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Ce fils d'immigrés arméniens est arrivé en haut de
l'affiche à force de volonté. "Je m'voyais déjà" chantait-il en 1960. Il
aura mis vingt ans pour gravir une à une les marches du succès. Depuis
Aznavour est devenu le chantre de la chanson romantique à travers le monde.
Aujourd'hui, à 80 ans, il est un des classiques de la chanson française
voire internationale.
Il est né à Paris, par hasard, le 22 mai 1924. En effet, ses parents
attendaient en France un visa en vue d'un départ pour les Etats-Unis. Son
père, Micha, arménien né en Géorgie, est le fils d'un ancien cuisinier du
Tsar Nicolas II. Quant à sa mère, Knar, elle est issue d'une famille de
commerçants arméniens de Turquie.
Micha, ancien baryton, ouvre un petit restaurant arménien à Paris où il
chante pour les exilés d'Europe centrale. Avec sa femme, comédienne, ils
élèvent leurs deux enfants, Charles et sa soeur aînée, Aïda, dans une
atmosphère de musique et de théâtre au milieu des nombreux artistes qui
fréquentent le petit restaurant de la rue de la Huchette.
Après la crise économique de 1929, la famille Aznavourian s'installe rue du
Cardinal-Lemoine : en face de l'école du Spectacle! En 1933, ils y
inscrivent leur fils qui rêve de devenir acteur.
Très vite, Charles fait de la figuration puis débute dans des petits rôles
au théâtre et au cinéma. En 1939, Micha Aznavourian s'engage comme
volontaire dans l'armée et Charles quitte l'école du spectacle pour
travailler. En 1941, il rencontre un jeune auteur compositeur, Pierre Roche,
avec qui il écrit un duo et écume les cabarets de la capitale. Le monde du
spectacle les adopte.
Piaf
En 1946, il rencontre Edith Piaf et son idole, Charles Trenet. Piaf va
ouvrir au duo les portes de l'Amérique. Cette même année, Charles Aznavour
épouse Micheline et l'année suivante naît sa fille Séda. A la fin des années
40, le duo Aznavour-Roche s'envole pour les Etats-Unis puis pour Montréal où
il reste à l'affiche pendant des mois.
En 52, Aznavour rentre seul en France. Pierre Roche s'est marié là-bas ! Il
commence alors à chanter en solo, mais sans succès. En revanche, il se fait
un nom comme compositeur pour Mistinguett, Patachou, ou encore Juliette
Gréco qui, avec la chanson "Je hais les dimanches", obtient le prix de la
SACEM en 1952. Il travaille également pour Piaf et adapte pour elle le titre
américain "Jezebel" qui est un succès.
En 1952, naît son deuxième enfant, Charles.
Il faut attendre 1954 et une tournée en Afrique du nord pour enregistrer les
premiers succès publics. Charles a alors une trentaine de chansons à son
actif et décroche alors un contrat à l'Alhambra puis à l'Olympia. Si les
critiques ne sont pas tendres avec lui, le public lui réserve un chaleureux
accueil.
En 1956, il se remarie avec Evelyne Plessis et cette même année, naît
Patrick.
Charles Aznavour devient un "nom" indispensable de la chanson française et à
cette époque là, il crée les titres "Sur ma vie", "Parce que" ou encore
"Après l'amour" qui sera interdit d'antenne.
Triomphe à l'Olympia
C'est en 1957 que Aznavour connaît enfin le triomphe lors d'une série de
concerts à l'Alhambra puis à l'Olympia où il passe pour la première fois en
tête d'affiche. Il décide alors d'entreprendre une tournée à l'étranger.
Partout où il passe, il rencontre un énorme succès.
Sa carrière cinématographique prend parallèlement son envol. En 1958, il
tourne "Les dragueurs" de Jean-Pierre Mocky et "La tête contre les murs" de
Georges Franju pour lequel il reçoit le prix d'interprétation masculine du
cinéma français.
François Truffaut fait appel à lui en 1960 pour "Tirez sur le pianiste" et
le succès de ce film aux Etats-Unis lui ouvre les portes du Carnégie-Hall,
le prestigieux music-hall new-yorkais. La critique est enthousiaste et
Aznavour commence alors un véritable tour du monde qui va durer plusieurs
années. Turquie, Liban, Grèce, Afrique noire, URSS, Charles Aznavour devient
une star internationale et vend des millions d'exemplaires de ses disques,
entre autres de "La Mamma" qu'il interprète triomphalement à Erevan, en
Arménie.
