Muslim Magomaev

Hailed as "the Soviet Sinatra," crooner Muslim Magomaev was Communist Russia's most successful and beloved pop music star, lending his powerful baritone to a broad, crowd-pleasing repertoire that extended from traditional songs to operatic arias to jazz standards. Born August 17, 1942, in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Magomaev was the product of a show business family -- his father, Magomet Magomaev, was a stage designer who perished during World War II, and his mother, Aishet Magomaeva, was an actress. A child prodigy who studied piano and composition at the Baku Conservat...