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 territo ...
and currently lives in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. 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
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Califo ...
Jon Bon Jovi
John Francis Bongiovi Jr. (born March 2, 1962), known professionally as Jon Bon Jovi, is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He is best known as the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi, which was formed in 1983. He ...
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 ...
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 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 cel ...
, and she had an early
hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries (oophorectomy), Fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and other surrounding structures.
Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may be ...
in 1992. The couple is associated with cancer-related charities and has performed together for the
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
's Relay for Life.
Awards and honors
On January 17, 2020, Madadian was awarded the 2684th star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Califo ...
, 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
Filmography
}) , , Cameo
, -,
, 2010 , , ''Lost Journey: Lost Journey'' , , Mr.Zand
, -,
, 2013 , , '' Shirin in Love'' , , Andy
Gallery
Nematollah Aghasi And Andranik Madadian.jpg, alt=Nematollah Aghasi And Andy,
Nematollah Aghasi
Nematollah Azmoodeh ( fa, نعمتالله آزموده; 7 July 1939 – 11 November 2005), better known as Nematollah Aghasi (), and better known as Aghasi (Persian: or ), was an Iranian singer and songwriter. He was one of the most notable ...
and Andranik Madadian
Andy - Persian New Year - Oberhausen Arena - Nowruz - March 2014.JPG, Andy in a Persian New Year Concert, Arena Oberhausen, 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
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can be ...
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary software, proprietary Swedish Streaming media, 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 ...