Charles Aznavour ( AZ-nə-VOOR; French: [ʃaʁl aznavuʁ]; Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրյան; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. In a career as a singer and songwriter, spanning over 70 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs, in various languages. Moreover, he wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and others. Aznavour is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters in history and an icon of 20th-century pop culture. Aznavour sang for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend, impresario Lévon Sayan. In 2008, he was granted Armenian citizenship and was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland the following year, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. One of France's most popular and enduring singers, he was dubbed France's Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden described Aznavour as a "French pop deity". Several media outlets described him as the most famous Armenian of all time. Jean Cocteau, who cast him in his 1960 Le Testament d'Orphée, joked "Before Aznavour despair was unpopular". Between 1974 and 2016, Aznavour received around sixty gold and platinum records around the world. According to his record company, the total sales of Aznavour's recordings were over 180 million units. He started his last world tour in 2014. In 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Later that year, he and his sister, Aida Aznavourian, were awarded the Raoul Wallenberg Award for sheltering Jews during World War II. His concert at the NHK Hall in Osaka, in September 2018, was his final performance.
How is there suddenly so many people finishing this list, cant keep up anymore 🥲 Oh this is amazing! Lol, Hier encore is everywhere
Terrific! Never heard of this gentleman but this was très magnifique!
Wonderful master of chanson. So glad to finally have some of his work.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Que c’est triste Venise, Je t’aimais tant, Le temps, Hier encore, Quand j’en aurai assez
I love listening to music from other countries I normally would never have been exposed to. I enjoyed this one a lot!
Pop, chanson, adult contemporary. Chanson francesa. Bien, aunque el vibrato que se asemeja a hacer gárgaras me pone un poco nervioso. Un 4, venga.
Maginifique, pass the brie and chablis, s'il vous plait, and put on one's beret. Great add to this list and could/should go on list proper. Hollywood Star well deserved.
This is really lovely. I'm a sucker for a jazz pop crooner anyway, so this was a great choice. I mostly prefer the ballads, which have a more classic sound than the upbeat tunes, which are very much of their time. Fave Songs: Avec, Toi et tes yeux d'enfant, Que c'est triste Venise, A ma fille, Quand j'en aurai assez
The original 1001 already has the French guy LP covered with Brel's 'Olympia 64,' though I suppose Aznavour's take is much more downtrodden and mournful. Reflects in how dreary and miserable a listen this is – perhaps a matter of taste, but it's just not for me.
Non.