Charles Aznavour (Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian, Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ … Read Full Bio ↴Charles Aznavour (Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian, Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրյան, Paris, France, 22 May 1924 - 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor, public activist and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his unique tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. In a career spanning over 70 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs interpreted in eight languages. For himself and others, he has written or co-written more than 1,000 songs. He was one of France's most popular and enduring singers. He has sold 180 million records and has been dubbed France's Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden has described Aznavour as "French pop deity." He was also arguably the most famous Armenian of his time. In 1998, Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.
Aznavour has sung 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 Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
Aznavour has sung 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 Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva. On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 17 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Tokyo.
Charles Aznavour died on 1 October 2018.
Charles Aznavour was perhaps the best-known French music hall entertainer in the world -- renowned the world over for the bittersweet love songs he has written and sung, which seem to embody the essence of French popular song, and also for his appearances on screen in such wildly divergent fare as Shoot the Piano Player, Candy, and The Tin Drum. His status as the quintessential French popular culture icon is something of an irony for a man who identifies himself most closely with his Armenian heritage. His father was a singer and sometime-restaurateur, while his mother was an actress and part-time seamstress. His father's singing, done in a notably impassioned style, heavily influenced Aznavour's approach to singing as a boy. Although he had a voracious appetite for music, he also had a serious impediment growing up, in the form of a paralyzed vocal cord that gave his voice a raspy quality. He channeled some of his energy into theater, making both his stage and screen debuts at age nine, in 1933, in the theater piece Un bon petit diable and in the film La guerre des gosses. As an adolescent, he danced in nightclubs and sold newspapers, as well as touring with theatrical companies, and he wrote a nightclub act in partnership with Pierre Roche -- Aznavour wrote the lyrics to their songs and it was through that material that he began his singing career. Early on, he learned to overcome his fears about his vocal limitations, in part with help from singing legend Édith Piaf, for whom he worked as a chauffeur, among other capacities; with her help, he developed a style that suited his capabilities and played to his strengths and also continued writing songs in earnest, some of which were performed by Piaf.
His success came very slowly, however. Aznavour at first found some difficulty being accepted as a composer in France or anywhere else. His compositions, although considered tame by any modern standard, were regarded as too risqué for French radio and were banned from the airwaves for a decade or more, from the late '40s through the end of the 1950s; American publishers seemed equally reticent about them, as he discovered on a visit to New York in 1948. That trip did yield his first performing engagement in the city, however, at the Cafe Society Downtown in Greenwich Village. For the next decade, Aznavour made his living as a performer in second-tier clubs and middle- or bottom-of-the-bill berths on three continents. His mix of daringly original and frank love songs, coupled with a limited but very expressive singing style, left audiences somewhat bewildered at first.
His breakthrough came in 1956, during a vaudeville engagement in Casablanca, where the audience reaction was so positive that Aznavour was moved to headliner status. After this, it became easier for the singer to find better engagements in France; by 1958 he even had a recording contract. He made his screen debut that same year in a dramatic role, playing an epileptic in George Franju's La tête contre les murs. He also composed music for Alex Joff's Du rififi chez les femmes in 1958; From there, he moved on to bigger roles in better movies, including Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus and Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player. The latter movie turned Aznavour into a screen star in France and opened the way for his breakthrough in America. He sang at Carnegie Hall in the early '60s and followed this up in 1965 with a one-man show, The World of Charles Aznavour, at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, which drew rave notices from audiences and critics alike. By that time, the once-struggling singer had secured his first American LP release with the similarly titled album The World of Charles Aznavour on Reprise Records, the label founded and run by Frank Sinatra.
Aznavour would be the last to compare himself with those whom he regards as truly gifted vocalists, such as Sinatra and Mel Tormé, preferring to think of himself as a composer who also happens to sing. His style of performing has been compared variously to Maurice Chevalier and Sinatra and has remained enduringly popular for four decades. Almost all of Aznavour's songs deal with love and its permutations, running the gamut from upbeat, joyous pieces such as Après l'amour and J'ai perdu la tête to the dark-hued J'en déduis que je t'aime and Bon anniversaire. A teetotaler and a racing car enthusiast, Aznavour has been married three times and has four children.