En 65, de retour en France, il installe son "One Man Show" de trente
chansons pendant douze semaines à l'Olympia. Durant l'été, il tourne "Paris
au mois d'Août", le film de Pierre Granier-Deferre et à la fin de l'année,
il monte sa comédie musicale "Monsieur Carnaval" dont est tirée la chanson
"La bohème" qui restera un de ses titres-phares.
En 1966, il repart sur les routes pour continuer sa tournée mondiale. Après
le Canada, les Antilles, il remporte un triomphe en Amérique latine en
particulier avec la version espagnole du titre "Avec".
Il alterne pendant quelques années, tournées à l'étranger et retour sur
scène en France. Il va d'ailleurs inaugurer à l'Olympia un système inédit
d'horaires variés pour ses récitals : à 17 heures, à 21 heures ou à minuit.
Mariage à Las vegas
C'est à Las Vegas en 1968 qu'il épouse la suédoise, Ulla Thorsell, avant de
célébrer religieusement leur mariage à l'église arménienne de Paris l'année
suivante.
En 1969, il reçoit le prix de la Société américaine des auteurs compositeurs
pour sa chanson "Hier encore" ainsi que la médaille Vermeil de la ville de
Paris.
Enfin cette même année, naît sa fille Katia. Au début des années 70, il
rédige ses mémoires "Aznavour par Aznavour" et s'installe aux Etats-Unis.
Cette nouvelle décennie marque aussi un intérêt plus marqué, pour les faits
de société, telles les chansons "Le temps des loups" en 1970 sur le thème de
la violence, "Mourir d'aimer" en 1971 inspiré d'un fait divers décrit dans
le film du même nom ou encore "Comme ils disent" où il chante
l'homosexualité.
Durant l'année, il donne de nombreux récitals dans les universités de la
côte ouest des Etats-Unis et triomphe à Broadway. Au début de l'année 71, il
remporte à nouveau un vif succès à l'Olympia de Paris. Quelques mois plus
tard, Il reçoit un Lion d'Or lors du Festival de Venise pour la version
italienne de la chanson du film "Mourir d'aimer".
Au mois de mai, naît son fils Misha. En 1972, il triomphe à l'Olympia en
début d'année et six semaines à l'automne. Le titre "Les plaisirs démodés"
est un tube qui fait le tour du monde.
A la fin de l'année, un accident de ski immobilise Charles Aznavour pendant
plusieurs mois. Il en profite pour écrire avec son beau-frère, le
compositeur Georges Garvarentz, l'opérette "Douchka".
Il reçoit un disque de platine en 1974 en Grande-Bretagne pour le titre
"She" qui ne marchera jamais en France.
En 1975, à l'occasion du soixantième anniversaire du génocide arménien, il
crée la chanson "Ils sont tombés". Cette même année, il joue avec Claude
Chabrol dans "Folies Bourgeoises" et retrouvera le metteur en scène en 1983
pour "Le Fantôme du Chapelier".
Chanté par les plus grands
Vedette internationale, ses chansons sont reprises par les plus grands. Ray
Charles chante "La mamma" et Fred Astaire "Les plaisirs démodés" en 1976 et
peu de temps avant de disparaître, en 1977, Bing Crosby reprend "Hier
encore". Cette même année, Charles Aznavour devient père d'un petit Nicolas
et grand-père pour la première fois.
En 1978, il entame une tournée internationale et encore une fois, triomphe à
Broadway.
L'année suivante, il joue dans le film "Le Tambour" de Volker Schloendorff
qui obtient la Palme d'or au Festival de Cannes.
1980, triomphe à l'Olympia dont il est maintenant un des piliers et l'année
suivante, il reprend ses tours de chant à travers le monde.
C'est en 1983 que Charles Aznavour quitte sa maison de disques Barclay pour
Trema avec qui il signe deux ans plus tard seulement. Sa nouvelle maison de
disques s'engage à rééditer ses anciens titres.
