French singer Charles Aznavour dies aged 94
Musical icon and one of France's most celebrated singers
French singer and songwriter Charles Aznavour has died at 94 after a career lasting more than 80 years, a spokesman has confirmed.
Over the years he wrote more than 1200 songs dealing with everything from street violence and the deaf to ecology and homosexuality.
Aznavour was regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and an icon of 20th-century pop culture. He was one of France's most popular and enduring singers, and was also a composer, film star and lifelong champion of the Armenian people.
On October 1st, Aznavour was found dead in the bath at his home in the small village of Mouries in southern France.
French President Emmanuel Macron led tributes to Aznavour, calling him "a master of French song".
"He was a poet, a musician, a legend," Macron said in a statement.
Aznavour was born in Paris in 1924 to Armenian parents. He began his career as a singer in the 1940s, and went on to release more than 100 albums and star in more than 60 films.
His songs have been translated into more than 20 languages, and he has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Aznavour was a lifelong supporter of the Armenian people, and was instrumental in raising awareness of the Armenian genocide.
He was also a vocal critic of the Turkish government's denial of the genocide.
In 2008, Aznavour was appointed Armenia's ambassador to Switzerland.
He is survived by his wife, Ulla, and three children.
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