Charles Aznavour

Over the course of his long career, Parisian singer Charles Aznavour was often referred to as the French Frank Sinatra, and the comparison was not hyperbole. Both his artistic standing and his level of cultural cachet in France were easily on a par with Sinatra's in America. Born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian in Paris on May 22, 1924 to Armenian parents, he got his start in show business early, working as an actor while he was still a child. He also took a turn as a dancer before he really found his footing in the '40s as a singer and songwriter. After WWII Aznavour partnered with pianist Pierre Roche - the pair worked up a live act and began composing together. French superstar Edith Piaf became enamored of Aznavour and by the late '40s he was managing her as well as writing for her and touring as her opening act. Aznavour's earliest records were cut in Canada, where he had gained popularity via a long residency at Montreal nightclub Faisan Doré. But back home, Aznavour still hadn't gained much ground. Finally, in 1956, a phenomenal performance in Casablanca put him on the path to international renown, resulting in high-profile bookings in France. That same year, Aznavour composed "Sur Ma Vie," destined to be his biggest song, and his star status was solidified. The '60s proved to be a boom time for Anavour, who penned some of his most beloved tunes during the period, including "Tu t'laisses aller," "Et pourtant," "For Me Formidable," and "La Boheme," to name just a few. Aznavour's popularity was international - in the '70s, hits like "She" and "The Old Fashioned Way" brought him stardom in the U.K., and in the same era, American singers like Jack Jones and Liza Minnelli were popularizing his tunes in the U.S. Back home, by this point, Aznavour was regarded as a national treasure, but he never rested on his laurels. He continued performing and recording for the rest of his life, working with a dazzling list of international superstars, from Sting to Celine Dion to Placido Domingo, and remained active right up to the end, passing at the age of 94 on October 1, 2018 in Mouriès, France.