Oksana Grigorieva
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Oksana Petrovna Grigorieva (russian: link=no, Оксана Петровна Григорьева; born 23 February 1970) is a Russian singer-songwriter and pianist. She studied music in Moscow and completed
conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...
studies in
Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...
, before moving to London. After studying music at the
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...
, she moved to the United States, with periods spent living in New York City and Los Angeles, California. She taught music in the U.S., and patented a technique of teaching
musical notation Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation fo ...
to children. Grigorieva gained attention as a songwriter in 2006, after a song that she wrote, "Un día llegará", became popular on the
Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...
album ''
Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
''. In 2009, Grigorieva's album '' Beautiful Heartache'' was released; the actor and director
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...
, with whom she was romantically involved and had a child, served as executive producer. The following year, the couple had a widely publicized falling-out that eventually involved highly public legal proceedings and acrimony.


Early life

Grigorieva was born Oksana Petrovna Chernukha in
Saransk Saransk (russian: Саранск, p=sɐˈransk; mdf, Саранск ошсь, Saransk oš; myv, Саран ош, Saran oš) is the capital city of the Republic of Mordovia, Russia, as well as its financial and economic centre. It is located i ...
,
Mordovian ASSR The Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (russian: Мордовская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика, ''Mordovskaya Avtonomnaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika'' ...
in 1970. Her parents were both music professors. She grew up in
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, and at the age of 15 moved to Moscow to attend university to learn piano. She said of the experience learning music as a child, "Diplomas were everything. It wasn't unusual for students to play ten hours a day. Our skin would start to crack. We'd literally have bleeding fingers." Grigorieva finished
conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...
studies in
Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...
. She moved to London where she continued her studies and taught music to others. Grigorieva studied music at the
Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...
. While in London she worked as a model; having been spotted by photographer
Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield (25 April 1939 – 11 November 2005) was an English photographer from the Anson family. He inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960 from his paternal grandfather. In his professional practice ...
. Grigorieva noted, "In order to support myself I started to model. I did a lot of it, print, mostly. I've always looked after myself. I've never been dependent on anyone financially." In the U.K. she worked under the name Sacha Chernuha before changing it to Oksana Grigorieva. Grigorieva subsequently moved to the United States, and spent time living in New York City and Los Angeles, California. She taught music in the U.S., and patented a technique of teaching
musical notation Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation fo ...
to children. Grigorieva composed and performed music, and produced works for theatre and advertisements.


Music career

Grigorieva gained attention as a songwriter in 2006, after the song that she wrote, "Un día llegará" (Translated from Spanish: A Day Will Come), became popular on the
Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...
album, ''
Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
''. ''
Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal'' ...
'' highlighted "Un día llegará" in particular in a review of Groban's album ''Awake'', commenting, "Groban's most effective tunes tend to be his most unadorned, when he favors understatement over ostentation, such as on the flickering piano ballad 'Lullaby' or the tremulous slow burn of 'Un día llegará,' with its touches of flamenco guitar." Prior to singing "Un día llegará" at a 2007 live performance, the song was "endorsed as a beauty" by Groban, in a statement to his fans. In a review of ''Awake'', the ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded bro ...
'' called "Un día llegará" an "outstanding track". Fred Shuster of ''
Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' reviewed the album, and commented, "The gorgeous 'Un día llegará,' opening with a sweep of guitar, sets the mood for romantic highlights to come". In 2009, Grigorieva's music album ''Beautiful Heartache'' was released; Mel Gibson paying for her music career at the time served as executive producer. The album includes 11 tracks, and features a cover of the Russian song "Dark Eyes" and a collaboration with
Charlie Midnight Charlie Midnight (born Charles Kaufman, 1954) is an American songwriter, record producer, and founder of Midnight Production House. He has been nominated for the 1987 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (Writer, " Living in America" by James Brown), ...
. ''Beautiful Heartache'' was marketed as "grown-up, piano-led pop, heavy on classical motifs". Save for the song "Say My Name", which was co-written with Gibson, Grigorieva wrote the entire album on her own. "Say My Name" was included in the 2010 film ''
Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and politica ...
''. ''
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
'' reported that ''Beautiful Heartache'' garnered the singer "rave reviews" from music critics. ''
Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...
'' commented of the album, "'Beautiful Heartache' features a collection of wistful love songs, blending shimmering string arrangements with pop and jazz-influenced arrangements that showcase Grigorieva's soulful voice." In a review of the album, Jack Foley of ''IndieLondon'' gave it a rating of 4 out of 5, and observed, "throughout, she displays a keen ear for melody, for honest emotional simplicity and classic values. She’s well worth taking the time to check out". In December 2012 it was revealed Grigorieva was taking a detour into hip hop and dance music, scheduled for release in 2013.


Personal life

Grigorieva was married in 1989 for three months to Russian lawyer Igor Baranov. In 1992, she married British artist Nicholas Rowland. She had a relationship with James Bond actor
Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama ''The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence as ...
; Grigorieva met Dalton in 1995 while she was employed as a translator for filmmaker
Nikita Mikhalkov Nikita Sergeyevich Mikhalkov (russian: Никита Сергеевич Михалков; born 21 October 1945) is a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, actor, and head of the Russian Cinematographers' Union. Mikhalkov is a three-time laureate of the ...
. Dalton and Grigorieva had a son together (born August 1997) named Alexander. Their relationship ended in 2003. Starting in 2007, Grigorieva was romantically involved with actor
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...
, and their daughter Lucia was born on 30 October 2009. The couple separated in April 2010. In June 2010, Grigorieva obtained a
restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protection or ...
against Gibson, after stating he had
physically assaulted An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
her. Gibson was barred from coming near Grigorieva or their daughter. In July 2010, Gibson was identified as a possible suspect in a
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
investigation initiated after detectives spoke in Malibu to Grigorieva. Grigorieva and Gibson were involved in a
child custody Child custody is a legal term regarding '' guardianship'' which is used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent or guardian and a child in that person's care. Child custody consists of ''legal custody'', which is the righ ...
dispute involving their daughter in a confidential court case. In 2010, Gibson offered a settlement worth approximately $15 million, but it was refused by Grigorieva. In May 2011, Oksana Grigorieva dropped claims of
domestic abuse Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...
against Gibson. In August 2011, Grigorieva settled with Gibson and was awarded $750,000, joint legal custody, and a house in
Sherman Oaks, California Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California located in the San Fernando Valley, founded in 1927. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than ...
to live in until their daughter Lucia turns 18, at which point the house will be sold and the proceeds turned into a trust fund for Lucia. In 2013, Grigorieva sued her attorneys, accusing them of advising her to sign a bad agreement, including one with Gibson that states that if she takes legal action against him, her previous settlement will be compromised. In 2014 a judge ruled that Oksana had violated a confidentiality clause due to a conversation she had on the Howard Stern Radio Show where Gibson was mentioned; she lost half of her $750,000 award. Grigorieva has been involved in charity work with Chernobyl Children's Project International in Belarus.


Discography

* "Un día llegará",
Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...
album, ''
Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...
'' (2006) * '' Beautiful Heartache'',
executive produced Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
by
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...
(2009)


Notes


References

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grigorieva, Oksana 1970 births Feminist musicians Living people Russian expatriates in the United States Russian feminists Russian women pianists Russian women singer-songwriters 21st-century Russian women singers 21st-century Russian singers 21st-century pianists 21st-century women pianists