HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Famed French-Armenian crooner Charles Aznavour has been selected to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Aznavour will join Lin Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” in the Live Theatre/Live Performance category, the Walk of Fame Selection Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced on June 23.
Born Shahnour Vaghenag Aznavourian in 1924 in Paris, Aznavour was raised in an atmosphere of “music, love, and poverty,” and was always encouraged to entertain. To help support the family, he joined a touring children’s company and even hawked newspapers on boulevards.
“I learned about songs and music from my father and about theater and poetry from my mother. I grew up among singers, actors, dancers who were Armenian and Russian in a Jewish ghetto. Can you imagine what a beautiful combination that is?” Aznavour once said in an interview.
Making his stage debut at nine as an actor-dancer, he spent 20 years fighting to get to the top of the theatrical world, seeing his personally written songs only become famous when sung by Edith Piaf, Mistinguett, Maurice Chevalier, and Juliet Greco, among many others.
“I became a successful writer very slowly. My songs became so popular in France that one day they accepted the man who wrote them. I started the kind of song that faces the reality of life—everyday movement, everyday feelings, everyday story. Nobody before wrote anything about deaf-mute love, homosexual love, a song about an ugly woman. They were all afraid. I’ve done it. Everybody else came after me.”
Since those difficult days, Aznavour has ridden the top of the performing crest. His best has been described in eloquent terms, as “fantastic charisma,” electric magic.” He describes it as the “hunger of succeeding, of achieving something. Any entertainer who achieves something important has a monstrous attitude. Piaf was a monster. I’m a monster. We’re frightening people.”
Though described as the Frank Sinatra of France, he has sung in nine languages in the world’s most famous musical venues, including Carnegie and Radio City Music halls. His songs, such as “She,” “Dance in the Old Fashioned Way,” and “Yesterday When I Was Young,” are regular staples in the international record-selling markets, and have been performed by world famous singers. “Ils sont tombes” (They Fell), his song dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, became a best-seller in many countries.
In 1998, Azanvour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and international users of Time Online. The recipient of numerous other honors, including the “National Order of the Legion of Honor” and the “National Hero” of Armenia.
Dates have not been set for the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremonies, which must be scheduled within two years from the selection date.
The complete class of 2018 is below.
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In the category of MOTION PICTURES: Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Goldblum, F. Gary Gray, Mark Hamill, Jennifer Lawrence, Gina Lollobrigida, Minnie Mouse, Nick Nolte and Zoe Saldana
In the category of TELEVISION: Anthony Anderson, Gillian Anderson, Lynda Carter, Simon Cowell, RuPaul Charles, Taraji P. Henson, Eric McCormack, Ryan Murphy, Niecy Nash, Mandy Patinkin, Shonda Rhimes and posthumously: Steve Irwi
In the category of RECORDING: Mary J. Blige, Sir Richard Branson, Petula Clark, Harry Connick, Jr., Ice T, Snoop Dogg, Carrie Underwood and “Weird Al” Yankovic
In the category of RADIO: Steve Jones
In the category of LIVE THEATRE/LIVE PERFORMANCE: Charles Aznavour, Lin-Manuel Miranda and posthumously: Bernie Mac
I love the song ” Que ces´t triste Venise”, i hear that music in spanish when i was i child and i remember my mom loved too.
Thank you Charles Aznavour for give us those momments, God bless you and please stay with us many many more years!!!!
bravo Charles- you are the best. may God keep you with us for many more years. as far as song writing and lirycs there really is no one that matches your talent. who else sings in all these languages, let alone remembering the words. who else has written over 1000 songs, who else had his songs recorded by so many other artists. who else has written about life itself in such a truthful manner with words and music.
Hello
A great reader of the world. I wish you good health
with respect
Of your admirers
Kiumars Omidian ..from Japan
Even if you don’t understand the language, you understand the sentiment in the voice. I’ve loved him since the 80’s and saw him in person performing once. Definitely Entertainer of the Century!
I love you, I respect you and I am very proud of you dear Baron Aznavour. I wish you many more happy , healthy years to write, sing and entertain the whole world. You don’t belong only Armenians & French but the whole planet!Congratulation on your newest award.
Dear Mr Aznavour, We have loved your songs and music since my wife and I were young teenagers. You have touched many hearts with your accurate expression of sentiments through your music and poetry. May you live forever and keep composing. We were lucky enough to see you perform in Sydney Australia and was delighted to see you in person when you visited our classroom in Jerusalem at the Armenian high school.circa; 1968
I met Charles over the years, in Miami, Beverly Hills , Montreal and Toronto. as a musician myself I don’t believe there is or was anyone that equals our Charles Aznavour. no worder he is the best in this century. I had a drink with him once and you could not meet a nicer, non pretentious performer than him, and you know what else, he is ARMENIAN.