Most people don’t realize that “Blueberry Hill” is not a Fats Domino original. Written by Vincent Rose, Larry Stock and Al Lewis in 1940, the song was recorded countless times before the Fat Man put a rock n’ roll spin on the tune 16 years later. Even Louis Armstrong got in on the action, laying down a popular version with Gordon Jenkins’ Orchestra and Choir in 1949.

However, Domino’s rendition is unquestionably the most famous. It was the New Orleans icon’s biggest hit, spending eight non-consecutive weeks on the R&B Best Sellers chart in 1956 and reaching #2 on the Billboard Top 40. The song launched Domino into international stardom, and continues to play a major part in his enduring legacy (Rolling Stone declared his version of “Blueberry Hill” to be the 82nd greatest song of all time).

For decades, no one could deny that Fats Domino recorded the definitive take on “Blueberry Hill.” But that all changed in 2010 when—and there may be a hint of sarcasm here—Russian President Vladimir Putin took the stage at a fundraiser for children’s cancer research in St. Petersburg.

Watch as the former KGB operative and current expansionist strongman shows off his piano and vocal chops with a marvelously awkward cover of this American classic. His interpretation seems to take more from Louis Armstrong’s version than Fats Domino’s, but that’s quite alright. If Gerard Depardieu, Goldie Hawn and Kevin Costner are smiling, then you should be too.