Soviet songwriter (bard), film actor, journalist, writer, screenwriter, poet, one of the founders of the author’s song genre, creator of the reportage song genre, author of more than 300 songs. In 1955 he graduated from the faculty of Russian language and literature of the Moscow Pedagogical Institute.

In the same year, he wrote the text for his first song - Madagascar (the music was borrowed from the performance of Sergei Obraztsov “Under the rustle of your eyelashes”). While studying at the institute, he began to write songs - usually in his own poems. From 1950 to 1960 - composed about 40 songs.