Viguen (born Viguen Derderian, , ; , ; 23 November 1929 – 26 October 2003) was an Iranian pop music singer and actor. He was known "King of Iranian pop" and the "Sultan of Jazz." He was an

Iranian Armenian Iranian Armenians (; ), also known as Persian Armenians (; ), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of their number in Iran range from 70,000 to 500,000. Areas with a high concentration o ...

by ethnicity and sang in both Persian and Armenian. During the golden age of Persian pop (the early 1970s) until the

1979 Islamic Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, many Iranian performers and celebrities—among them Delkash, Pouran, and Elaheh—yearned to be associated with him. He moved to the United States in 1971 and lived the rest of his life there. Viguen's innovative and upbeat style of music had a great influence on paving the way for a new genre of Iranian music, influenced by Western European and Latin American styles. His musical and performing talents soon captured the attention of many prominent Iranian lyricists and composers such as Parveez Vakili(fa) and Kareem Fakkour(fa), and together they created some of Iran's most memorable songs.

Early life

Viguen was born into an

Iranian-Armenian Iranian Armenians (; ), also known as Persian Armenians (; ), are Iranians of Armenian ethnicity who may speak Armenian as their first language. Estimates of their number in Iran range from 70,000 to 500,000. Areas with a high concentration o ...

family of eight children in the western Iranian city of

Hamadan Hamadan ( ; , ) is a mountainous city in western Iran. It is located in the Central District of Hamadan County in Hamadan province, serving as the capital of the province, county, and district. As of the 2016 Iranian census, it had a po ...

. His father died of complications related to pneumonia when Viguen was only eight years old. His mother and older brother Zaven raised him after moving away from the family property due to a family disagreement. His older brother Karo was a well-known Iranian poet and wrote the lyrics for Viguen's signature song, "Lala'ee" (Lullaby). During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the family moved to the northern city of

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

where local Azerbaijani nationalists declared the area a separatist republic, with the help of the occupying Soviet forces. This is where Viguen bought his first guitar from a Soviet Armenian soldier and discovered his affinity for American, Italian and Spanish music and adopted many of those melodies for his songs with Persian lyrics that became some of Iran's most popular music to date.

Artistic rising

In his mid teens, Viguen moved to Tehran and in 1951 he was hired to perform at the Café Shemiran, an upscale restaurant & bar on the northern outskirts of the capital city. Equated to Elvis Presley by some fans in Iran, Viguen's debonair looks and his tall and athletic physique added to his appeal as Iran's first male pop star, particularly among young Iranian women at a time when ideas of emancipation and liberalism were taking hold in the 1950s and 60s. He was also one of the first Iranian entertainers to perform with a guitar.

Later works

Viguen moved to the United States in 1971 and settled in California. He would return to Iran yearly to do concerts and perform in Vegas-styled nightclubs. After the

Islamic Revolution of 1979 The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, he was exiled to the United States because pop music was no longer allowed in Iran. He celebrated the 50th anniversary of his career at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles in February 2001. Some of his most notable songs are "Baroon Barooneh" (It's Raining), "Asb-e Ablagh" (Piebald Horse), The Groom شاه داماد , "Mahtab" (Moonlight), Lala'ee (Lullaby), "Gol-e Sorkh" (Red Rose), "Ragheeb" (Rival), "Simin-bari", "Awazekhan" (The Singer) and "Del-e Divaneh" (Crazy Heart). More than 600 songs were recorded during his long career.

Film

Viguen's cinematic debut came in 1955 when he was discovered by the prominent Armenian-Iranian director

Samuel Khachikian Samuel Khachikian ( ; ; October 21, 1923 – October 22, 2001) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, author, and film editor of Armenian descent. He was one of the most influential figures of Iranian cinema and was nicknamed "Iran's Hitch ...

for a role in his film "Chaharrah-e Havades" (Crossroads of Incidents). In later years, he played roles in many other motion pictures by Khachikian and other producers, among them "Zalembala" (1956, Siamak Yasami), "Tappeh-eh Eshgh" (1959, Khachikian), "Arshin Malalan" and "Cheshmeh Oshagh" (1960, Samad Sabahi),"Atash Khakestar" (1961, Khosro Parizi), "Arooseh Darya" (1965, Arman). He later on founded "Viguen Film" to produce his own movies but did not pursue the enterprise.'

Filmography

Personal life

His first wife was named Olga and they had three daughters together, including actress Aylin (also known as Eileen or Ailen), Aylin's fraternal twin sister, singer Jaklin Munns (also known as Jacqueline), and Katrin. His second wife was named Nadia and they had one daughter named, Evelyn, and one son named Edwin Derderian. His third wife was Karen Holston Derderian (1951–2015) and he had a step-daughter, Robin Navonne Brakefield.

Death

Viguen died at home on 26 October 2003 from cancer and was buried at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Cemetery in

Westlake Village, California Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County, California, on its western border with Ventura County. Upon its incorporation in 1981, Westlake Village became the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks We ...

. At the time of his death he had recorded more than six hundred songs, starred in six motion pictures and made guest appearances on various popular TV shows including '' The Bob Hope Specials'', ''

The Jack Benny Show ''The Jack Benny Program'', starring Jack Benny, is a radio and television comedy series. The show ran for over three decades, from 1932 to 1955 on radio, and from 1950 to 1965 on television. It won numerous awards, including the 1959 and 19 ...

'' and the TV series ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is an American multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired ...

''.

Discography

Select albums

* 1979 - Viguen * 1984 - Hamkhooneh EP * 1985 - Duets * 1989 - Viguen Armenian Songs * 1989 - Taraneh Man * 1989 - Viguen 1 EP * 1991 - 43 Viguen Golden Songs * 1991 - Asb-e Som Tala * 1991 - Kooleh Bar * 1991 - Mahtab * 1992 - Saghi * 1993 - Zan-e-irooni * 1995 - Shahdoomad * 1996 - Soltan-e Eshgh * 1997 - Be Yade Tehran * 1998 - Bazgashte Dobareh * 2006 - Viguen 2 * 2006 - Viguen 3 * 2006 - Viguen 4 * 2006 - Viguen 5 * 2006 - Best of Viguen * 2008 - It's Raining * 2008 - 40 Golden Hits of Viguen * 2008 - Mahtaab * 2008 - Dirooz Emrooz * 2008 - Dokaboutar * 2008 - Shah Doumaad * 2008 - Ahanghaye Do Sedaiy * 2008 - It's Raining * 2011 - The Best Hits Vol 2 * 2011 - The Best Hits Vol 3

Notes

References

External links

Vigen Death in BBC Vigen Biography on BBC PersianVigen Bio on Iranian ChamberSheet Music of songs by Viguen
{{Authority control 1929 births 2003 deaths Iranian composers Iranian Christians Iranian guitarists Iranian pop singers People from Hamadan Iranian pop musicians Caltex Records artists Taraneh Records artists Persian-language singers of Iran Iranian male film actors Armenian-language singers of Iran American male pop singers Iranian singer-songwriters Iranian male singer-songwriters Deaths from cancer in California 20th-century Iranian male singers Iranian people of Armenian descent 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American people of Armenian descent Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park Iranian emigrants to the United States Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States Iranian jazz musicians Iranian jazz singers Armenian jazz musicians Armenian jazz singers