Aïda Aznavour-Garvarentz, sister of Charles Aznavour, dies at 102

PARIS — The Aznavour family and the Aznavour Foundation have announced the passing of Aïda Aznavour-Garvarentz, sister of the late French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour (1924-2018), at the age of 102.

Born in 1923 in Thessaloniki, where her parents had taken refuge after fleeing the Armenian Genocide of 1915, Aïda shared a lifelong close bond with her brother Charles, who often described her as a steady presence in his family and a keeper of their shared memories.

She spent her childhood writing songs and performing alongside her brother, and later went on to record several albums, singing in both French and Armenian.

In 1965, Aïda married composer Georges Garvarentz (1932-1993), who co-wrote more than 100 songs with and for Charles, as well as composing over 150 film scores.

Throughout her life, Aïda carefully collected and preserved Charles’ recordings, brochures and letters, while also recording various family traditions. This meticulous archive became the foundation for her 1986 autobiography, Petit frère, in which she recounted how the Aznavour siblings rose to prominence in the Parisian music scene of the 1930s, their family’s ties to the French Resistance and the ways they endured the war years.