Charles Aznavour

Charles Aznavour is an emblematic figure of French song. This huge, internationally renowned artist has performed on stages all over the world. Of Armenian origin, Charles Aznavour was born in Paris in 1924 when his parents fled the Armenian genocide. They were artists themselves (his father was a baritone and his mother an actress) and regularly rubbed shoulders with the poets, singers and actors who frequented their restaurant. At the age of 9, he had his first auditions and played small roles in the theatre, but at 18 he decided to embark on a singing career after a decisive meeting with the songwriter Pierre Roche. The Roche-Aznavour duo performed on stage for 8 years. This is how Aznavour met Edith Piaf. Impressed by the talent of the two acolytes, the already famous singer took them under her wing and embarked on a tour of France and the United States. The duo released several albums and even composed for Gilbert Bécaud. During a tour in Montreal, Pierre Roche fell in love with a Canadian woman and settled in Quebec. This was the beginning of a great solo career for Charles Aznavour, whom Edith Piaf convinced to become her right-hand man. While France shunned him, the singer had a triumphant performance at the Jardin d'Hiver in Casablanca. The following year, he performed at the Olympia and wrote his first hit song "Sur ma vie". From then on, songs followed one after the other until the famous "Je m'voyais déjà" which marked a turning point in his career. On the night of the premiere at the Alhambra, the French public, until then very reticent about Aznavour, gave him a standing ovation. He was 36 years old, and this was his breakthrough! In the sixties, Aznavour released his biggest hits: "Les Comédiens" (1962), "La Mamma" (1963), "For Me Formidable", "Hier Encore" and "Que c'est triste Venise" (1964), "La Bohême" (1965), "Emmenez-moi" (1967). He also wrote some of the biggest hits for Johnny Hallyday, Joe Dassin, Sylvie Vartan as well as Mireille Mathieu...