Charles Aznavour (1924-2018) was born in Paris to Armenian refugees and became a singer, lyricist, composer, actor and diplomat during a 70-year career from 1946 to 2018. He believed that his originality resided in his words--the lyrics, not the music. He said: “Take away the music and you can recite them on stage.” His songs represent something of a bridge between the “chanson realiste” that emerged in Montmartre during the 1880s and Post-WWII “chanson.” Like exponents of the former tradition, his songs focus on “subjects that were near the knuckle.” But his charming and suave demeanor and the soulful melancholia of his songs appealed to a much broader public after 1946 and during the heyday of his career. Jean Cocteau remarked that “before Aznavour, despair was unpopular.”
His boyhood idol was Maurice Chevalier and he had early exposure to performance and street arts. Edith Piaf mentored his entry into the music scene (and got him a nose job) and he spent years as her “protegé” (or “slave” in his words). He resembled her diminutive stature and emulated her techniques of stage presence. He led an intense work schedule in a long career during which he recorded more than 1200 songs in many languages and wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 and appeared in more than 80 films. His vocal versatility, charming personality and hard work brought global stature though he never quite captured the American psyche. He continued touring until his death at 94.
Aznavour Songs:
Que c'est triste Venise (How Sad Venice Is)
La Bohème (Bohemian Days)
Hier Encore (Only Yesterday)
Tous Les Visages de l'Amour (All The Faces of Love)
His boyhood idol was Maurice Chevalier and he had early exposure to performance and street arts. Edith Piaf mentored his entry into the music scene (and got him a nose job) and he spent years as her “protegé” (or “slave” in his words). He resembled her diminutive stature and emulated her techniques of stage presence. He led an intense work schedule in a long career during which he recorded more than 1200 songs in many languages and wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 and appeared in more than 80 films. His vocal versatility, charming personality and hard work brought global stature though he never quite captured the American psyche. He continued touring until his death at 94.
Aznavour Songs:
Que c'est triste Venise (How Sad Venice Is)
La Bohème (Bohemian Days)
Hier Encore (Only Yesterday)
Tous Les Visages de l'Amour (All The Faces of Love)