Andrey Danilo is one of the brightest artists in the Ukrainian and post-Soviet show business. He is not just a performer, but also a talented actor, producer, songwriter, presenter, and director. There are many projects on his account, but the role of Verka Serduchka is considered the most important. Biography, the path to fame, and the personal life of the performer – read about all this in our article.
Reference
- Full name: Andrei Mikhailovich Danilko
- Date of birth: October 2, 1973
- Place of birth: Poltava
- Occupation: actor, singer, TV presenter, comedian, composer, songwriter, director, screenwriter
- Marital status: not married
- Nickname: Verka Serduchka
Childhood and youth
The future artist was born on October 2, 1973, in Poltava in a low-income family. Father Mikhail Semenovich Danilko worked as a driver. The man died early due to cancer. Then Andrew was only seven years old.
The artist’s mother had to deal with the maintenance of the family. Svetlana Ivanovna Volkova worked 2-3 shifts at the factory to provide for her son and his older sister Galya (the girl was born in the woman’s previous marriage).
Danilko studied at the local secondary school No. 27. He was not a diligent student, but he actively participated in amateur creative activities and attended art school. He was the captain of the KVN school team and played as a schoolboy for the KVN vocational school team. In addition, he annually performed on stage at a summer children’s camp and studied at the Grotesque theater studio.
After leaving school in 1991, Andrey Danilko entered the Poltava vocational school. It was here that the future artist first introduced his alter ego to the public – Verka Serduchka.
The path to fame and how Verka Serduchka was born
So, on April 1, 1993, at the Poltava “Humorina” Andrey performed with two miniatures – “Dining Room” and “Conductor”. Then a vocational school student took the stage in the form of a woman with a bright star on her head and impressive forms.
Unrestrained, possessing sarcasm and humor, the character immediately liked the audience and judges. Danilko received second place for his creativity. And the following year he took the Grand Prix of the festival. After that, a successful period began in the life of a young guy. He began to be invited to television shows, appear in commercials and perform at concerts.
In 1996, Andrei began to collaborate with producer Yuri Nikitin and a year later released the song “Simply Faith”. Since November 1997, in the image of conductor Verka Serduchka, he led the SV-show program, then released two music videos for the songs “A Little Bit” and “Controller”.
Verka Serduchka also starred in many musicals that raised the mood of the people during the New Year holidays. Among them: “For two hares”, “Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka”, “The Snow Queen”, etc.
Success at Eurovision 2007 and international recognition
In 2007, Andrey Danilko, in his stage image, went to conquer the Eurovision Song Contest. Performing with the song “Dancing Lasha Tumbai”, the artist took second place and thus became a sensation for the European public.
What can I say, the famous British edition of The Guardian even called Serduchka’s number “the best song that did not win Eurovision.” And already in 2015, the performer with the same hit appeared in the Hollywood film Spy with Jason Statham, Jude Law, and Melissa McCarthy in the lead roles.
To this day, Danilo continues to follow the music competition and often becomes a guest of the competition in the winning country. In 2019, he also performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv.
Popular songs
- “Hop-hop”
- Vera plus Misha (duet with Mikhail Poplavsky)
- “Everything will be fine”
- “Chita-Drita”
- “I do not understand”
- “You got drunk, like a pig”
- “Knock-Knock”
- “I fell for love”
- “Tralli Valley”
- “Good beauties”
- “Dolce and Gabbana”
Personal life
Andrei Mikhailovich admitted in an interview that his harmonious state is loneliness. Indeed, over the years of his musical career, journalists have not been able to find out the details of the artist’s personal life.
The producer and singer were credited with various novels, including a relationship with the stage mother, Inna Belokon. There were rumors that he even had a child. But none of this has ever been confirmed. Danilo himself keeps his private life behind seven locks. The only thing known is that he is not married.
Andrey Danilko today
Today Danilko continues to delight the audience with performances in the image of Verka Serduchka. Since 2016, he has been a judge of the National Selection for Eurovision in Ukraine, as well as a jury member of the X-Factor show.
You can’t argue that the image of Verka Serduchka has become a cult among the people. She has the largest number of doubles around the world and not a single Ukrainian event takes place without her hits.
