CHARLES AZNAVOUR WAS
THE UNKNOWN SUPERSTAR
My Ave Maria Radio colleague, Al Kresta, is host of the daily talk show, “Kresta In the Afternoon,” heard on about 400 radio stations.
Al once made a wry comment about his situation of being widely known within the limited universe of Catholic Radio…
“It’s hard being famous when nobody knows who you are.”
The line is classic Kresta, reflecting both his quick wit and his honest self-awareness.
Charles Aznavour faced Al’s problem, but with a twist. Based in France, he was a true international superstar, a singer-songwriter known around the world, but recognized and followed by only a narrow audience within the United States (the world’s single largest music market).
That must have been a frustration for someone who had written more than 1,300 songs, some of which became standards in the U.S.
I discovered Charles Aznavour in the early 1970s, and I found his music deeply affecting. But whenever I’d mention him, the common response would be…
“Who?”
My simple answer was always…
“The guy who wrote ‘Yesterday, When I was Young.’”
At which point I would hear…
“Oh…you mean Roy Clark’s song.”