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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Platinum Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour Lyrics
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…
Ave Maria Ave Maria Ave Maria Ceux qui souffrent viennent à toi Toi qu…
Ay! mourir pour toi Ay mourir pour toi A l'instant où ta main me frôle Laisser…
Bon anniversaire J'ai mis mon complet neuf, mes souliers qui me serrent Et…
Comme Des Étrangers Un peu par lâcheté, un peu par lassitude Sur la terre…
Comme Ils Disent J'habite seul avec maman Dans un très vieil appartement Rue …
De t'avoir aimée De t'avoir aimée, aimée comme un fou Aimée a genoux, bien…
Désormais Désormais On ne nous verra plus ensemble Désormais Mon cœ…
Emmenez Moi Vers les docks où le poids et l'ennui me courbent…
Esperanza Esperanza, Esperanza Le bonheur en nos cœurs suit son cours …
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…
For me formidable You are the one for me, for me, formi, formidable You…
Fraternité Nous rentrions très tard, mêlant Des vers purs à des chants…
Hier Encore Hier encore J'avais vingt ans Je caressais le temps Et joué …
Il Faut Savoir Il faut savoir encore sourire Quand le meilleur s'est retiré…
J'aime Paris au mois de Mai J´aime Paris au mois de mai Quand les bourgeons renaissent …
Je Bois Je bois pour oublier mes annйes d'infortune Et cette vie com…
Je m'voyais déjà A dix-huit ans j'ai quitté ma province Bien décidé à empoign…
Je t'aime a i m e Je t’écris c’est plus romantique Comme un amant du temps jad…
Jezebel Ce démon qui brûlait mon coeur, Cet ange qui séchait mes…
L'aiguille Mon enfant, mon air pur Mon sang, mon espérance Mon ferment,…
L'amour c'est comme un jour Le soleil brille à pleins feux Mais je ne vois que…
L'amour Et La Guerre Pourquoi donc irais-je encore à la guerreAprès ce que j'ai…
La Bohème Je vous parle d'un temps Que les moins de vingt ans Ne…
La Mamma Ils sont venus Ils sont tous là Dès qu'ils ont entendu ce…
La marche des anges Lyrics/Music: Robert Gall, Charles Aznavour / Georges Garvar…
Le palais de nos chimères Nous nous sommes mariés par un jour de printemps Sans prêtr…
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 Comédiens Viens, voir les comédiens, Voir les musiciens, Voir les magi…
Les deux guitares Deux tziganes, sans répit, grattent leurs guitares Ranimant …
Les Deux Pigeons Deux pigeons s´aimaient d´amour tendre Mais l´un d´eux a qu…
Les Enfants De La Guerre Les enfants de la guerre Ne sont pas des enfants Ils ont…
Les Plaisirs Démodés Dans le bruit familier de la boîte à la mode Aux…
Lisboa Ma ville en bord de mer tu t'accroches à mes…
Mes emmerdes J'ai travaill� Des ann�es Sans r�pit Jour et nuit Pour r�uss…
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 …
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 faire une jam Ta ba da ba da ba da ba da...Moi certains…
Quand tu m'embrasses Quand tu m'embrasses Pourrais-tu m'expliquer pourquoi Quan…
Que C'Est Triste Venise Que c'est triste Venise Au temps des amours mortes Que c'est…
Qui How sad Venice can be When you return alone And find a…
Rendez-vous à brasilla Le cœur du Brésil s′élance dans un carnaval immense Tout le…
Sa jeunesse Lorsque l'on tient, Entre ses mains, Cette richesse, Avoir v…
Sarah Dans la boutique do tailleur Tes vieux parents, tes frères, …
Sur ma vie Paroles et Musique: Charles Aznavour 1955 ----------------…
Toi Et Moi Toi et moi Deux cœurs qui se confondent Au seuil de l'infini…
Tout S'En Va Tout s'en va, tout se meurt Tu ne crois plus…
Trop tard Trop tard Il est trop tard désormais J´ai tout gâché J´ai…
Trousse chemise Par le petit bois de Trousse Chemise Quand la mer est…
Tu t'laisses aller C'est drôle c'que t'es drôle à regarder T'es là, t'attends, …
Une Enfant Une enfant, Une enfant de seize ans, Une enfant du printem…