French President Emmanuel Macron mourns legendary singer Charles Aznavour, known as France's Frank Sinatra who died at 94

Charles Aznavour, the French singer and actor whose performing career spanned eight decades, has died at the age of 94.  

He is one of France’s most recognized faces who sang to sold-out concert halls until the end, resorting to a prompter only after having written over of 1,000 songs by his own estimate, including the classic La Boheme.  

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Aznavour’s “masterpieces, voice tone” and “unique radiance”.

“Deeply French, viscerally attached to his Armenian roots, recognised throughout the world, Charles Aznavour will have accompanied the joys and sorrows of three generations,” Macron said in a message posted on Twitter.  

Often compared to Frank Sinatra, Aznavour started his career as a songwriter for Edith Piaf, the French chanteuse who took him under her wing.

In 2009, he received the National Order of Quebec and for his 80th birthday, Aznavour sang at the renowned Palais des Congres in Paris and then went on a tour of France and Belgium.  

He celebrated his 90th birthday with a concert in Berlin.  He was married three times, had six children and is survived by his third wife.