Charles Aznavour

Shahnour Varinag Aznavourian[1] [A]  better known by his stage name Charles Aznavour (French pronunciation: ​[ʃaʁl‿aznaˈvuʁ]; born 22 May 1924), is a French and Armenian[4]  singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Aznavour is known for his unique tenor[5]  voice: clear and ringing in its upper reaches, with gravelly and profound low notes. He has appeared in more than sixty movies, composed about a thousand songs (including at least 150 in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German),[6]  and sold well over 100 million records (as of 2001).[7]

He is one of France's most popular and enduring singers.[8] [9]  He has been dubbed France's Frank Sinatra,[10] [11]  while music critic Stephen Holdenhas described Aznavour as "French pop deity."[12]  He is also arguably the most famous Armenian of his time.[8] [13]  In 1998, Aznavour was named Entertainer of the Century by CNN and users of Time Online from around the globe. He was recognized as the century's outstanding performer, with nearly 18% of the total vote, edging out Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.[14]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">He has sung for presidents, popes and royalty, as well as at humanitarian events. In response to the 1988 Armenian earthquake, he founded the charitable organization Aznavour for Armenia along with his long-time friend impresario Levon Sayan. In 2009, he was appointed ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland, as well as Armenia's permanent delegate to the United Nations at Geneva.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[15]  He started his most recent tour in 2014.

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Contents
[hide]  *1 Life and career <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;"> ==Life and career<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Young Charles with his mother Knar (1920s)===Background<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour was born with the name Shahnour (or Chahnour)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Hovannisian_2-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[2]  Varinag (Varenagh)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Katz_3-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[3]  Aznavourian<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-armenian.ch_1-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[1]  (Armenian: Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան) in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, to Armenian immigrants Michael Aznavourian (from Akhaltsikhe)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-armenian.ch_1-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[1] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-17" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[16]  and Knar Baghdasarian, an Armenian Genocide survivor fromIzmir.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[17] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[18]  His father spent his youth in Tbilisi where his family had moved for work (Charles's grandfather was a personal chef to the Governor General ofTbilisi).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-20" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[19]  Later, after moving to France, Michael Aznavourian sang in restaurants before establishing his own Caucasian restaurant called Le Caucase. Missak Manouchian, a leader of French Resistance who was executed by the Nazis in 1944, had been a frequent guest at the Aznavourians' home, and Aznavourians had supported Misak and his wife Meliné when they were in hiding. Together with his wife, who was an actress, Michael introduced Charles to the world of theatre at an early age. Charles dropped out of school at the age of nine, already aspiring to the life of an artist. He began to perform at this time, and soon took the stage name "Aznavour". His big break came in 1946 when the singer Édith Piaf heard him sing and arranged to take him with her on tour in France and to the United States.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-21" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[20] ===Music<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Sometimes described as "France's Frank Sinatra",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Deming_11-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[10]  Aznavour sings frequently about love. He has written musicals and about a thousand songs, and made more than one hundred records. Aznavour's voice is shaded towards the tenor range, but possesses the low range and coloration more typical of a baritone, contributing to his unique sound. Aznavour speaks and sings in many languages (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese, Neapolitan), which has helped him perform at Carnegie Hall, in the USA, and other major venues around the world. He also recorded at least one song from the 18th century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, and a popular song, Im Yare<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-22" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[21]  in Armenian. Que C'est Triste Venise, sung in French, Italian (Com'è Triste Venezia), Spanish (Venecia Sin Ti), English (How Sad Venice Can Be), and German (Venedig in Grau), is one of Aznavour's most famous multilingual songs.
 * 1.1 Background
 * 1.2 Music
 * 1.3 Film
 * 1.4 Armenia and abroad
 * 1.5 Personal life and cultural impact
 * 2 Politics
 * 3 Awards and recognition
 * 4 Discography
 * 5 Filmography
 * 5.1 Documentary films
 * 6 See also
 * 7 References
 * 8 External links
 * 8.1 Live performances

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 1974, Aznavour became a major success in the United Kingdom where his song "She" went to Number One in the charts. His other well-known song in the UK was "Dance in the Old Fashioned Way".

