The piano player is shot

October 1, 2018 11:04 AM

Charles Aznavour sings La Boheme. Aznavour au cinéma. French singer Charles Aznavour dead at 94
posted by growabrain (24 comments total)

I first became aware of Aznavour in the Movie "Candy" (heh). It was a terrible book by Terry Southern, who wrote the screenplay with Buck Henry. Hell of a cast, though (including Ringo Starr!). Terrible movie, too. Candy . I did like his singing.
posted by MovableBookLady at 11:10 AM on October 1, 2018

The French Sinatra singing his own "My Way", "Mes emmerdes". Au revoir, monsieur.
posted by briank at 11:13 AM on October 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

500 top tracks
posted by growabrain at 11:13 AM on October 1, 2018

No question, one of the greatest moments of the Muppet Show is when he woos Miss Piggy.

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posted by Melismata at 11:14 AM on October 1, 2018 [5 favorites]

From drag queens to dead marriages, Charles Aznavour was far from easy listening.

An absolute giant of songwriting, performance, and of French music. One cannot overstate his ability or influence. How to categorize him at all? He was without equal. Whether he was the greatest of all chansonniers is a matter of preference, but to see him go as the last of that generation... it's a huge loss. Still, his work will live on forever.

Merci, Charles.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:15 AM on October 1, 2018 [7 favorites]

Zut, alors.

I knew it couldn't be long, but it still hurts
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:18 AM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by infini at 11:18 AM on October 1, 2018

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posted by Wobbuffet at 11:19 AM on October 1, 2018

Charles in a television interview two days before. Slowing down, but pretty happy, and ever that gleam in his eye.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:26 AM on October 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

Charles Aznavour est mort. Vive Char Aznable.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:49 AM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by Aznable at 11:57 AM on October 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by k8t at 1:47 PM on October 1, 2018

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For me it's all about that final "monnnnn amouuuurrrrr" of Quand Tu M'aimes.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:56 PM on October 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

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posted by beisny at 4:37 PM on October 1, 2018

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posted by LobsterMitten at 4:40 PM on October 1, 2018

My fave Aznavour song (other than La Boheme) was Emmenez-moi. Frequent rotation in my iTunes library when I was living/working abroad and traveling constantly. The chorus stuck deep into my brain at the time:

Take me to the ends of the Earth,
Take me to marvellous lands.
For it seems to me that my misery
Would be less painful in the sun.


May you find that marvellous sun, Charles...
posted by darkstar at 4:53 PM on October 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

It's funny, in an interview he said that when he toured America after the film 'Shoot The Piano Player' was released, audiences expected that he was a Classical musician. That's actually what I'd thought back then.
posted by ovvl at 5:30 PM on October 1, 2018

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posted by allthinky at 6:05 PM on October 1, 2018

Aznavour and Piaf (and Gainsbourg, maybe) are to me the definition of French music. I mean, they're the definition of just one genre, chanson, but that's the Frenchest of music genres, even when there's no actual accordion involved. He was a giant.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 8:37 PM on October 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

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posted by From Bklyn at 10:48 PM on October 1, 2018

I drink.
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posted by SageLeVoid at 11:00 PM on October 1, 2018

One night during a trip a few years ago, I stumbled across a crowd singing songs around an upright piano along the Seine (as part of Paris-Plage, I think). One song stuck in my head, mainly the piano riff, but I caught just enough of the lyrics that a web search the next day got me to "Emmenez-Moi". The best-of CD I picked up on that trip has been a frequent rotation ever since.
posted by bfields at 7:18 AM on October 2, 2018

Formidable.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:33 AM on October 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

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posted by detachd at 9:39 AM on October 2, 2018