Googoosh

Faegheh Atashin (born 5 May 1950), known professionally as Googoosh, is an Iranian singer and former actress. Regarded as a pop icon, she is one of the most popular and prolific entertainers in Iran, and her career has spanned over six decades. Googoosh has enjoyed significant popularity since the beginning of her career, ultimately becoming a cultural icon inside Iran and abroad.

She is mainly known for her contributions to Iranian pop music, but she also starred in a variety of Persian movies from the 1950s to the 1970s. She achieved the pinnacle of her fame and success towards the end of the 1970s. In the 1970s, Googoosh was widely emulated by Iranian women, as they copied her clothing (miniskirts) and her short haircut (known as the "Googooshi"). Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, she remained in Tehran until 2000 and did not perform again during that period due to Iran's ban on female singers. Younger generations of Iranians have rediscovered her music via bootleg recordings. After leaving Iran in 2000, she performed a total of 27 concerts in European and North American countries in that year. Recent projects include a new collaboration with Iranian singer-songwriter Hassan Shamaizadeh from her 2012 album Ejaz, as well as serving as head judge and head of academy for the popular reality show Googoosh Music Academy broadcast on London-based satellite channel Manoto 1.

Since her return to the stage in the summer of 2000, she has performed in concerts and venues all around the world, including Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Honda Center in Anaheim, Royal Albert Hall in London and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles She has recorded songs in many languages including Persian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Armenian and French. She has a significant following outside of Iran and has even received the attention of European and African media and press.

Early life

Googoosh was born as Faegheh Atashin on 5 May 1950, in Tehran, Iran In an interview she noted that she was called Googoosh from a very early age; in her birth certificate however her birth name Faegheh is recorded.

Career Before the Revolution (1953–1979)

Googoosh began her career at a very young age as a singer and dancer working in the stage shows of her father, Saber, a cabaret artist and acrobat. to declamatory, emotional ballads dealing with love and loss, comparable to the chanson style of music by artists like Édith Piaf. Her music was popular among non-Persian-speaking audiences as well. She starred in over 25 movies, one of which was to be the most commercially successful Iranian motion picture of all time. Googoosh performed many times for the royal family and was a favorite of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's wife and children. She performed at the party given for the 17th birthday of Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran.

Revolution and hiatus (1979–2000) At the time of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Googoosh was in Los Angeles. However, feeling homesick, she decided to return to Iran. In response to why she remained in Iran after the revolution, she said that it was "out of love for her homeland". Despite being a symbol of many things that the revolution tried to overturn, especially related to perceptions of excessive Westernization, Googoosh remained in Iran for years afterward.

The regime imposed a lien on her residence, prevented her from receiving a passport and imprisoned her at one point. After the revolution, Googoosh, like other artists, was forbidden from performing and her material was banned. She did not perform again until Mohammad Khatami's presidency, during which she was allowed to tour outside of the country after obtaining a contract to perform overseas.

Departure from Iran and comeback (2000–present) Googoosh left Iran and went to Canada in 2000, after being in Iran for 21 years following the Iranian Revolution. Chicago Tribune considers the return of Googoosh to be "more than just a pop milestone" but instead "a cultural marker, a measure of the way change occurs in a society that for more than two decades has tried to resist the tide of globalization by living in self-imposed isolation."

In 2000, Googoosh sang in public, away from her homeland, for the first time after 21 years of silence to the acclaim of many long-time fans. The Googoosh Comeback Tour was a series of concerts starting in July 2000. She began with a sold-out concert at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on 29 July 2000 (with an audience of more than 12,000), The two Dubai concerts held special importance: it was the tour finale, and Googoosh was rumored to be planning to return to Iran.

In 2000, a feature-length documentary called Googoosh: Iran's Daughter was released which chronicled the singer's life and her icon-status while detailing the socio-political turmoil that led to the 1979 Revolution in Iran. Made by Iranian-American filmmaker Farhad Zamani, the documentary began production in 1998 and was made at a time when Googoosh was still forbidden to give interviews.

