Charles Aznavour is probably the greatest international star that has ever lived. In every country, world wide, Aznavour has a cult following unlike anything any other performer including Charlie Chaplin has been able to achieve. And Aznavour's reputation has been growing since before the second world war.
The recent "Aznavour on Broadway" at the Marquis Theater in New York City was an incredible meeting of ethnicity. Americans, French, Hispa- nics, Orientals, Afros, Armenians, Italians, etc. Everywhere in the audience were bi- and poly-linguals waiting for him to sing of their sorrows and their loves; their pains and their lives - in their language - and he did. In 35 years of heavy theater going, I have never seen so many people cry, no, sob with such passion.

There are many collectors of star memorabilia, but few stars of any period that have an international appeal that evades generation gaps like Aznavour. The French consider this 5' 3", 74-year-old man dressed in black, with the world weary face, and the eyes bright as an eagle's, as their greatest national treasure. A child of the music halls, a member of the French resist- ance, someone who has so many regrets yet none, a man who has lived and loved and lost, who writes and sings of that which touches the heart and few others would dare to sing about. Would any other performer sing "What Makes A Man A Man" about a gay female impersonator, and make both hetero- and homosexuals cry in sympathy?

Could any other performer write and sing a song about the Armenian genocide and then demand from an audience that this is not just for his nationality's genocides but for all genocides and we must stop it from happening ever again. Could any other man sing a love song to a deaf girl and with the grace of Ninski sign language it? Could any other performer have the wit and wisdom and irascible sense of humor to write and sing a song called "Merde" (excrement)? Could any other performer reduce an audience of such diverse ethnicity to tears for a common reason? What performer ever has done so much for the down-trodden, the orphan, the victim of genocide? What performer except the voiceless mime, Marcel Marceau, could dance about the stage with his arms about himself as if he were waltzing with the old-fashion- ed girl of his youth?

So now that we have established the reason why Aznavour has reigned supreme for so many years, let's relate it to the world of collecting. How many record albums has he made? How many posters of movies exist that he appeared in or concerts he has sung in? How many postcards? I had him autograph one, of him as a young man, which was before WWII, which even he was surprised to see. And then there are books that he has written, and the thousands of photographs which were taken of him with just about anybody that ever was "a Star" in the entertain- ment field. All of these items are collectible, but for the Aznavour collector, the piece de resistance are items that show Aznavour with legendary chanteuse Edith Piaff.

Even items from Aznavour's concert this November are collectible. Personality collecting and autograph hunting is a hobby even for the rich and famous. World wide, just about every important artist has had their photo taken with this very private man. There must be a wealth of material out there internationally, and yet finding items of this great performer is very difficult.

There are Stars and there are Legends. Legends are people like Ella Fitzgerald, Carouso, Plasido Domingo, Louis Armstrong, Sinatra, Josephine Baker, and Aznavour. The rest are stars who shine for awhile and are forgotten by most people of the generations to come. Remember the line from "Rocky Horror Picture Show"? - What ever happened to Fay Wray? Does anyone remember much about her other than she was in King Kong? Can you name the movies that Gloria Swanson or Valentino or Pickford were in? Did you know that the Clara Bow Fan Club is still active, and that most of the avid collectors are under 20? Did you know that one of the great cult figures is Louise Brooks? I'll wager most people reading this don't even know who she is. Did you know that Bridgit Helm, who was in the first and greatest Sci Fi movie of all time, Metropolis, was in many other movies? Do you know how dearly you have to pay to pry away a Metropolis item from a collector? It is never how many items there are, but how many who want them. Postcards from Metropolis are $20-$50 each; a window card $400 up.

Movie magazines from the UK seem to bring more money than American ones and Picturegoers are in the most demand and will bring from $10 to $40 depending on who is on the cover. Of course we are speaking about pre-1960 stars whose status isn't as ephemeral as most of today's over-priced names.
It seems amazing to me that an international star like Aznavour will humbly stand at the stage door and sign autographs for his admirers, where others of lesser stature want to be financially reimbursed for their auto- graphs. Even with book signings, some names have cut off the lines that had been waiting for hours and had purchased the book at the place the signing was to occur. How would you feel waiting in line for three plus hours and your hero went home because he wasn't enjoying himself?
Of course, all entertainers aren't like baseball players and radio comics. Dick Frances, the author of many mystery books about horse racing, is one of those gracious individuals who understands that a true star shines brightest when it is gazed upon with admiration. Graciousness, not ten dollars per signature, separate the star from the legend! A legend will always leave behind gifts of their unending love to their devotees, those whose lives they touch. Such is the legacy of Aznavour.