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Charles Aznavour

Charles Aznavour ( AZ-nə-VOOR; French: [ʃaʁl aznavuʁ]; Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրյան; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. In a career as a singer and songwriter, spanning over 70 years, he recorded more than 1,200 songs, in various languages. Moreover, he wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs for himself and others. Aznavour is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters in history and an icon of 20th-century pop culture.

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 Lévon Sayan. In 2008, he was granted Armenian citizenship and was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland the following year, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva.

One of France's most popular and enduring singers, he was dubbed France's Frank Sinatra, while music critic Stephen Holden described Aznavour as a "French pop deity". Several media outlets described him as the most famous Armenian of all time. Jean Cocteau, who cast him in his 1960 Le Testament d'Orphée, joked "Before Aznavour despair was unpopular". Between 1974 and 2016, Aznavour received around sixty gold and platinum records around the world. According to his record company, the total sales of Aznavour's recordings were over 180 million units.

He started his last world tour in 2014. In 2017, Aznavour was awarded the 2,618th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Later that year, he and his sister, Aida Aznavourian, were awarded the Raoul Wallenberg Award for sheltering Jews during World War II. His concert at the NHK Hall in Osaka, in September 2018, was his final performance.

Birth and Death Data: Born 6th arrondissement of Paris (one of the 20 administrative districts of Paris, France), Died October 1, 2018 (Mouriès (commune in Bouches-du-Rhône, France) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia (U.K.) CL8189 10-in. 6/27/1946 J'ai bu Jo Boyer ; Georges Ulmer ; Jean Valz Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8421 10-in. 7/2/1947 Départ-express Ginette Garcin ; Jacques Hélian Orchestre ; Zappy Max Female-male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8564 10-in. 7/19/1948 Il pleut Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8571 10-in. 9/1/1948 Cinq filles a marier Compagnons de la Chanson Vocal ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8679 10-in. 5/16/1949 C'est un gars Aimé Barelli ; Lucienne Delyle Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8848 10-in. 7/7/1950 C'est un gars Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8854 10-in. 7/10/1950 Il y avait Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8976 10-in. 4/13/1951 Rien de rien Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9007 10-in. 7/4/1951 Une enfant Robert Chauvigny ; Choeur Raymond Saint-Paul ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra and vocal ensemble composer, lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9035 10-in. 10/15/1951 Plus bleu que tes yeux Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9036 10-in. 10/15/1951 Je hais les dimanches Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9065 10-in. 11/8/1951 Jezebel Robert Chauvigny ; Choeur Raymond Saint-Paul ; Edith Piaf Female vocal solo, with orchestra and vocal ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9243 10-in. 6/8/1952 Viens Robert Chauvigny ; Jacques Pills Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9419 10-in. 12/31/1952 Et bailler, et dormir Jean Bretonniere ; Jacques-Henry Rys Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL9947 10-in. approximately 1954 La bagarre Annie Cordy ; Jerry Mengo Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL10008 10-in. 2/16/1955 A t'regarder Robert Chauvigny ; Jacques Pills Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Aznavour, Charles," accessed January 20, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/356040.

Aznavour, Charles. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/356040.

"Aznavour, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 20 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/356040

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