Googoosh started collaborating with Mehrdad Asemani with QQ Bang Bang (2003). They continued their collaborating in the albums Akharin Khabar (2004), Manifest (2005) and Shabe Sepid (2008). Most of the lyrics of these albums were by Shahyar Ghanbari.

Beginning in 2011, she served as head-of-academy and head-judge alongside Hooman Khalatbari and Babak Saeedi for the widely popular talent show/singing competition Googoosh Music Academy, which was broadcast on the London-based Iranian satellite channel Manoto 1 and was their most watched program. Googoosh Music Academy lasted three seasons. In December 2010, Googoosh held a very notable concert in the Kurdish region of Iraq, to which tens of thousands of Iranians came from Tehran and beyond.

In 2010, Googoosh ran a Persian talent competition show called Googoosh Music Academy. The series ran in Europe and Middle East on Monoto TV channes.

Googoosh released the album Hajme Sabz (Green X) in 2010. She said: "I have tried to have works from different composers and songwriters in this new album". Googoosh chose the name "Aasheghaaneh" for this album, but because of her interest in the book "Hajme Sabz" (The Green Space) by Sohrab Sepehri, she changed the name of the album. She released her old song Mano Gonjeshkaye Khooneh with a new arrangement by Babak Amini in this album.

In March 2011, Googoosh released a snippet of a new song she was working on, titled Bedrood, via YouTube. In April 2011, she debuted her latest project. The singer launched her own cosmetic collection sold online, titled Googoosh Cosmetics. In April 2011, she held a concert at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, as well as a record breaking performance at the same venue on 27 October 2012, as a part of her worldwide Ejaz Tour. Also on 26 March 2013 she performed at London's Royal Albert Hall for the first time.

In 2012, Googoosh released her 6th studio album since her comeback, titled Ejaz. The album consisted of 10 tracks, featuring collaborations with Hassan Shamaizadeh (Hayahoo) and three songs wherein she collaborated with her fellow Googoosh Music Academy judge Babak Saeedi and with Raha Etemadi (Nagoo Bedrood and Noghteye Payan and Hese Mobham). She also collaborated with Alireza Afkari and Roozbeh Bemani on three songs (E'jaz and Baraye Man and Behesht). Another single Bi Manoto was a musical rendition of a poem by the Persian poet Rumi. The poem came to Googoosh's attention while she was banned from singing at the time of the Iran–Iraq War. She stated that she felt inspired by the lyrics and therefore created her own melody and was finally presented with the opportunity to record it as she had long hoped to do.

In February 2014, she released a music video of the song Behesht, in support of the gay and lesbian community in Iran, which faces significant challenges in its struggle for equal rights, including the ongoing threat of the death penalty for convictions related to sexual orientation. This made her the first prominent Iranian with a huge following to speak out against homophobia in Iran.

In the same year, Googoosh released a joint single with Ebi called Nostalgia. She started a joint world tour with Ebi with the same name, in which each of them sang some solo songs and some songs together.

On 21 March 2015, Googoosh released her 7th album titled Aks-e Khosoosi (Private Portrait) including 11 tracks from different songwriters and composers such as Babak Sahraee, Nickan Ebrahimi, Babak Amini (Googoosh band leader). The first song of this album is Che Ziba Bood, which is also the last song that was composed by Varujan. Googoosh sang the old tasnif Morq-e sahar in this album.

In 2017, Googoosh started a world tour called "The Memory Makers" with Hassan Shamaizadeh and Ardalan Sarfraz. In the Los Angeles concert of this tour, Ardalan Sarfraz could not attend and Martik was present in this concert.

In 2018, Googoosh released a single song in collaboration with Martik called Refaghat, and after positive feedback, she collaborated with Martik in two other songs called Eshghe Kamyab and Asheghet Hastam.

Googoosh released her last album named Twenty One in 2021 with the composition of Siavash Ghomayshi and the lyrics of Raha Etamadi. During production, the trio tested positive for COVID-19.

