Charles Aznavour

Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian Born 22 May 1924 Paris, France; Died 1 October 2018 (aged 94) Mouriès

Charles Aznavour born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, Armenian 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 wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs. He was one of France's most popular and enduring singers.

He sold 180 million records during his lifetime and was dubbed France's Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden 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 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 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. He started his most recent tour in 2014.

On 24 August 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On 19 September 2018, his last concert took place in NHK Hall, Osaka.

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