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 AZNAVOUR CHARLES (Vaghenag Aznavourian, 22.5.1924, Paris), singer, songwriter, poet, actor. «National Hero of Armenia» (2004). His first song «I drank» («J'ai bu») was written in 1944.  In 1946 he was on tour with vocal group «Les Compagnons de la Chanson». Aznavour wrote songs for E. Piaf, G. Bécaud and for others. In 1959 he achieved  his fame after the performance in «Olympia»  theatre in Paris.  He had concerts in Yerevan as well (1964, 1996). He wrote more than thousand songs, such as «Drums of love» («Les tambours de l'amour»), «Mama», «This is the end» («C’est fini»), «Alleluia», «Two guitars» («Les deux guitares»), «The town» («La Ville»), «One must know» («Il faut savoir»), etc.

After the earthquake in 1988 in Armenia, together with Georges Garvarentz he wrote the song «For you Armenia» («Pour toi Arménie»), then he visited the disaster area. In 1993 the Armenian branch of «Aznavour to Armenia» organization was opened in Yerevan.

Aznavour holds the mostly ceremonial title of French ambassador-at-large to Armenia (from 1995). He is Permanent Delegate of Armenia to UNESCO (from 1989). 

Aznavour was awarded «The best French actor»,  Legion d'honneur (1997),  Large Medal of the French Academy (1995), Order of Leopold (2004, Belgium), the order of M. Mashtots (1998) and order of Motherland (2004). 

Squares in Yerevan and Gyumri were named after Ch. Aznavour.

The wax figure of Charles Aznavour was added to Madam Tussauds Museum in 2004.

Source - «Who is who. The Armenians» encyclopedia, volume 1, chief editor Hovh. Ayvazyan, Yerevan, 2007, p. 37 (in Armenian).