Charles Aznavour

Born in Paris of Armenian émigré parents on May 22, 1924, Aznavour grew up in a musical atmosphere, his ex-baritone father running a restaurant, on the Rue de la Huchette, which was a popular haunt of refugees from Central and Eastern Europe who exposed the young Aznavour to the folk music of his homeland.

Aznavour's early ambitions though lay in the acting field and on leaving school he appeared in various stage presentations and had a big part in the movie "La Guerre Des Gosses".

Continuing his theatrical work throughout the Second World War, Aznavour also developed an interest in songwriting, composing his first tunes "Il Y A Deaux Hiboux Dans Le Bettroi" and "Pere Noel Est Swing" in 1942.

After a spell with Paris's famous School Of Music Hall, Aznavour teamed up with another young talent, Pierre Roche, and wrote material for Maurice Chevalier, Mistinguette and others and becoming protegees of Edith Piaf.

By the late 1940's, the pair had become international stars, travelling to New York, where they appeared at the Café Society and the Latin Quarter, and delighting French Canadian audiences in Montreal.

Indeed, they stayed away so long that when Aznavour returned to France in 1960 he had to start building himself an audience all over again and it wasn't until 1956 that his featured spots at the Olympia in Paris made him one of his country's most popular singers.

A string of hits followed, as well as both singing and acting appearances on TV, radio and in films.

J' Attends", in 1961, was Aznavour's first big international hit and an English language version of his song "La Mama", released under the title "For Mama", was a world hit in 1964, a year after his French original had earned him his first gold disc, and that for a million sales in France alone a very rare achievement.

She was to become Aznavour's most famous song and one which he performed so often on British TV but he had plenty more material in his songbook, having written more than 600 published titles.

This beautiful album pulls together some of the man's very finest songs, all these versions being recorded in London between 1978/1979. It's an album which underlines just why Aznavour is one of that rare breed, a French singer whose appeal is universal.

ROGER ST. PIERRE