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100 Chansons
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
A ma femme Quand le soc de roc de saisons Sue nos visages et…
A Ma Fille Je sais qu'un jour viendra car la vie le commande Ce…
A tout jamais Quand nous aurons fermé les yeux À tout jamais, à tout…
Allez Vai Marseille Marseille mon ami Dès l'entrée à l'école Avec toi j'ai appri…
Après l'amour Nous nous sommes aimés, Nos joies se sont offertes, Et…
Au Creux De Mon Épaule Si je t'ai blessée Si j'ai noirci ton passé Viens pleurer …
Au creux de mon épaule Si je t'ai blessée Si j'ai noirci ton passé Viens pleurer au…
Au Creux De Mon Épaule Si je t'ai blessée Si j'ai noirci ton passé Viens pleurer A…
Au printemps tu reviendras Le soleil a déserté notre village Et la neige est venue…
Autobiographie J'ai ouvert les yeux sur un meublé triste Rue Monsieur Le…
Avant La Guerre J'avais vingt ans une âme tendre Toi seize tout à apprendre…
Bon anniversaire J'ai mis mon complet neuf, mes souliers qui me serrent Et…
Ce jour tant attendu Ce jour tant attendu S'était levé pour nous Tu étais étendue…
Ce sacré piano Ce sacré piano Placé dans un coin Voudrait libérer Sa voi…
Comme Des Étrangers Un peu par lâcheté, un peu par lassitude Sur la terre…
Comme Des Roses Tout est venu si vite Tout a été si grand, si…
Comme Ils Disent J'habite seul avec maman Dans un très vieil appartement Rue …
Comme une maladie Comme une maladie Une fièvre inconnue Un jour c'est abattu…
De moins en moins Sur mon visage Le temps cruel a imprimé ses crocs Et au…
Déjà Deux jours, deux nuits passée sans toi Déjà Et je suis dans…
Emmenez Moi Vers les docks où le poids et l'ennui me courbent…
Et bailler et dormir Certains courent après la vie Moi la vie me cours après Bi…
Et moi dans mon coin Lui il t'observe Du coin de l'œil Toi tu t'énerves Dans ton …
Et pourtant Un beau matin, je sais que je m'éveillerai, Différemment de …
Etre Être, renaître ma naissance Dans une aube de craie Sous la…
Hier Encore Hier encore J'avais vingt ans Je caressais le temps Et joué …
Hosanna Marie a souffert, Marie a donné Naissance à minuit sonné A…
Il Faut Savoir Il faut savoir encore sourire Quand le meilleur s'est retiré…
Il Te Suffisait Que Je T'aime Nous avions vingt ans toi et moi Quand on a sous…
Ils sont tombés Ils sont tombés sans trop savoir pourquoi Hommes, femmes et…
Isabelle Depuis longtemps mon coeur était à la retraite Et ne pensai…
J'ai vécu Quand je prendrai, solitaire, l'aller simple sans retour Que…
J'ai Vu Paris J'ai vu Paris se réveiller Aux croissants chauds, aux café-c…
J'en déduis que je t'aime Par la peur de te perdre Et de ne plus te…
Je Bois Je bois pour oublier mes annйes d'infortune Et cette vie com…
Je hais les dimanches Tous les jours de la semaine Sont vides et sonnent le…
Je m'voyais déjà A dix-huit ans j'ai quitté ma province Bien décidé à empoign…
Je me raccroche à toi Tu me renies moi je t'appelle Tu me renvoies, je te…
Je meurs de toi Une porte s'ouvre et tu sors de ma vie Et je…
Je n'ai pas vu le temps passer Plus je m'enfonce dans ma vie Plus je ne peux que…
Je n'aurai pas cru ça de toi Nous représentions pour beaucoup L’image du couple solide L’…
Je n'oublierai jamais Quand on a dix-huit ans Des amis merveilleux Fainéants Pi…
Je ne ferai pas mes adieux J'en connais qui prétendent à l'année sabbatique Seuls et lo…
Je reviens Fanny J'avais des idées vagabondes Lorsque j'étais encore enfant…
Je t'aime a i m e Je t’écris c’est plus romantique Comme un amant du temps jad…
Je te réchaufferai Le ciel tisse une couverture en laine L´été prépare ses qua…
Jolies mômes de mon quartier Mômes de mon quartier, tout mon passé s´éveille quand je…
L'aiguille Mon enfant, mon air pur Mon sang, mon espérance Mon ferment,…
L'album De Toi Quand je reste seul à Paris Qu’avec les enfants tu as…
L'émigrant Toutes les gares se ressemblent Et tous les ports crèvent d…
