This is the biography Charles Aznavour was born on 22 May 1924 -1 October 2018 in Paris at the age of 94, singer, songwriter and actor son of Armenian immigrants, his real name is Shahnour Vaghinagh Aznavourian. During his very long career, he collected the nicknames of “Frank Sinatra of France”, or even “Charles Aznavoice”; he recorded records and sang in six different languages, performing in all corners of the globe; his parents introduced him to the Parisian theatre world at a very young age.
From the age of nine, he took on the stage name of Aznavour. The stroke of luck came when he was discovered by Edith Piaf, who took him on tour in France and the United States. Most of the more than 1,000 songs written and sung by Aznavour are about love. Aznavour sings in French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, French, Italian, German and German, and he has a career as a singer-songwriter, which has led him to play in over 60 films: his debut in 1960 in “Pirate sul pianist”, by François Truffaut. Other films to remember are “And then there were none” (1974, based on a novel by Agatha Christie) and “Ararat” (2002, by the Armenian director Atom Egoyan).
Among the countless international stars with whom he duetted are Liza Minnelli, Compay Segundo and Celine Dion. In Italy, he has collaborated with Iva Zanicchi, Mia Martini and
Laura Pausini is often involved in humanitarian actions and charitable collections, she has done a lot for Armenia, her country of origin: since 1995 she has been Armenia’s travelling Ambassador to UNESCO, since 2004 she has been Armenia’s National Hero, since 2009 she has been Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland. Among the many awards he has received in his career, there is also the French Legion of Honour.
He wrote two autobiographical books: “The days before. My stage, my life” (2004) and “A voice bass” (2010). Charles Aznavour died at the venerable age of 94 on 1 October 2018, in Mouriès, France. The funeral took place on 6 October at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris. The ceremony was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and former French Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande, as well as family and friends. After the official ceremony, the funeral procession crossed the centre of Paris and hundreds of people applauded along the way.
Afterwards, the coffin was transported to the cemetery of Montfort-l’Amaury to be buried in the family tomb. Alongside his work as a singer-songwriter, Aznavour has also had a remarkable career as an actor, which has led him to participate in over 60 films, making his debut as a protagonist in 1959 with Dragatori di donwomansne (Les Draguers) by Jean-Pierre Mocky, in 1960 in Tirate sul pianist by François Truffaut.
Other participations to remember were in the films …and then, there was none left (1974) and Ararat (2002). Cousin of American actor Mike Connors, from 1967 until his death Aznavour was married to Ulla Thorsell, a Swedish citizen, and had Katia, Misha and Nicolas from her.
His two previous marriages, of short duration, had both ended in divorce: from the first one, his daughter Seda (singer and actress too) was born, from the second his son Patrick, who died at the age of 25.
Discography
1950 Charles Aznavour et Pierre Roche
1953 Jezebel
1953 Jezebel 2
1953 Charles Aznavour chante Charles Aznavour n°1
1954 Le feutre taupe
1955 Sur ma vie
1955 Charles Aznavour chante Charles Aznavour n°2
1956 Charles Aznavour chante Charles Aznavour n°3
1957 Bravos du Music Hall
1958 Believe in me! (Album con 9 canzoni in inglese e una in francese)
1958 C’est ça
1958 J’aime Paris (Album con canzoni inglese e spagnolo)
1960 Les deux guitares
1960 Je m’voyais déjà
1961 Il faut savoir
1961 Charles Aznavour
1962 Charles Aznavour
1963 La mamma
1963 Qui? (Album con una canzone in inglese e 10 in francese)
1963 Charles Aznavour
1964 Hier encore
1964 Que c’est triste Venise (album)
1965 La Bohème (album)
1965 La Bohemia (Album Spagnolo)
1965 Aznavour 65
1966 Charles Aznavour
1966 Aznavour
1966 Aznavour
1966 Vedettes
1966 De t’avoir aimée
1967 Charles Aznavour
1967 Entre deux rêves
1968 Face au public (Album dal vivo all’Olympia)
1968 Les prénoms
1969 Désormais
1969 Aznavour sings Aznavour 1 (Album in inglese)
1970 Aznavour sings Aznavour 2 (Album in inglese)
1971 Idiote je t’aime
1971 Premiers succès
1971 No 2
1974 Visages de l’Amour
1976 Voilà que tu reviens
1978 Je n’ai pas vu le temps passer
1980 Autobiographie
1981 Une premiere danse – La legende de Stenka Razine
1983 Charles chante Aznavour et Dimey
1986 Trema (album)
1986 Trema 2
1988 Charles Aznavour e Misha Aida – Seda-Aznavour – Trema
1989 Sur ma vie
1990 Sus canciones (2 CD)
1995 Grandes Exitos de Charles Aznavour (Album in spagnolo)
1996 40 chansons d’or (2 CD)
1996 Aznavour chante Noel
1996 Le feutre taupe
1997 Plus bleu
1997 Plus bleu que tes yeux
1999 Jazznavour
2000 Aznavour 2000
2000 Palais des Congrés 1994
2001 Chansons de films
2002 Sus mas grande exitos (Album in spagnolo)
2004 Platinum Collection (3 CD)
2006 Indispensable (4 CD)
2007 Colore ma vie
2008 Charles Aznavour et ses amis – A l’opera Garnier (2 CD)
2008 Tu pintas mi vida (Album in spagnolo)
2011 Toujours