En 1986, sortent effectivement les premières rééditions ainsi qu'un nouvel
album, sur lequel on trouve la chanson "Les Emigrants", album qui se vend à
180.000 exemplaires.
En 1986, Aznavour se lance aussi pour la première fois dans l'écriture du
scénario de "Yiddish Connection" de Paul Boujenah, film qu'il interprète
également.
Puis l'année suivante, il entame une tournée triomphale aux Etats-Unis avec
la chanteuse Pia Zadora. Il revient ensuite chanter à Paris au Palais des
Congrès avant de sillonner la France en fin d'année.
En 1988, Charles Aznavour remonte sur la scène du Palais des Congrès. Mais
en fin d'année, le terrible tremblement de terre en Arménie (50.000 morts)
dans la région de Leninakan et Spitak, mobilise l'artiste qui va mener un
combat ininterrompu depuis pour aider sa terre d'origine. Il crée à cette
occasion la Fondation "Aznavour pour l'Arménie" qui se charge de collecter
et d'envoyer vêtements et nourriture pour la population. Au début de l'année
1989, avec le réalisateur Henri Verneuil, également d'origine arménienne, il
fait appel aux artistes français pour le tournage d'un clip,
quatre-vingt-dix chanteurs et comédiens enregistrent alors la chanson "Pour
toi Arménie" qui se vend à un million d'exemplaires.
Ambassadeur de l'Unesco
Suite à cette opération, Charles Aznavour est nommé, Ambassadeur permanent
en Arménie par l'Unesco. Cette même année, il va réenregistrer ses
principaux titres à Londres qui sortiront en trois volumes.
Au début des années 90, il continue de tourner pour le cinéma et la
télévision. Il publie en 1991, son deuxième ouvrage "Des mots à l'affiche",
dans lequel il recueille nombreux de ses textes. Fin 1990, il donne au
Palais des Congrès un récital en duo avec son amie de toujours, Liza
Minnelli.
En 1992, Charles Aznavour rachète le catalogue de la société d'édition
phonographique Raoul Breton dont il devient le président. Ce catalogue est
un des plus riches de France et comprend entre autres les ouvres d'Edith
Piaf et de Charles Trenet.
En 1994, il signe avec EMI la réédition de la totalité de sa propre ouvre
qui comprend environ mille titres et dont une bonne moitié, est composée par
lui-même. Une intégrale de trente CD voit donc le jour en 1996. Cette même
année en octobre, Aznavour fait la Une du magazine américain "Billboard",
événement exceptionnel pour un artiste français.
En 1997, il obtient la Victoire de la Musique du meilleur interprète
masculin, prix décerné par l'ensemble des professionnels de la chanson en
France. Le Président de la République, Jacques Chirac, le nomme également
Officier de la Légion d'honneur.
50 ans
Enfin, il sort un nouvel album "Plus bleu" du nom d'une chanson qu'il a
écrite en 1951 pour Edith Piaf. Il reprend d'ailleurs ce titre en duo
virtuel avec la grande chanteuse française.
Le samedi 12 juillet 1997, Charles Aznavour fête ses 50 ans de chansons au
festival de Montreux en Suisse. Après avoir ouvert le concert avec la
chanson "Après l'amour", Aznavour laisse la place à une dizaine d'artistes
de jazz (Rachelle Ferrell, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Manu Dibango...) qui reprennent
ses titres les plus connus en français ou en anglais. Puis la star de la
soirée revient clore le récital anniversaire avec une version enlevée de "Emmenez-moi".
Lors de sa tournée 98, Charles Aznavour est contraint d'annuler deux
concerts fin juillet pour raisons de santé. Agé de 74 ans, le chanteur se
prépare en outre à affronter une nouvelle tournée américaine à l'automne. Il
démarre par un mois entier à New York en octobre au Marquis Theater de
Broadway, grand lieu de la comédie musical et du music hall new-yorkais.
C'est un triomphe pour l'artiste dont les Américains apprécient la classe,
le romantisme et l'accent. Cette série de concerts à New York est suivie de
quelques soirées à Los Angeles. Puis début décembre, le chanteur s'envole
pour Moscou et Saint Pétersbourg où l'accueil qui lui est réservé n'est pas
moins chaleureux.
