French singing star Aznavour dies still preparing for tour at age of 94
CHARLES AZNAVOUR, the French poet songwriter and actor whose performing career spanned eight decades, has died at the age of 94.
One of France’s most recognized faces, Aznavour sang to sold-out concert halls until the end, resorting to a prompter only after having written upwards of 1,000 songs by his own estimate.
He was best known for his 1974 hit She, which was covered by Elvis Costello for the film Notting
Hill. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017.
French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Aznavour’s “masterpieces, voice tone” and “unique radiance”.
“Deeply French, viscerally attached to his Armenian roots, recognised throughout the world, Charles Aznavour will have accompanied the joys and sorrows of three generations,” Mr Macron said in a message posted on Twitter.
Often compared to Frank Sinatra, Aznavour started his career as a songwriter for Edith Piaf after the French chanteuse took him under her wing.
In a career that spanned 80 years, Aznavour sold more than 180m records. He resisted being labelled a crooner and tackled many difficult subjects, including homosexuality and transvestism.
He broke an arm last May but was set to start a new tour in November in France, starting in Paris.
Liza Minnelli, who met Aznavour when she was a teenager and he was in his 40s, described following him to Paris. “He really taught me everything I know about singing – how each song is a different movie,” she said in a 2013 interview.
The two remained close through the decades, often performing together.
Married three times, Aznavour had six children and is survived by his third wife.