Charles Aznavour

Updated: March 14, 2026

Name: Charles Aznavour
Date of Birth: May 22, 1924
Date of Death: October 1, 2018 (aged 94)

Charles Aznavour (22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a celebrated French-Armenian singer-songwriter, actor, and diplomat, widely regarded as one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. He passed away at his home in Mouriès, France, at the age of 94, having sold more than 180 million records in eight languages over a career spanning eight decades.

With nearly 1,500 songs recorded, 1,400 written and some 185 million records sold in 8 languages, Charles Aznavour was a remarkable actor and singer-songwriter. Having begun his career at the age of 9, his creative journey spanned over 8 decades. Born in the 1920s into a French-Armenian family, this legendary artist clearly saw the best and worst of it all, but fortunately chose to see the positive in everything. Such an attitude was possibly what showed through his charming demeanor and voice. With a French chanson style of performing, most of his music had touches of blues, jazz, classic French rhythms and a good amount of mesmerizing poetry.

Dubbed as France's “Frank Sinatra”, Aznavour had his own “Aznavourian” style that many fans, old and new, cherished. It was little wonder that Aznavour packed venues wherever he performed, for the beauty and soothing energy of his shows were hardly comparable.