Au même moment, Charles Aznavour publie un nouvel album un peu différent
puisque entièrement jazz. Sur ce disque où il reprend 14 de ses standards
façon jazz, il est accompagné par des pointures du genre comme André
Ceccarelli, Michel Petrucciani ou Diane Reeves.
Dernières tournées
Ennuis de santé, accident de voiture, Charles Aznavour décide de mettre un
frein à ses tournées voire à y mettre fin. C'est ainsi qu'il entame
d'ultimes périples musicaux à travers le monde et annonce ses adieux. En
novembre 1999, il donne ses derniers concerts au Québec avec comme
d'habitude, un immense succès. Dans la foulée, il annonce ses derniers
concerts parisiens pour octobre 2000. Mais environ 180 concerts sont prévus
entre les deux tournées.
Entre temps, il se consacre aussi à un vieux rêve, la comédie musicale, même
s'il avait déjà touché à l'opérette en France dans les années 60. Depuis des
années, il travaille sur le projet d'un spectacle consacré au peintre
Toulouse-Lautrec. C'est en avril 2000 que ce "Lautrec" est enfin mis en
scène sur une scène londonienne, le Shaftesbury Theatre. La comédie
rencontre un certain succès et pourrait s'envoler vers Broadway. Aznavour en
est l'auteur et le compositeur et se sent "fait pour écrire des comédies
musicales".
A l'automne 2000, Charles Aznavour sort "Aznavour 2000", douze nouvelles
chansons douces-amères. A la même époque, il entame ce qui est annoncé comme
une toute dernière tournée. Après la Suisse et la Belgique, la première
parisienne a lieu le 24 octobre au Palais des Congrès devant une salle
pleine. Il y chante jusqu'au 17 décembre et entame en 2001, une tournée dans
l'Hexagone.
Le 8 octobre 2001, Charles Aznavour est élevé au rang de Commandeur de
l'Ordre national du mérite par le Président de la République Jacques Chirac
lors d'une cérémonie de remise de décorations à l'Elysée.
Toujours swing
Le Charles Aznavour militant continue de cohabiter avec le Charles Aznavour
chanteur. En Janvier 2001, il salue la reconnaissance par le Parlement
français du génocide arménien. En avril 2002, il signe l'appel du Collectif
«Vive la France» à aller «chanter la Marseillaise pour la République» et
contre le leader d'extrême droite Jean-Marie Le Pen qui accède au second
tour des élections présidentielles françaises. La même année sort «Ararat»,
un film sur le souvenir du génocide réalisé par le Canadien d'origine
arménienne Atom Egoyan dans lequel il joue. Puis Charles Aznavour participe
en avril 2003 à l'inauguration d'une statue en mémoire des victimes à Paris.
En septembre 2003, Charles Aznavour publie ses mémoires, «Le temps des
avants» (Flammarion) et sort un nouvel album en décembre, «Je voyage». Sa
fille Katia chante sur le titre éponyme de l'album. Aznavour s'essaie au
fado sur «Lisboa», à la salsa sur «Il y a des trains», swingue sur «Quelqu'un
de différent».
Le temps de tourner une fiction télévisée à Bucarest («Le père Goriot»,
d'après Balzac), Charles Aznavour est de retour la scène du Palais des
Congrès à Paris pour y fêter ses 80 ans, du 16 avril au 22 mai. 60 ans de
carrière, 740 chansons, dont 350 en français, 150 en anglais, 8 disques en
espagnol, 7 en allemand . En 1999, les internautes de CNN et de Time le
désignaient comme un des chanteurs du XXe siècle avec Elvis Presley et Bob
Dylan. Il est bien parti pour être aussi celui du XXIe siècle. |
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Charles Aznavour, the son of Armenian immigrants, struggled
against all the odds to launch his singing career in France. Aznavour had
neither stunning film star looks nor a remarkable voice, but he had two
things in his favour - powerful on-stage charisma and incredible willpower !
It may have taken Aznavour twenty years to climb his way to the top, but
when he did his extraordinary tenacity would certainly pay off! Today,
Aznavour in his 70’s, is not only the most famous crooner in the world, he’s
an international mega-star with record sales to match !
