own instruments. Leonid formed a band. There was no written rock and roll music in these days. Leonid had to score it all from the tapes. Leonid has been in music his entire life. He became a master at multi-track recording, mixing and mastering. He has helped many musicians in Russia over the years. On his 60th birthday he decided he wished to create a YouTube video calling in some of his friends that he had helped over the years. This was the start of Leonid and Friends. As Leonid would say “The rest is history!”
Leonid and Friends has over 100 Million views on YouTube. They have delighted and united people from around the world through their spot on renditions of Chicago music played as Chicago played them in the 60s and 70s.
This is the video that started it all!