Aznavour and Norwegian singerSissel Kyrkjebø performing in Vienna<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Artists who have recorded his songs and collaborated with Aznavour include Édith Piaf, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra (Aznavour was one of the rare European singers invited to duet with him<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-23" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[22] ), Andrea Bocelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan (he named Aznavour among the greatest live performers he's ever seen),<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-24" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[23] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-25" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[24]  Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Dalida, Serge Gainsbourg, Josh Groban, Petula Clark, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, José Carreras, Laura Pausini, Nana Mouskouri and Julio Iglesias. Fellow French pop legend Mireille Mathieu has sung and recorded with Aznavour on numerous occasions. In 1974, Jack Jones recorded an entire album of Aznavour compositions entitled "Write Me A Love Song, Charlie", re-released on CD in 2006.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-26" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[25]  Aznavour and Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti sang Gounod's aria Ave Maria together. He performed with famed Russian cellist and friend Mstislav Rostropovich to inaugurate the French presidency of the European Union in 1995. Elvis Costello recorded "She" for the film Notting Hill. One of Aznavour's greatest friends and collaborators from the music industry is legendary Spanish operatic tenor Plácido Domingo, who often performs his hits, most notably a solo studio recording of "Les bateaux sont partis" in 1985 and duet versions of the song in French and Spanish in 2008, as well as multiple live renditions Aznavour's "Ave Maria". In 1994, Aznavour performed with Domingo and Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø at Domingo's third annual Christmas in Vienna concert. The three singers performed a variety of carols, medleys, and duets, and the concert was televised throughout the world, as well asreleased on a CD internationally.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-bach-cantatas_27-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[26]

Charles Aznavour in concert (1988)<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">At the start of autumn in 2006, Aznavour initiated his farewell tour, performing in the US and Canada, and earning very positive reviews. Aznavour started 2007 with concerts all over Japan and Asia. The second half of 2007 saw Aznavour return to Paris for over 20 shows at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, followed by more touring in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the rest of France. Aznavour had repeatedly stated that this farewell tour, health permitting, would likely last beyond 2010; however as of December 2013, Charles Aznavour has continued performing all throughout the year, the world over. At 90, Aznavour is in excellent health, although admittedly 60 years on stage have made him "a little hard of hearing".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[27]  He still sings in multiple languages and without persistent use of teleprompters, but typically sticks to just two or three (French and English being the primary two, with Spanish or Italian being the third) during most concerts.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-29" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[28]  On 30 September 2006, Aznavour performed a major concert in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia to start off the cultural season "Arménie mon amie" in France. Armenian president Robert Kocharyan and French president Jacques Chirac, at the time on an official visit to Armenia, were in front-row attendance.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[29]