At the ripe old age of 73, Charles Aznavour, the international ambassador of
French chanson is still going strong. Over the past 40 years, this
multi-talented artist has not only recorded countless albums but also
starred in numerous films. Today Aznavour remains one of the most popular
celebrities in the French showbiz world.
Charles Aznavour was born in Paris on May 22 1924. In fact it was quite by
chance that young Charles was born in the French capital. He should have
been born in the United States, but his parents, Armenian immigrants, were
temporarily based in France awaiting an American visa when their son
unexpectedly arrived in the world.
Charles came from an interestingly mixed cultural background. His father
Micha Aznavourian, had been born in Georgia; his mother, Anar, came from a
family of Armenian tradesmen who were based in Turkey.
It was not long before Micha, a talented baritone whose father had been a
chef to Czar Nicholas II, opened a small Armenian restaurant in Paris. Every
evening he would perform to audiences of Central European exiles nostalgic
for their homeland, while his wife Anar, an actress, attended to the guests.
Charles and his elder sister, Aïda, thus grew up in the magical atmosphere
of the restaurant in la rue de la Huchette, which became a favourite haunt
for musicians and actors from the local theatres.
But the great recession in 1929 forced the Aznavourians to abandon their
restaurant. The family moved to a flat in the rue Cardinal-Lemoine right
across the road from the famous stage school where they enrolled their son
Charles in 1933.
Charles's greatest ambition at the time was to become an actor and he threw
himself into drama classes with a veritable passion. It was not long before
he began getting work as a film extra and he soon went on to land a few
minor roles in the theatre as well as in several films. In 1939 his mother
Micha volunteered to join the French army and Charles left his drama school
to start earning a living. Two years later he would meet a young songwriter
and composer by the name of Pierre Roche. This encounter was to change
Charles's entire career, for he and Roche teamed up as a double act and
began performing the songs they had written together on the cabaret circuit.
The pair proved to be an instant hit.
Aznavour meets Piaf and Trenet
By 1946 Aznavour and Roche were rubbing shoulders with the great music-hall
stars of the day. Aznavour met his great hero, Charles Trenet, and the duo
also met Edith Piaf who would open doors in America for them. 1946 also
proved to be a momentous year in Aznavour's personal life, for he married
his girlfriend Micheline and the following year the couple had their first
child, a daughter called Séda. By the end of the 40's Aznavour and Roche's
career had really taken off and the pair flew off to tour the States, flying
on to Montreal where they performed headlining concerts for several months.
In 1952 Aznavour returned to France alone, his partner Pierre Roche staying
behind in Montreal with his new wife. Aznavour continued performing on the
cabaret circuit, but his solo act was not a great success. However, he did
begin to make a name for himself as a songwriter, composing material for
famous music-hall stars such as Mistinguett and Patachou. Juliette Gréco
also had a hit with Aznavour's song "Je hais les dimanches"(which went on to
win "le Prix de la Sacem" in 1950). Aznavour also began working for Edith
Piaf, writing an adaptation of the American hit "Jezebel" which proved to be
a great success for her.
In 1952 Aznavour's wife Micheline gave birth to a son called Charles.
Two years later Aznavour embarked upon a tour of North Africa, and this time
round his solo act proved a great success. The singer, who had a repertoire
of at least thirty songs to his name now, landed a contract at the Alhambra
when he returned to Paris, and followed this with a popular run at the
legendary Olympia. While the critics were often rather harsh with Aznavour,
audiences were charmed by his charismatic stage presence and traditional
chanson style.
In 1956 Aznavour married his second wife Evelyne Plessis and later that year
the couple had a son named Patrick. By this stage in his career Aznavour had
established himself as one of the top names of French chanson, scoring huge
hits with his songs "Sur ma vie", "Parce que" and the controversial "Après
l'amour" (which was considered far too explicit to play on the nation's
airwaves).
Aznavour triumphs at the Olympia
1957 was a year of triumph for Aznavour. The singer gave a series of
phenomenally successful concerts at the Alhambra, then followed this with a
headlining stint at the Olympia. His international tour later that year
proved equally successful.
Meanwhile Aznavour's acting career was also taking off in a major way. In
1958 he starred in Jean Pierre Mocky's film "Les dragueurs", then landed a
role in Georges Frange's "La tête contre les murs" (for which he scooped
that year's Best Male Actor award).
