The key facts
- Aleksey Tarasov died on October 30 at the age of 64 after a serious illness
- The farewell on November 4 at the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Khimki was held behind closed doors, with about 40 people attending
- Nikolai Rastorguyev did not appear at the ceremony; earlier he said that his colleague could not be saved at the hospital
The farewell in Khimki took place without the band's leader
Aleksey Tarasov, the longtime backing vocalist of Lyube, died on October 30 at the age of 64. In his final months he battled an oncological illness that forced him to stop performing; at some concerts his vocal parts were performed by his son Serafim. The funeral ceremony was held on November 4 at the Church of Cosmas and Damian in Khimki, near Moscow, with the funeral service held behind closed doors. About 40 people came to see the musician off — relatives, friends and colleagues. The band's leader Nikolai Rastorguyev did not appear at the farewell; this was reported by a correspondent of the Abzats publication, who was present at the event.
More than three decades with Lyube
Tarasov joined the band in 1989, almost immediately after its founding, and took part in recording all of the group's albums; from 2005 he became a permanent member of the concert lineup. Before Lyube, he studied opera singing. Earlier, Rastorguyev said that Tarasov had been seriously ill since mid-summer, then was hospitalized, where doctors failed to save him; according to the band's leader, the musicians had worked together for more than three decades.
