Aznavour is a French singer, songwriter, and actor whose family was from Armenia.

He appeared in about 60 films and recorded over 1200 songs in eight languages.

He sold 180 million albums all over the world, wow!

So, this French singer is famous the world over?

Yes, and he first made a name in the United States as the opening act for Edith Piaf.

Like Piaf, Charles started young. When he was nine, he studied performing arts and at 12, he started at the Alcazar, a famous cabaret in Paris.

In the 1950s, he wrote some unforgettable songs for singers like Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, and Juliette Gréco.

But when he sang, no one liked his voice.

Luckily, when he was 36 in 1960, he finally made it in France with his hit Je m’voyais déjà, the story of his tough debut.

In parallel, he started acting in films with prestigious directors such as François Truffaut.

For 60 years, he had hit after hit, La Bohême,  Emmenez-moi, songs where the words mattered. A style he exported worldwide.

In 2004, he was given the title “National Hero of Armenia” for the work he did for that country all his life.

He died at the age of 94, just back from a tour in Japan. He sang right till the end!