In 1960 François Truffaut offered Aznavour a major role in his film "Tirez
sur le pianiste". Truffaut's film soon proved a box office smash in the
States, and Aznavour was suddenly catapulted to fame in America. Indeed, he
was soon invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York.
Following rave reviews from the critics, Aznavour embarked upon an extensive
international tour, playing dates in Turkey, Lebanon, Greece, Africa and the
USSR. The singer would also return to his roots in Erevan, Armenia, where he
performed his legendary song "La Mamma" which would go on to become an
absolute classic in the Aznavour repertoire.
When Aznavour finally returned to France in 1965 he took his successful "One
Man Show" to the Olympia, performing his repertoire of 30 songs to a packed
auditorium for a full twelve weeks. That summer Aznavour went on to star in
Pierre Granier-Deferre's film "Paris au mois d’août" and at the end of the
year he staged his famous musical "Monsieur Carnaval" ("La bohême", the hit
song from this musical would go on to become the best-known song of his
entire career).
The following year Aznavour set off on the next leg of his world tour,
performing in Canada and the French Antilles. The singer then went on to
score a massive hit throughout Latin America with the Spanish version of his
famous song "Avec".
Over the next few years Aznavour would alternate his concert tours of France
with international performances. The singer had lost none of his popularity
in Paris, performing no less than three shows a day at the Olympia (at 5pm,
9pm and midnight !).
Aznavour gets married in Las Vegas
In 1968 Aznavour married his third wife, Swedish-born Ulla Thorsell, in Las
Vegas. The couple would hold a traditional religious wedding at the Armenian
Church in Paris when they returned to France the following year. 1969 was
also a momentous year in Azanvour's professional career, being the year that
he won an award from the Association of American Songwriters and Composers
and La Médaille Vermeil in Paris for his song "Hier encore". Later that year
Aznavour celebrated another happy event in his personal life, his new wife
Ulla giving birth to a daughter named Katia.
In the early 70's, with almost 20 years of career behind him, Aznavour began
writing his memoirs (published as "Aznavour par Aznavour") and moved to the
United States. The 70's also marked a subtle change in Aznavour's
songwriting. No longer concerned with purely personal issues, the singer
began to turn his attention to what was happening in the world around him.
His new material included "Le temps des loups" (a song about urban violence
in 1970), "Mourir d'aimer" (taken from the 1971 film of the same name
inspired by a famous fait divers) and "Comme ils disent" (a song about
homosexuality).
1970 proved to be the year of Aznavour's triumph in the States, the singer
giving numerous concerts in West Coast universities then performing a
sell-out show on Broadway. At the start of 1971 Aznavour returned to Paris
for another successful run at the Olympia. A few months later he flew to
Italy to receive a coveted "Lion d'Or" at the Venice Film Festival for the
Italian version of the theme song from "Mourir d'aimer". In May the singer
celebrated another happy event in his personal life when his wife Ulla gave
birth to the couple's second child, a son named Misha.
At the start of 1972 Aznavour returned to the Olympia for another immensely
popular series of concerts, and proved equally successful later that year
when he performed at the legendary Paris music-hall for a full six weeks in
November/December. Meanwhile his song "Les plaisirs démodés" went rocketing
to the top of the charts. At the end of 1972 Aznavour was laid up for
several months after a serious skiing accident. Yet he continued his
prodigious output even during his convalescence, writing the operetta "Douchka"
with his brother-in-law (the composer Georges Garvarentz).
1974 was the year of Aznavour's famous hit single "She", which earnt the
singer a platinum disc in Britain (while, ironically, failing to sell at all
in France). In 1975 Aznavour, whose lyrics had become increasingly committed
to social and political causes, wrote the moving ballad "Ils sont tombés" to
mark the 60th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Later that year he
turned his attention back to his acting career, starring in Claude Chabrol's
"Folies Bourgeoises" (Aznavour would work with the famous French director
again in 1983, playing a lead role in "Le Fantôme du Chapelier").