Charles Aznavour at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 2006, 82-year-old Aznavour traveled to Cuba, where he, together with Chucho Valdés, recorded his new album Colore Ma Vie, presented at Aznavour's Moscow concert in April 2007. Later, in July 2007, Aznavour was invited to perform at the Vieilles Charrues Festival.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">"Forever Cool" (2007), an album from Capitol/EMI, features Aznavour singing a new duet of "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime" with the voice of the late Dean Martin.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour finished a tour of Portugal in February 2008. On 18 January 2008, he participated as guest vocalist with the contestants of the French reality show Star Academy and sang his famous Emmenez-Moi with contestant Jérémy Chapron. Throughout the spring of 2008, Aznavour toured South America, holding a multitude of concerts in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Summer saw him in Quebec, and a return to Latin America followed in autumn.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">An admirer of Quebec, where he played in Montreal cabarets before becoming famous, he has helped the career of Québécoise singer-songwriter Lynda Lemay in France, and has a house in Montreal. On 5 July 2008, he was invested as an honorary officer of the Order of Canada and performed the following day on the Plains of Abraham as a feature of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[30]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 2008, an album of duets, Duos, was released. It is a collaborative effort featuring Aznavour and his greatest friends and partners from his long career in the music industry, including Céline Dion, Sting, Laura Pausini, Josh Groban, Paul Anka, Plácido Domingo, and many others.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-32" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[31]  It was released on various dates in December 2008 across the world.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-33" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[32]  His next album, Charles Aznavour and The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (previously known as Jazznavour 2), is a continuation in the same vein as his hit album Jazznavour released in 1998, involving new arrangements on his classic songs with a jazz orchestra and other guest jazz artists. It was released on 27 November 2009.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-34" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[33]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour and famed Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour, with the collaboration of over 40 of France's most celebrated singers and musicians, recorded a music video band aid (clip) in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 Haiti earthquake, titled "1 geste pour Haïti chérie".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[34]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 2009, Aznavour also toured across America. The tour, named Aznavour en liberté,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-36" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[35]  started in late April 2009 with a wave of concerts across the United States and Canada, took him across Latin America in the autumn, as well as the USA once again. In August 2011 Aznavour released a new album, Aznavour Toujours, featuring 11 new songs, and Elle, a French re-working of his greatest international hit, She. Following the release of Aznavour Toujours, 87-years old Aznavour began a tour across France and Europe, named Charles Aznavour en Toute Intimité, which started with 21 concerts in the "Olympia" theatre in Paris.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[36]  On 12 December 2011 he gave a concert in Moscow State Kremlin Palace that attracted a capacity crowd.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[37]  The concert was followed by standing ovation which continued for about 15 minutes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[38]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 2012, Aznavour embarked on a new North American leg of his "En toute intimité" tour, visiting Québec and the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, the third-largest such venue in California, for multiple shows. The shows in New York were cancelled following a contract dispute.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-40" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[39]  On 16 August 2012 Aznavour performed in his father's birthplace Akhaltsikhe in Georgia. Part of the concert was broadcast on Georgian television.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">On 25 October 2013 Aznavour performed in London for the first time in 25 years at the Royal Albert Hall; demand was so high that a second concert at the Royal Albert Hall has been scheduled for June 2014.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[40]  In November 2013, Aznavour appeared with Achinoam Nini (Noa) in a concert, dedicated to peace, at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[41]  The audience, including Israeli presidentShimon Peres (Peres and Aznavour had a meeting prior to the performance), sang along.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-43" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[42]  In December 2013 Aznavour gave two concerts in the Netherlands at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam. ===Film<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === Charles Aznavour, Armen Martirosyan and Djivan Gasparyan in Yerevan<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">See: Filmography

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour has had a long and varied parallel career as an actor, appearing in over 60 films. In 1960 Aznavour starred in François Truffaut's Tirez sur le pianiste, playing a character called Édouard Saroyan. He also put in a critically acclaimed performance in the 1974 movie And Then There Were None. Aznavour had an important supporting role in 1979's The Tin Drum, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1980. Aznavour starred in the 2002 movie Ararat playing Edward Saroyan, a movie director. ===Armenia and abroad<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Since the 1988 Armenian earthquake, Aznavour has been helping the country through his charity, Aznavour for Armenia. Together with his brother in-law and co-author Georges Garvarentz he wrote the song "Pour toi Arménie", which was performed by a group of famous French artists and topped the charts for 18 weeks. There is a square named after him in central Yerevan on Abovian Street, and a statue erected in Gyumri, which saw the most lives lost in the earthquake. In 1995 Aznavour was appointed an Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO. Aznavour is a member of the Armenia FundInternational Board of Trustees. The organization has rendered more than $150 million in humanitarian aid and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia since 1992. He was appointed as "Officier" (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur in 1997.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In the 1984 version of Die Fliedermaus, he appears and performs as one of Prince Orlovsky's guests. This version stars Kiri Te Kanawa and was directed by Plácido Domingo in the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-44" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[43]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">In 2004 Aznavour received the title of National Hero of Armenia, Armenia's highest award. On 26 December 2008, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan signed a presidential decree for granting citizenship for the Republic of Armenia to Aznavour whom he called a "prominent singer and public figure" and "a hero of the Armenian people".ref name="Itzkoff"/><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-45" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[44] ===Personal life and cultural impact<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === Charles Aznavour, a photo by Xavier Thomas.<p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour has been married three times, to Micheline Rugel (1946),<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-46" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[45]  Evelyn Plessis (1956) and Ulla Thorsell (1968). Six children were produced by these marriages: Séda, Charles, Patrick, Katia, Mischa and Nicholas.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-47" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[46]  In 1990, he offered insights into his life to writer-director Michael Feeney Callan in the TV series My Riviera<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[47]  which was filmed at and around Aznavour's home in Port Grimaud, in the South of France. He currently resides in St-Sulpice, Vaud, Switzerland.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-49" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[48]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">His musicality and fame abroad is present in many other areas of pop culture. Aznavour's name was used as the basis for the name of the character Char Aznable by Yoshiyuki Tomino in his 1979 mecha anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam. His song "Parce que tu crois" was sampled by Hip Hop producer Dr. Dre for the song "What's the Difference" (feat. Eminem & Xzibit), from his album 2001.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[49]  He is mentioned in The Psychedelic Furs song "Sister Europe" ("The radio upon the floor/ is stupid, it plays Aznavour").

