Avo Uvezian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Avo Uvezian |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Uvezian in 2011
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | March 22, 1926 Beirut, French Lebanon |
| Died | March 24, 2017 (aged 91) Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Piano |
Avo Uvezian was a talented Armenian-American musician and businessman. He was a jazz pianist and composer. He also became well-known for creating his own brand of cigars. Avo was born in Beirut, French Lebanon, on March 22, 1926. He passed away in Orlando, Florida, on March 24, 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Music
Avedis "Avo" Uvezian grew up in a family full of musicians. His mother was a singer, and his father was a composer. His dad also led a symphony orchestra. Because of his parents' musical backgrounds, Avo started developing his own musical skills when he was young.
A Musical Journey
Avo joined a jazz group called the Lebanon Boys. They got a chance to perform at a hotel in Baghdad for a year. After that, they signed a contract to play at a hotel in Iran. While in Iran, Avo received a special invitation. Shah Reza Pahlavi, the ruler of Iran, asked him to perform at his palace!
After a year of playing in Iran, the Shah helped Avo travel to the United States of America in 1947. Avo lived in New York City. He played with many different bands there. At the same time, he studied classical piano and music composition at the famous Juilliard School.
Serving His Country
During the Korean War, Avo was drafted into the army. He was sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey for infantry training. However, his officers were very impressed by his musical talents. So, Avo was moved from infantry to band training instead. When he arrived in Korea, his band played at an Officers Club. They earned twenty dollars a night for their performances. Avo was honorably discharged from the army in 1952.
After leaving the army, Avo spent a few years working with his father-in-law. They designed jewelry together. This work eventually led him to Puerto Rico. There, he was paid to perform at a resort called Palmas Del Mar.
The Song Strangers in the Night
Avo Uvezian claimed that he wrote the music for the famous song Strangers in the Night. This song was sung by Frank Sinatra. Even though the song is officially credited to Bert Kaempfert, Avo had a story about it.
When Avo lived in New York, a friend who knew Frank Sinatra set up a meeting. They wanted to talk about one of Avo's melodies. Someone else had written lyrics for it, calling it "Broken Guitar." Sinatra liked the music but asked for the words to be changed. Sinatra recorded the song in 1966. Before Sinatra heard the music, Avo had sent it to Kaempfert to be published in Germany. Avo said that Kaempfert himself gave him credit for creating the music, even in a written letter.
From Music to Cigars
In 1983, Avo's daughter Karyn was born. He went to Switzerland for her christening, which is a special ceremony. After a meal, Avo smoked a Cuban cigar. He was not happy with how much it cost. His friend suggested that they should make their own cigars.
Avo traveled to the Dominican Republic. He spent two years looking for the best place to make cigars. Finally, he met Hendrik Kelner. After trying some samples of cigars, Avo offered Kelner more money than he first planned. He believed that paying more would ensure his cigars would get the very best tobacco. A friend named Michael Roux also told Avo to use attractive packaging.
In the first year, 120,000 Avo cigars were sold! By the third year, Avo sold over 750,000 cigars. In 1995, a company called Davidoff paid Avo Uvezian about $10 million. This was for the rights to sell his cigars. In 1996, more than two million Avo cigars were sold.
Personal Life
Avo met his first wife, Marie Sahakian, in 1951. They met while he was performing at a resort in the Catskill Mountains in New York. They had three sons: Jeffrey, Robert, and Ronny. After they divorced, Avo moved to Puerto Rico. There, he met and married his second wife. They had one daughter together, Karyn.