Aznavour hits are covered by a host of international stars
Aznavour had by now achieved international star status and his songs were
covered by the greatest singers of the day, including Ray Charles ("La Mamma"),
Fred Astaire (who recorded his own version of "Les plaisirs démodés" in
1976) and Bing Crosby who recorded "Hier encore" in 1977, shortly before his
death. Later in 77 Aznavour celebrated two further happy events in his
personal life, when his son Nicholas was born and he also became a
grandfather for the first time.
Grandfather or not, Aznavour, now in his 50's, continued his hectic touring
schedule, embarking upon another major international tour in 1978 and
triumphing on Broadway once again.
The following year Aznavour devoted more time and energy to his acting
career, starring in Volker Schloendorff's legendary film "The Tin Drum" (which
scooped the "Palme d'Or" at Cannes in 1979). In 1980 he concentrated his
efforts on his singing career, performing several immensely popular concerts
at the Olympia and embarking on a new series of international tours.
1983 was marked by Aznavour's split from his record company Barclay. The
singer would not sign another recording deal until two years later, when he
signed with the Trema label who promised to re-release his early albums. The
re-release of Aznavour's early work in 1986 coincided with the release of
the singer's brand new album, entitled "Les Emigrants" - an extremely
successful work which went on to sell 180,000 copies. Later that year the
multi-talented Aznavour tried his hand at writing a film script for the
first time, working on Paul Boujenah's film "Yiddish Connection" (a film in
which Aznavour also played one of the lead roles).
1987 was another year of non-stop touring, Aznavour embarking upon another
immensely successful American tour with the American singer Pia Zadora. On
his return to Paris, Aznavour performed in front of a packed auditorium at
the Palais des Congrès before setting off on an extensive tour of the French
provinces at the end of the year.
In 1988 Aznavour returned to the Palais des Congrès in Paris, performing his
old hits and new material to rapturous applause. At the end of the year news
reached Aznavour of a catastrophic earthquake in Armenia (Leninakan and
Spitak), which had killed 50,000 people. Aznavour, who had always remained
firmly attached to his Armenian roots, immediately launched a fund-raising
campaign to help his stricken homeland. The singer founded "Aznavour pour
l'Arménie", a humanitarian association which was involved in sending food
and clothes to the earthquake victims. At the start of 1989 Aznavour also
teamed up with the Armenian-born film director Henri Verneuil to enlist the
help of French singers, actors and musicians in their Aid for Armenia
campaign. 90 French actors and singers ended up making a special single and
video ("Pour Toi l'Arménie") which sold over 1 million copies.
Unesco's ambassador to Armenia
As a result of his committed fund-raising work UNESCO appointed Aznavour as
their permanent ambassador to Armenia.
That same year Aznavour flew to London to re-record his greatest hits, which
were released as a special triple album.
Throughout the early 90's Aznavour continued to devote a great deal of time
and energy to his acting career, starring in a number of television and
feature films. In 1991 he also published another book, "Des mots à
l'affiche", a collection of his song lyrics and other short texts. At the
end of 1990 Aznavour performed a legendary concert with his lifelong friend
Liza Minelli at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
In 1992 Aznavour invested some of his earnings in buying the back catalogue
of Raoul Breton's music publishing company. Aznavour, who appointed himself
as director of the Raoul Breton collection, thus went on to own the
copyright to some of the most famous songs in French music history (including
the work of some of the greatest French chanson stars such as Edith Piaf and
Charles Trenet).
In 1994 Aznavour signed a new deal with EMI, authorising the re-release of
his life's recording work (i.e. over 1,000 songs, more than half of which
the singer had written himself). This resulted in the 'complete works' of
Aznavour being released as a series of 30 CDs in 1996. In October the
American music magazine "Billboard" paid tribute to the French star,
featuring him on their cover (a rare feat for a French artist !)
In 1997 Aznavour was honoured in France at the "Victoires de la Musique"
awards ceremony, where record industry professionals voted him Best Male
Singer of the Year. Later that year the French president Jacques Chirac paid
tribute to the singer, making him an Officier de la Légion d'Honneur at an
official ceremony in Paris (on September 15 1997).
Meanwhile Aznavour continued to record new material, releasing a new album
entitled "Plus bleu" (named after a famous song he had written for Edith
Piaf in 1951). Benefiting from the latest technology, Aznavour was even able
to record a new version of the song as a 'virtual' duet with Piaf, mixing
his vocals with original Piaf recordings.
