Charles Aznavour's Real Name: Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian

Quick answer: Charles Aznavour was born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian on May 22, 1924, in Paris, France, to Armenian immigrant parents. He shortened his surname to Aznavour and used "Charles" professionally. He died on October 1, 2018, at age 94 (Britannica; Reuters).

Armenian roots

His father, Mischa Aznavourian, was a singer from Georgia, and his mother, Knar Baghdasarian, was an actress from a family of Armenian genocide survivors from the Ottoman Empire. The family ran a small Armenian restaurant in Paris's Latin Quarter. Young Shahnour went on stage as a child and left school early to perform.

From Aznavourian to Aznavour

In the 1940s he worked as a duo with pianist Pierre Roche and took the shorter name Charles Aznavour. Édith Piaf saw him perform, took him on tour, and encouraged his songwriting. Critics initially mocked his small stature and husky voice, but by the late 1950s he was a star.

Signature songs

• "Sur ma vie" (1955)
• "Je m'voyais déjà" (1960)
• "Tu t'laisses aller" (1960)
• "La Mamma" (1963)
• "For Me Formidable" (1963)
• "La Bohème" (1965), his best-known song
• "She" (1974), a UK No. 1, later covered by Elvis Costello for Notting Hill

He wrote or co-wrote more than 1,000 songs and sang in several languages. CNN and Time readers voted him Entertainer of the Century in 1998 (Britannica).

Films and diplomacy

Aznavour also acted, most famously in François Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player (Tirez sur le pianiste, 1960). After the 1988 Armenian earthquake he founded relief efforts, recording "Pour toi Arménie." He became an Armenian citizen in 2008 and served as Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland. He was still touring in his 90s and died at home in Mouriès, France, in October 2018 (Reuters).