Charles Aznavour
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Charles Aznavour (born May 22, 1924) is a French singer, songwriter and actor. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the most well-known french singers abroad. He has sold well over 100 million records. [link]
Biography
Aznavour was born Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian in Paris, the son of Armenian immigrants. At an early age, his artistic parents introduced him to the world of theatre.
He began to perform at age nine and soon took the stage name Aznavour. His big break came when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.
Often described as the "Frank Sinatra of France", almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love. He has written more than a thousand songs as well as musicals, made more than one hundred records, and has appeared in sixty movies. Aznavour sings in six languages (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, and Russian), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall and other major venues around the world.
In the 1970s Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom with his song "She" going to Number One in the charts. His other well known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".
A friend of Quebec, he has helped the career of Quebec singer-songwriter Lynda Lemay in France, and has a house in Montreal.
Since the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, Aznavour has been helping the country with his charity, Aznavour for Armenia. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan on Abovian Street. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia Fund International Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia, since 1992.
Charles Aznavour was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997.
Aznavour's nickname is "Charles Aznavoice", used both by critics and affectionately by some fans. The name of Char Aznable, the main villain of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, was derived from Aznavour.
Film career
Aznavour has had a long and varied parallel career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films. In 1960 Aznavour starred in François Truffaut's Tirez sur le pianiste, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie And Then There Were None. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director.
He also appeared in the first season of The Muppet Show.
Awards and recognition
- In 1996 Aznavour was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
- In 1997 Aznavour was awarded an honorary César.
See also
External links
- [Official Website (English Version)].
- [Biography] by Radio France International
- [Aznavour's song "For Me, Formidable"] interpreted by French pop singers Alizée Jacotey (left) and Jenifer Bartoli (right); live TF1 performance (May 22, 2004) includes two cameo shots of Aznavour
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