On Saturday July 12 1997 Aznavour celebrated his 50 anniversary in the music
business at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. The singer opened the show
with his legendary hit "Après l'amour", then handed over to a number of
famous jazz musicians (including Rachelle Ferrell, Bobby Mc Ferrin and Manu
Dibango) who performed cover versions of his most famous songs in French and
English. Aznavour returned to the stage for the grand finale, giving a
rousing performance of his classic "Emmenez-moi".
The Farewell Concerts
Following a series of health problems and a major shake-up in a car
accident, Aznavour decided to call a halt to his touring activities.
Announcing his "retirement" from the live scene, the singer embarked on one
last round of concerts, bidding farewell to his fans worldwide. In November
1999 Aznavour brought the house down when he bid adieu to fans in Quebec.
Shortly afterwards, Aznavour announced that he would play his very final
concerts in Paris in October 2000. But between Quebec and Paris the
indefatigable French star is planning to squeeze in another 180 concerts!
As fans await his final curtain call, Aznavour has been hard at work on a
new project which he has spent several years dreaming of bringing to
fruition. After trying his hand at operettas in the 60s, the singer has
written a musical about the life of French painter Toulouse-Lautrec.
"Lautrec" premiered at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London in April 2000 and,
following good reviews in the UK, it may well end up on Broadway. Aznavour,
who was responsible for both the words and music in "Lautrec", claims he has
discovered a new calling in life, declaring in a recent interview that he
was "made to write musicals!"
Aznavour returned to the forefront of the French music scene in the autumn
of 2000, releasing an album entitled "Aznavour 2000" which features twelve
bitter-sweet 'chansons' in his usual style. Following the release of
"Aznavour 2000", the French chanson star announced he was to retire from the
live scene and told reporters his current tour will be the last of his
career. After playing a series of concerts in Switzerland and Belgium,
Aznavour performed the first of his farewell concerts at the Palais des
Congrès in Paris on October 24th, playing to a packed house. After
performing at the Palais des Congrès until December 17th, Aznavour continued
his farewell tour in 2001, playing a series of concerts all over France.
Meanwhile, the singer was also busy in front of the cameras, playing a lead
role in an Atom Egoyan film. On October 8th 2001, Aznavour received another
prestigious award to add to his collection when President Jacques Chirac
made him a "Commandeur de l'Ordre national du mérite" at a special ceremony
at the Elysée Palace.
Always swinging
Aznavour has continued to defend social and political causes throughout his
career. In January 2001, the singer voiced his appreciation of the French
government’s recognition of the Armenian genocide. In April 2002, when
far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen made it through to the second round of
the French presidential elections, Aznavour joined other celebrities in
signing the "Vive la France" petition, urging members of the public to go
out and "sing the ‘Marseillaise’ for the Republic” as a protest. Later that
same year, "Ararat," a film about the Armenian genocide made by Atom Egoyan
(a Canadian director of Armenian origin), hit French cinema screens.
Aznavour played a starring role in it. In April 2003, the singer also
attended a special ceremony marking the erection of a commemorative statue
in Paris in memory of the genocide victims.
In September 2003, Aznavour published his memoirs, "Le temps des avants"
(Flammarion) then, three months later, went on to release a new album
entitled "Je voyage." The album, on which Aznavour’s daughter, Katia,
provided guest vocals on the title track, featured a rich mix of styles, the
singer salsa-ing on "Il y a des trains," swinging on "Quelqu'un de different"
and waxing fado lyrical on "Lisboa."
After taking a short break to play a role in a TV adaptation of Balzac’s
novel, "Le père Goriot" (filmed in Bucharest), Aznavour made a stage
comeback in Paris. The singer celebrated his 80th birthday with a successful
run at the ‘Palais des Congrès’ (16 April - 22 May 2004).
In the course of an impressively long career, spanning six decades, Aznavour
has recorded a staggering 740 songs (including 350 in French and 150 in
English, not to mention eight albums in Spanish and seven albums in German).
In 1999, voters in an Internet poll organised by CNN and Time magazine
nominated Aznavour as one of the top singers of the 20th century, alongside
Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. Judging by his on-going success, it looks like
the French ‘chanson’ star may well triumph in 21st-century polls, as well! |
