Established 1961 Lifestyle TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018 Charles Aznavour, This file photo taken on June 8, 1982 shows French actors Charles Aznavour (left) and Michel Serrault on the set of the film “Les FantÙmes du chapelier”, directed by Claude France’s eternal Chabrol. crooner poet In this file photo taken on November 27, 1968 French singer- songwriter Charles Aznavour is welcomed by his daughter Patricia (left) and his wife Ulla upon his arrival to Stockholm. hey told him he was too ugly, too short and that octaves,” he said. Aznavour lived with Piaf for eight years, Charles Aznavour, he couldn’t sing. But Charles Aznavour, who has though he insisted he never became one of her many died aged 94, became one of the greatest singer- lovers because “she was not my type”. Either way she France’s legendary Tsongwriters of the 20th century. He was dubbed badgered him into getting a nose job. France’s Frank Sinatra, but unlike the American crooner, Aznavour wrote his own songs, often breaking ‘Armenia in my heart’ crooner, in dates taboos about marriage, homosexuality and men talking Even so, his solo career had a rocky start, with the man about their emotions. With lyrics that talked of sex, who would later be named “Entertainer of the Century” by ere are key dates in the life of French singer depression and flagging libidos, he said what was then CNN and Time Online, once being booed off stage. “They HCharles Aznavour, who has died aged 94. unsayable, such as his 1973 hit “What Makes a Man”, said I was ugly and short; that the ill should not be allowed May 22, 1924: Born in Paris to Armenian immi- about a gay transvestite. to sing,” he told AFP, referring to his unique tenor voice. grants and named Shahnour Varinag Still performing to packed stadiums well into his 90s, But he had his first number one hit in 1956 with “Sur Ma Aznavourian. Aznavour continued to write every day and push the Vie” (In My Life). That was followed by one of his biggest 1946: He meets singing icon Edith Piaf, for whom boundaries, eulogizing the smell of his Swedish wife’s hits, “Je M’voyais Deja” (It Will Be My Day). he will play the piano for eight years. She In this file photo taken on January 5, 1967 French singer armpits in one song celebrating their 50 years of marriage. will take him to America. Charles Aznavour and Swedish model Ulla Thorssel swear in “It’s a kind of sickness I have, talking about things you’re 1950: Writes in New York his first song “Je hais during their wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. not supposed to talk about,” he said. “I started with homo- les dimanches”, performed by Juliette sexuality and I wanted to break every taboo.” “I felt Greco. strongly and I had to take a stand,” he said. 1952: Hired to perform in the legendary Patachou The same fearlessness made him a tireless campaigner cabaret in Montmartre. for the recognition of the slaughter of Armenians by 1953: First success with the melancholic ballad Ottoman Turks during World War I as genocide, becoming “Viens au creux de mon epaule”. Armenia’s ambassador to Switzerland and permanent del- 1956: Put under contract by French music pro- egate to the United Nations. Born Shahnour Varinag ducer Eddie Barclay, the start of a suc- Aznavourian in Paris on May 22, 1924, to parents who had cessful career with songs such as “Je fled the massacres, Aznavour sold more than 180 million m’voyais deja” (1961) and “La Mamma” records in a career spanning eight decades and as many (1963). languages. A gifted actor as well as linguist, Aznavour 1960: Stars in Francois Truffaut’s film “Shoot the brought a rare intensity to the stage, turning every song Piano Player”, which catapults him to into “a one-act play”. And it was his leading role in In this file photo taken on August 30, 2011 French singer- fame abroad. In this file photo taken on November 20, 1991 French singer- Francois Truffaut’s film “Shoot the Piano Player” in 1960 songwriter Charles Aznavour takes part in the recording of 1973: Releases “Comme ils disent”, the confession songwriter Charles Aznavour and US singer Liza Minnelli per- that catapulted him to fame outside France. the TV broadcast show “Vivement Dimanche” in the studios of a transvestite, which is widely success- form on the stage of Palais des Congres in Paris. of French channel France 2 in Paris. ful abroad under the title “She”. Refugee heroes 1991: Performs with Liza Minnelli for a month in He would later appear in the Oscar-winning “The Tin Buoyed by the success of “Shoot the Piano Player” he Paris. Drum”, playing a kindly Jewish toy seller. In fact, Aznavour took New York’s Carnegie Hall by storm in 1963 before 1998: Named Entertainer of the Century by CNN saw himself “more as an actor who sings than a singer who touring the world and seeing his songs recorded by stars and Time Online. acts”. Yet starring in more than 60 films did not stop him from Ray Charles to Liza Minnelli and Fred Astaire. He 2004: His 80th birthday is marked with a gala writing over 1,300 songs in a staggeringly prolific career. also performed duets with Sinatra, Elton John, Sting and performance in Paris. It was only by chance that Aznavour was born in the Celine Dion and his song “She” was re-recorded by Elvis 2006: Performs a concert in the Armenian capital French capital, where his parents were waiting in vain for a Costello for the British romantic comedy “Notting Hill”. Yerevan during ceremonies to mark the visa for the US after escaping the collapsing Ottoman Aznavour was always strongly associated with France’s anniversary of World War I massacres of empire. Instead they set up a little emigre restaurant called large ethnic Armenian community, and in 1988 he led Armenians. Le Caucase (the Caucasus), where Aznavour and his sister humanitarian efforts to help the victims of the earthquake 2009: Appointed Armenia’s ambassador to sang and danced from a very young age. that shattered his parents’ homeland. “Armenia and Switzerland. In this file photo taken on November 16, 1987 French singer- Later the family hid Jews and Armenians fleeing the Armenians are in my heart and in my blood. It was unthink- 2014: Undertakes a world tour to mark his 90th songwriter Charles Aznavour poses with French singer Gestapo during the German occupation, including the able that I would do nothing faced by so much misfortune birthday. Mireille Mathieu on the set of the TV show “Le Grand Resistance leader Missak Manouchian, who was eventual- and suffering,” he wrote, describing the quake as a turning 2015: Releases his 51st album “Encores”. Echiquier” in Boulogne. ly captured and beheaded by the Nazis. Manouchian’s point in his life. A father of six, who married three times, he 2017: Aged 93, receives a star on the Hollywood wife Melinee only escaped thanks to the Aznavourians, said the “first time I was too young, the second I was too “Walk of Fame”. — AFP who were later honored by Israel for their bravery. Having stupid, and the third I married a woman from a different left school early-a decision he forever regretted-to culture and I learned tolerance”. — AFP become a song-and-dance man, Aznavour got his big break after the war when he opened for the rising French star Edith Piaf. She took him to America as her manager and song- writer while he worked on his voice, “singing until my throat was sore. And it paid off. My voice developed from a small tenth of an octave to a range of nearly three In this file photo taken on September 30, 1987 French singer-songwriter Charles Aznavour In this file photo taken on August 24, 2017 French-Armenian performs at the singer Charles Aznavour (center) steps onto his Hollywood Palais des Congres Walk of Fame Star at a ceremony where he was the recipient In this file photo taken on January 1, 1950 French singer Edith A file photo taken on September 1957 shows French actor and in Paris, after seven of the 2,618th Star in the category of Live Performance in Piaf (center) poses with American actor Eddie Constantine singer Charles Aznavour and French artist Mick Micheyl in years of absence. Hollywood, California. (left) and French singer Charles Aznavour in Paris. “Paris music-hall” directed by Stany Cordier..