Aznavour, Charles

(1924- )

   writer-composer, singer, and actor

   of Armenian origin, Charles Aznavour was born Varenagh Aznavourian in paris. He wrote for édith piaf, juliette gréco, and gilbert bécaud before beginning his own career as a singer. His direct and descriptive style, his distinct, rough, but velvetlike voice, as well as the quality of his tunes, gained for him during the 1960s a large international audience ("La Mamma," "Les Comédiens," "J'me vouais déjà"). He also acted in a number of films including Tirez sur le pianiste (1960), Un taxi pour Tobrouk (1961), and Le Tambour (1979), among others.