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">He has often joked about his physicality, the most infamous feature of which is his limited height; he stands only 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall, and Aznavour has made this a source of self-deprecating humour over the years. ==Politics<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Aznavour has been increasingly involved in French, Armenian and international politics as his career has progressed. During the 2002 French presidential elections, when socially conservative nationalist Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front made it into the runoff election, facing incumbent Jacques Chirac, Aznavour signed the "Vive la France" petition, and called on all French to "sing the Marseillaise" in protest.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-51" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[50]  Chirac, a personal friend of Aznavour's, ended up winning in a landslide, carrying over 82% of the vote.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">He has written a song about the Armenian Genocide, titled "Ils sont tombés" (known in English as "They fell").

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">He has also campaigned fervently for international copyright law reform. In November 2005 he met with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[51]  on the issue of the review of term of protection for performers and producers in the EU, advocating an extension of the EU's term of protection from the current 50 years to the United States' law allowing 95 years, saying "[o]n term of protection, artists and record companies are of the same mind. Extension of term of protection would be good for European culture, positive for the European economy and would put an end the current discrimination with the U.S." He has also notably butted heads with French politician Christine Boutin over her defense of a "global license" flat-fee authorization for sharing of copyrighted files over the Internet, claiming that the license would eliminate creativity. In May 2009 the French Senate approved one of the strictest internet anti-piracy bills ever with a landslide 189–14 vote. Aznavour was a vocal proponent of the measure and considered it a rousing victory: <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">"If the youth can't make a living through creative work, they will do something else and the artistic world will be dealt a blow... There will be no more songs, no more books, nothing at all. So we had to fight..."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[52] <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.3636360168457px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302948px;">Along with holding the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large to Armenia, Aznavour agreed to hold the position of Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland on 12 February 2009: <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:inherit;">"First I hesitated, as it is not an easy task. Then I thought that what is important for Armenia is important for us. I have accepted the proposal with love, happiness and feeling of deep dignity"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-54" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[53] ==Awards and recognition<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Statue of Aznavour in Gyumri, Armenia*1963, 1971 and 1980 – Edison Awards (three-time awardwinner)<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-55" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[54] ==Discography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == Main article: Charles Aznavour discography==Filmography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Documentary films<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===
 * 1971 – Golden Lion Honorary Award at the Venice Film Festival for the Italian version of the song Mourir d'aimer
 * 1995 – Large Medal of the French Academy
 * 1995 – Ambassador of Goodwill and Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[55]
 * 1996 – Induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
 * 1997 – French Victoire award for Male artist of the year
 * 1997 – Honorary César Award
 * 1997 – Officier (Officer) of the Legion d'honneur
 * 2004 – National Hero of Armenia<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[56]
 * 2006 – Honorary prize at 30th Cairo Film Festival
