The French singer of Armenian origin, Charles Aznavour, has died at the age of 94 years. Beyond a prolific international artistic career, we also remember him as a champion of the cause of the Armenian people.
As well as carrying the voice of Armenian people around the world he was nonetheless an enlightened citizen with pertinent ideas about French society.
Tribute to Charles Aznavour for his die at Eiffel Tower on October 01, 2018 in Paris, France. Photo by Jerome Domine/ABACAPRESS.COM Source: AAP
20 years ago in October 1998 to announce the series of concerts that the Franco-Armenian artist was preparing to give on Broadway. Frank Sinatra had passed away in May of the same year and the interpreter of "La Boheme" represented overseas the ultimate crooner still alive.
Although Charles Aznavour refused this qualifier and preferred to define himself as "a lyricist who sometimes interprets his own songs", he had nonetheless managed to seduce the international public and to add to the list of these French talents which, like Maurice Chevalier, Yves Montand, or Edith Piaf, have managed to make a name for themselves in the country of Elvis Presley.
I loved working with Lisa Minelli, she sung my songs in a different way, she invented a new way to sing my songs, she had those beautiful moments of acting in a song
A star on the Walk of Fame
It was also during this period that Aznavour, then in his forties, met a teenage Liza Minelli.
"He really taught me everything about singing - how each song is a movie in itself,"Liza Minelli
she said in 2013, the New York Times reported. The two artists also appeared on stage in duets over the decades in the United States.
It's always to be known where the showbiz is from, America is the first country for singers and actors
Tribute to an artist without borders
"I can say that I'm also a bit Californian [because I have] a daughter here and my grandchildren [in 1967, he married Ulla Thorsell in Las Vegas in the neighbouring state of Nevada]," rejoiced. he then in front of a crowd of 200 fans and guests. He also said: "I'm French and Armenian, the two are inseparable like milk and coffee, it's fantastic to have two cultures. "
10th September 1974: French singer and songwriter Charles Aznavour performing in a recording studio. Source: Getty / Victor Blackman/Express/Getty Images
In this interview he gave for SBS Radio in October 2017, Charles Aznavour remembered Sydney.
I have very fond memories of Sydney, it's one of the two or three places in the world I ate Armenian food outside Armenia
Legacy
Charles Aznavour wrote 1400 songs over an 88-year long career, in many different languages.
His music has inspired many artists, starting with French and American rappers.
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