He first appeared on television in May 1966 with the song "Skambėk pavasarėli" (Sound the Spring) by the choir of the kindergarten "Gerosios Vilties". He started playing guitar at the age of 13. He sang in the mixed and youth choir and vocal ensemble of Vilnius 21 (Gerosios Vilties) Secondary School. He studied guitar seriously for 2 years at the Vilnius branch of the Kaliningrad Conservatoire. From autumn 1975 to summer 1977 he played in the ensemble "PoP Desantas" at the 15th Secondary School in Vilnius (now Žvėrynas Gymnasium).
In the Soviet Army he played the guitar in the vocal-instrumental ensembles "Boyevoye Znamya" (Battle Flag) and "Sidabriniai sparnai" (Silver Wings) at the Officers' House of Frunze, Military District of the Central Asian Military Order of the Red Banner. He organised and hosted the first disco in a military unit in the Kyrgyz SSR.
In 1980 he entered the Vilnius State Pedagogical Institute (now University) together with the future members of the Polarised Glasses, J. Vasilevich and S. Barkis. In 1986 he started singing with the band.