 * 2008 – Honorary Officer of the Order of Canada<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-The_Canadian_Press_58-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[57]
 * 2008 – Citizenship of the Republic of Armenia<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Itzkoff_5-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[4]
 * 2009 – MIDEM Lifetime Achievement Award<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[58]
 * 2009 – Grigor Lusavorich award of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[59]
 * 2009 – Officer of the National Order of Quebec<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[60]
 * 2010 – Honorary order "For contributing to strengthening cultural relations between Russia and France"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[61]
 * 2014 – Special Prize named after Rouben Mamoulian of the "Hayak" National Film Awards in Armenia for "his great contribution to world cinema"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[62]
 * La Guerre des gosses (1936) – Extra
 * Adieu chérie (1946) (as Aznavour) – Le duettiste
 * Entrez dans la danse (1948)
 * Une gosse sensass' (1957) – Le chanteur
 * Paris Music Hall (1957) – Charles
 * La Tête contre les murs (1959) – Heurtevent
 * Les Dragueurs (1959) – Joseph Bouvier
 * Pourquoi viens-tu si tard? (1959) – Un danseur
 * Oh! Qué mambo (1959) (uncredited) – Un spectateur au cabaret
 * Le Testament d'Orphée (1960) (uncredited) – The Curious Man
 * Un taxi pour Tobrouk (1960) – Samuel Goldmann
 * Tomorrow Is My Turn (Le Passage du Rhin) (1960) – Roger
 * Tirez sur le pianiste (1960) – Charlie Kohler/Édouard Saroyan
 * Gosse de Paris (1961)
 * Les Lions sont lâchés (1961) – Charles, un convive de Marie-Laure
 * Esame di guida – tempo di Roma (1962) – Marcello
 * Horace 62 (fr) (1962) – Horace Fabiani
 * Le Diable et les dix commandements (1962) – Denis Mayeux (episode "Homicide point ne seras")
 * Les Quatre vérités (1962) – Charles
 * Les Vierges (1963) – Berthet
 * Cherchez l'Idole (1963) – Aznavour
 * Le Rat d'Amérique (1963) – Charles
 * Thomas l'imposteur (1964)
 * Alta infedeltà (1964) – Giulio (segment "Peccato nel Pomeriggio")
 * La Métamorphose des cloportes (1965) – Edmond
 * Le Facteur s'en va-t-en guerre (1966) – Thibon
 * Paris au mois d'août (1966) – Henri Plantin
 * Caroline chérie (1968) – Postillon
 * Candy (1968) – Hunchback juggler
 * Le Temps des loups (fr) (1969) – Inspector
 * The Adventurers (1970) – Marcel Campion
 * L'Amour (1970) – Le présentateur
 * The Games (1970) – Pavel Vendek
 * The Selfish Giant (1971) – Narrator (French version)
 * Un beau monstre (1971) – Inspector Leroy
 * La Part des lions (fr) (1971) – Éric Chambon
 * Les Intrus (1972) – Charles Bernard
 * The Blockhouse (1973) – Visconti
 * And Then There Were None (1974) – Michel Raven
 * Sky Riders (1976) – Insp. Nikolidis
 * Folies bourgeoises (1976) – Dr. Lartigue
 * Die Blechtrommel (1979) – Sigismund Markus
 * Ciao, les mecs (1979) – L'amnésique
 * The Magic Mountain (1982) – Naphta
 * Qu'est-ce qui fait courir David? (1982) – Léon, le père de David
 * Les Fantômes du chapelier (1982) – Kachoudas
 * Une jeunesse (1983) – Bellun
 * Viva la vie! (1984) – Édouard Takvorian
 * Yiddish Connection (1986) – Aaron Rapoport
 * Mangeclous (1988) – Jérémie
 * Il Maestro (1989) – Romualdi
 * Le chinois (1989) – Charles Cotrel
 * Charles Aznavour Armenia 1989 (1989)
 * Les Années campagne (1992) – Le grand-père/Grandfather
 * Pondichéry, dernier comptoir des Indes (1997) – Léo Bauman
 * Le Comédien (1997) – Monsieur Maillard
 * Laguna (2001)
 * Truth About Charlie (2002) – Himself
 * Ararat (2002) – Edward Saroyan
 * Le Père Goriot (2004) – Jean-Joachim Goriot
 * Ennemis publics (2005)
 * The Colonel (2006) – Père Rossi
 * Up (2009) – Carl Fredricksen (French Voice)
 * Charles Aznavour – Armenia 1989 (1989) – About the humanitarian aid that Aznavour brought to his native Armenia after the 1988 Armenian earthquake.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-size:10.9090909957886px;">[63]
 * Christmas in Vienna III (1994) – A Christmas gala concert with Aznavour, Plácido Domingo and Sissel Kyrkjebø, featuring the Vienna Symphony conducted by Croatian conductor Vjekoslav Šutej.
 * Making of "Colore Ma Vie" (2007) – A featurette accompanying the release of Aznavour's studio album Colore Ma Vie. Filmed in Havana and Paris, it shows his collaboration with Chucho Valdez.
 * The Muppet Show (1977) – Guest appearance.