La maison hantée J'habite une maison hantée De la cave jusqu'au grenier C'e…
La marguerite C'était la Marguerite on l'appelait Malou Déjà toute petite…
Le cabotin Je suis un cabotin dans toute sa splendeur Je suis né…
Le chemin de l'éternite J'ai lassé ma vie de misère Aux froides profondeurs de la…
Le palais de nos chimères Nous nous sommes mariés par un jour de printemps Sans prêtr…
Le Souvenir De Toi Assis sur le pont de pierre Qui enjambe le ruisseau Je reg…
Le Temps Laisse-moi guider tes pas dans l'existence Laisse-moi la ch…
Le Toréador Tu gis les yeux perdus Livide et pitoyable Le corps à demi…
Les amours médicales Celle que j'aime se destine A un très noble et beau…
Les deux guitares Deux tziganes, sans répit, grattent leurs guitares Ranimant …
Les Enfants De La Guerre Les enfants de la guerre Ne sont pas des enfants Ils ont…
Les faux Entre de faux tableaux Des meubles de copie Je vis dans un…
Les jours heureux À l'heure où le monde bouge, alors que ton coeur…
Les Plaisirs Démodés Dans le bruit familier de la boîte à la mode Aux…
Liberté Liberté, liberté, Qu'as-tu fait liberté De ceux là qui vou…
Mais C'était Hier Hier nous étions deux Le temps était clair, le monde était…
Marie l'orpheline Marie l'orpheline Marie mon amour Contre ma poitrine Vien…
Me Voilà Seul Me voilà seul, Seul tout à coup Fallait bien qu'un…
Mes emmerdes J'ai travaill� Des ann�es Sans r�pit Jour et nuit Pour r�uss…
Mon Ami Mon Judas Il n'est jamais ais? De juger sur la mine Nous ne…
Mon Émouvant Amour Tu vis dans un silence éternel et muet, où je traduis…
Mourir D'aimer Les parois de ma vie sont lisses Je m'y accroche mais…
Non Je N'ai Rien Oublie Je n'aurais jamais cru qu'on se rencontrerait Le hasard est …
On ne sait jamais On sait jamais Comment l'amour vient aux amants Comment il f…
On Ne Veut Plus De Nous Ici J'attache à ton collier Ce lien dont la vue même Te faisait…
On se réveillera On Se Réveillera Par un matin plus clair, sous un soleil…
Par gourmandise Je t'aime aussi par gourmandise Toi mon joli péché mignon …
Parce Que Parc' que t'as les yeux bleus Que tes cheveux s'amusent à…
Paris Au Mois D'Août Balayé par septembre Notre amour d'un été Tristement se …
Plus bleu que tes yeux Lorsque je lève les yeux, Je rencontre le ciel Et je me…
Poker Par trois gars de mon quartier Je me suis laisser entraîner…
Pour Essayer De Faire Une Chanson Comme un policier enquêtant pour un crime Qui fouille l'indi…
Pour faire une jam Ta ba da ba da ba da ba da...Moi certains…
Qui How sad Venice can be When you return alone And find a…
Reste Reste, reste encore Avec moi, Sur mon corps Dans mes bras…
Retiens la nuit Retiens la nuit Pour nous deux jusqu'à la fin du monde Ret…
Rouler Rouler jusqu'à frôler deux cents à l'heure Bloquer l'aiguill…
Sa jeunesse entre ses mains Lorsque l'on tient Entre ses mains Cette richesse Avoi…
Si je n'avais plus Si je n'avais plus Si ne n'avais plus Plus qu'une heure à…
Te dire adieu Et puisque d'autres mains sur ton corps impudique Sont venue…
Ton doux visage Ton Doux Visage Que caresse un autre que moi Ton Doux Visage…
Tout S'En Va Tout s'en va, tout se meurt Tu ne crois plus…
Tu N'as Plus Je n'ai plus quinze ans Tu n'as plus quinze ans Après tout,…
Tu t'laisses aller C'est drôle c'que t'es drôle à regarder T'es là, t'attends, …
Un amour en transit Tu viens, tu pars Toujours entre deux trains Toujours entre …
Un corps Un corps pour m'étendre à côté Dans l'ombre, épaule contre …
Un enfant de toi pour Noël Quand viendra le temps du froid et du gel J'aimerais pouvoi…
Un enfant est né Un enfant est né de père inconnu Et des millions d'hommes…
Un par un J'avais la vie de château Une armée de valets Un chauffeur…
Une Enfant Une enfant, Une enfant de seize ans, Une enfant du printem…
Une idée Une Idée Ça se présente à la pensée Sans y avoir été…
Vous Et Tu Vous êtes chère grande artisteLa plus charmante des amisEt l…