On October 1, at the age of 94, the French musician, actor and writer of Armenian descent Charles Aznavour died. According to media reports, the legendary chansonnier died in his home in the south of France.

Until his death, Aznavour did not stop the concert activity. His last performance took place in Osaka, Japan on September 19. In addition, in the autumn of 2018 the musician planned to go on a world tour.

Chansonier built great creative plans, despite the health problems that have occurred in recent years. So, Aznavour's concerts, which were to be held in Moscow and St. Petersburg in April 2018, were canceled because of the musician's illness. Before the performance in St. Petersburg, the singer was urgently hospitalized with a stomach ulcer. The event was postponed to the spring of 2019. Returning to France, Aznavour received a hand injury and, on the advice of doctors, decided to postpone concert activity until the fall.

«The figure of world culture»

The news of the death of Charles Aznavour has already been commented on by many cultural and political figures. Thus, the leader of the French right-wing National Unity Party, Marín Le Pen, noted that all the French mourn the loss of such a talented person.

"A great singer and incomparable poet, he left us a repertoire of unsurpassed wealth," he wrote on Twitter.

Un immense chanteur et un poète incomparable part, en nous laissant un répertoire d'une richesse inégalée. Tous les Français sont en deuil de son talent. MLP # CharlesAznavourpic.twitter.com / m06YLoekGs

- Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) October 1, 2018

Aznavour's death shocked his fans around the world, including in Russia, where, according to music critic Andrei Bukharin, Aznavour was particularly loved.

"I was very much loved in our country, since the times of the Soviet Union, of course. He did a lot to promote French culture and chanson as a genre. We always had informal relations with France, we always loved French music, "Bukharin said in a conversation with RT.

The critic also called the chansonnier "a universally significant figure."

"The giant of variety music! 70 years on the stage - until the last days. Grandiose fate and life. He worked, released records, toured. He made a huge contribution to French culture, in a narrower sense - and to the Armenian, of course. He is a figure of world culture. He sang not only in French, but also in Italian, Spanish, and German, "Bukharin stressed.

Producer Iosif Prigozhin in a conversation with RT stressed that Aznavour was an example for imitation and a man "great in everything".

"He, like Joseph Davidovich Kobzon, worked without stopping until the last. Human resource. As far as I know, even his concerts have now been announced. Unfortunately, everything has its end. Bright memory. He was an amazing artist, impressive and elegant person. That same lyrical hero, that music, which we call "chanson," said Prigogine.

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Musical critic Arthur Gasparyan is sure that Charles Aznavour's contribution to the genre of French chanson is difficult to overestimate.

"He is one of the pillars of this genre, a new perception of the French chanson of the twentieth century. A man who not only continued the best traditions of this genre, but also said his own word. Charles Aznavour is in itself a magnitude, just like Jacques Brel, Sylvie Vartan and other singers of the French chanson who have become classics of this genre, certain standards that many performers are guided by, "he said in an interview with RT.

Musician, actor, writer

Charles Aznavour Born on May 22, 1924 in Paris. At birth, he was named Shahnur Vahinak Aznavourian: his parents were ethnic Armenians who had emigrated to Europe from Georgia.

His artistic abilities were manifested in his childhood, which is not surprising: his parents performed in the theater (and his father sang in an operetta). The boy was given to study in an artistic school, and at the age of 9 he was already performing on stage. Most often - in the crowd, but it happened that the young actor was given and more solid roles.

  • © Yury Abramochkin / RIA Novosti

From a young age Charles Aznavour was fond of music: at the age of 5 he learned to play the violin. At an older age, he began to write songs. In the early 1940s he met with the composer Pierre Roche and began to perform with him in a duet. Soon they noticed Edith Piaf, whose name has already thundered in Europe. Together with Piaf, the duo went on tour in the USA, from which Aznavour returned to a rather famous chanson. In the 1950s he wrote many songs for himself and other performers. He will be the author of hits Piaf, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Julio Iglesias and many other musicians. During his life Aznavour created about 1300 songs.

Today Charles Aznavour is one of the most famous French performers of all time (he was repeatedly called the "French Frank Sinatra") and the legend of chanson.

Charles Aznavour's career in film also developed rapidly. He performed roles in more than 60 scenes. Also the musician had success in the literary field - he published two autobiographies and a collection of short prose Mon pere, ce geant ("My father is a giant").

Charles Aznavour is the owner of the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival, the Cesar Cinema Prize, the Order of the Rising Sun of the IV degree, the Honorable Badge "For Outstanding Contribution to the Strengthening of Cultural Relations between Russia and France", the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs badge "For Contribution to International Cooperation" and many other awards and awards.

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Some of them, for example, the title of "Honorary Citizen of Yerevan", "National Hero of Armenia" and the Order of the Fatherland, Aznavour was appropriated in the historical homeland with which the musician maintained a close connection all his life. In 2008, Charles Aznavour became a citizen of Armenia. He was also the Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland.

Until his death, Charles Aznavour continued his professional and public activities. In the autobiography, the musician admitted that he was not afraid of death and did not want to regain his youth. However, he would not have refused to exist for another thousand years - out of love for life and out of curiosity.

"Many of us are convinced that retirement marks the beginning of a period of freedom and happiness. You can throw all the cases and sit back, telling yourself that you have finally reached the age when you can not work anymore. Is it possible to make a more terrible mistake in your life, arguing in this way? Does this mean that now you can relax and stop actively living? Come on, fullness! We are programmed to live more than a century, "he wrote.