Andranik Madadian (, ; born April 22, 1958), better known by his stage name Andy, is an Iranian singer-songwriter and actor. He immigrated to United States and currently lives in Los Angeles. He sings in several languages including Persian, Armenian and English.

Career

Duo in Andy and Kouros

Andy first gained recognition when he joined Kouros Shahmiri and they formed the successful duo Andy & Kouros, 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. In 2009, Andy & Kouros they went on an international tour together in the Iranian diaspora, and performed together again in May 2010. They also appeared together on a music video by Farez remaking their hit "Niloufar".

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. On January 17, 2020, Andy was honored by the Hollywood Walk of Fame With his star being the 2,684th star.

Other collaborations

On June 24, 2009, Andy, Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi recorded a version of the Leiber and Stoller standard Stand by Me, described by producer Don Was as a "worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran". The Persian introduction is done by both Andy and Jon Bon Jovi, and the rest of the song continues in English. The record was produced by Don Was and John Shanks and was registered at Henson Studio C, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 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 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, 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 and collaborations

Videos/DVDs

Filmography

Gallery

Sources