Andranik Madadian ( fa, آندرانیک مددیان, hy, Անդրանիկ Մադադյան; born April 22, 1958), better known by his stage name, Andy ( fa, اندی, hy, Անդի) is an
Iranian-Armenian
Iranian-Armenians ( hy, իրանահայեր ''iranahayer''), also known as Persian-Armenians ( hy, պարսկահայեր ''parskahayer''), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of th ...
singer-songwriter and actor. He immigrated to
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and currently lives in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. He sings in several languages such as
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
,
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
Career
Duo in Andy and Kouros
Andy first gained recognition when he joined Kouros Shahmiri and they formed the successful duo
Andy & Kouros
Andy & Kouros ( Persian: اندی و کورس) were an Iranian pop duo formed together in 1985, composed of Andranik "Andy" Madadian and Kouros Shahmiri.
Andy and Kouros released four albums: ''Khastegary'' (1985), ''Parvaz'' (1987), the hugely ...
, going on to release 4 albums together: ''Khastegary'' (1985), ''Parvaz'' (1987), the hugely successful album ''Balla'' (1990), and ''Goodbye'' (1991). The two split in 1992, with both Andy and Kouros going on to have successful individual solo careers. The two reunited several times after that point. In 2002 and 2004, they performed together for a sold-out audience in
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...
. In 2009, Andy & Kouros they went on an international tour together in the
Iranian diaspora
Iranian diaspora refers to Iranian people or those who are of Iranian ancestry living outside Iran.
Solo career
Andy has released 16 albums as a solo artist. His last three singles have ranked No. 1 in the charts. In 2013, Andy was nominated for Best Male Artist, Best Live Act, and Best Entertainer of the Year at the World Music Awards. The following year, he was presented with the "Millennium" award at the Big Apple Music Awards in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. On January 17, 2020, Andy was honored by the Hollywood Walk of Fame With his star being the 2,684th star.
Don Was
Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced so ...
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
introduction is done by both Andy and Jon Bon Jovi, as well as the rest of the song which continues in English. The record was produced by Don Was and John Shanks and was registered at Henson Studio C,
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...
. He participated in a prestigious recording session for World Peace One, which featured some of the world's most successful artists uniting to promote peace. In 2014, Cherokee Music Productions released the humanitarian single, ''We Hear Your Voice'' which brought together 15 international stars from 11 countries to inspire fans and followers to find common ground and heal the divide between nations.
In March 2016, Andy released a duet with
La Toya Jackson
La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''The Jacksons'', ...
called "Tehran".
In April 2019, Andy released a duet with Algerian singer Khaled called "Salama So Good".
In January 2020, Andy released an English song titled "The Good Fight", which was featured in the motion picture “American Fighter“.
Personal life
Andy married his longtime girlfriend and artist
Shani Rigsbee
Shani Rigsbee (born May 1, 1967, Hot Springs, Arkansas) is a singer-songwriter, producer,Dave McNary"Val Kilmer joins ‘Silver Cord’" July 1, 2008, ''Variety''. Retrieved February 28, 2015. "..."Silver Cord" will be produced by Michel Shane, ...
on November 11, 2011. Around 1992, the couple began working and touring together. Soon after they discovered Shani had
ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous tumor of an ovary. It may originate from the ovary itself or more commonly from communicating nearby structures such as fallopian tubes or the inner lining of the abdomen. The ovary is made up of three different c ...
, and she had an early hysterectomy in 1992. The couple is associated with cancer-related charities and has performed together for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.
Awards and honors
On January 17, 2020, Madadian was awarded the 2684th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Iranian to receive the honor. His star is located at Highland Avenue at 6810 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Discography
Albums
Andy & Kouros
Andy
Non-Album Singles & Collaborations
Videos/DVDs
* The Journey
* Orere Seero
* Platinum
* City of Angels
* Balla!
* Andy Live at the Kodak Theatre
Shirin in Love
''Shirin in Love'' is an Iranian-American romantic comedy film directed by Ramin Niami and starring Nazanin Boniadi, Riley Smith, Maz Jobrani and Anahita Khalatbari. It was released in March 2014 via AMC Independent.
Plot
Shirin is an absent-min ...
'' , , Andy
Gallery
Nematollah Aghasi And Andranik Madadian.jpg, alt=Nematollah Aghasi And Andy, Nematollah Aghasi and Andranik Madadian
Andy - Persian New Year - Oberhausen Arena - Nowruz - March 2014.JPG, Andy in a Persian New Year Concert,
Arena Oberhausen
The Rudolf Weber-Arena (originally the Arena Oberhausen) is a multi-purpose arena, located in Oberhausen, Germany. Opening in 1996, the arena is a part of leisure and shopping center, CentrO. The venue was built in Neue Mitte Oberhausen, a form ...
, March 2014
See also
*
Andy & Kouros
Andy & Kouros ( Persian: اندی و کورس) were an Iranian pop duo formed together in 1985, composed of Andranik "Andy" Madadian and Kouros Shahmiri.
Andy and Kouros released four albums: ''Khastegary'' (1985), ''Parvaz'' (1987), the hugely ...
Leila Kasra
Leila Kasra ( fa, لیلا کسری) also known as Hedieh ( fa, هدیه), (March 27, 1939 – May 16, 1989) was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet and lyricist who has written lyrics for notable artists including Ebi, Dariush, Sattar, Vi ...
References
Sources
*Tehran Magazine. ''Choose the Best: Andy, Mansour, or Shahram Kashani'' Issue 476. Page 72-76
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...