On 14 September 2023, Googoosh published a video on her official pages in the social media, in which she announced that her new tour (Final Chapter) is her last world tour and a farewell tour.

In 2024, a documentary about Googoosh, featuring her own presence, titled Googoosh – Made of Fire, was released in cinemas in Germany.

She published her memoir called Googoosh: A Sinful Voice on December 2, 2025, co-written with Tara Dehlavi, and the Persian translation of this book, translated by Homa Sarshar, was released on December 10 of the same year. In this book, she revealed for the first time the previously untold parts of her life.

Despite the political and personal hardships she has endured, Googoosh has continued to be a beloved figure over the last half century.

Politics Googoosh and other speakers participated in a 22 July 2009 protest at the United Nations which attracted exiles from Iran. They stood in front of a banner with names of Iranian protestors who they believed were still incarcerated and of other protestors, written in red, who had been killed. During this protest, Googoosh made a speech stating that she entered politics because of the outcome of the 2009 Iranian presidential election. She said, "I have come here to be the voice for the sad mothers who lost their loved ones in peaceful demonstrations. I have come here to be the just voice of the grass-roots and spontaneous movement among my compatriots and to show my solidarity."

In 2018, Googoosh and Siavash Ghomayshi released the political song 40 Saal in criticism of the Islamic Republic.

Googoosh dedicated her Frankfurt 2022 concert to Mahsa Amini. She released the song Dobareh in support of Iranian protests. She said at a gathering of Iranians in Washington: "Today I feel proud and angry, but I am still more hopeful than ever about the future of Iran, and I focus my anger on that obsessively hateful and resentful leader and the child-killing government."

Following the 2025–2026 Iranian protests, she announced that she would no longer perform live until “my people get their freedom.”

Personal life Googoosh has three half-brothers on her father's side and a brother and sister on her mother's side. One of her brothers died in his youth.

In 1980, Googoosh was imprisoned for nearly one month after the Iranian Revolution. In 2018, in reply to a question by interviewer about how she stays young, she said, "Love, music and lots of fruit!". They had a son, Kambiz. After about six years of marriage, Ghorbani and Googoosh divorced in late 1972.

In 1975, Googoosh married Iranian actor Behrouz Vossoughi;

Religious beliefs

Googoosh is a Twelver Shia Muslim. She became a non-practicing Muslim in 2004 according to her 2023 interview, where she said: "I used to pray every day until 2004."

In her interview with Homa Sarshar in 2022, she stated that she used to have beliefs, but her beliefs were "broken".

In 2023, she posted a video on her official YouTube page and Instagram from one of her concerts, in which she explains that she uses "God" instead of "Kaaba" in the performance of the song Marham due to distance from religion. Googoosh had previously explained in Manoto's "Behtarinhaye Behtarinha" that she requested this lyric change from Ardalan Sarfraz after her pilgrimage to Mecca.

Discography

Studio albums 1970: Do Panjereh (Two Windows) 1970: Fasle Tazeh (New Season) 1971: Mordab (The Swamp) 1971: Nimeye Gomshodeye Man (My Lost Half) 1972: Kooh (The Mountain) 1973: Mano Gonjeshkaye Khooneh (Me and the house Sparrows) 1974: Do Mâhi (Two Fish) 1974: Hamsafar (Co-Traveler) 1975: Pol (The Bridge) 1975: Mosabbeb (With Dariush) 1977: Dar emtedâde shab (Along the Night) 1978: Ageh bemouni (If You Stay)

Studio albums (since her return to music in 2000) 2000: Zartosht 2003: QQ Bang Bang 2004: Akharin Khabar (Latest News) 2005: Manifest 2008: Shabe Sepid (White Night) 2010: Hajme Sabz (Green X) 2012: Ejaz (Miracle) 2015: Akse Khosoosi (Private Portrait) 2021: Twenty One

Singles (since her return to music) 2011: Yeh Harfaei (Live TV Performance On Manoto1) 2014: Nostalgia (ft. Ebi) 2014: Do Panjereh (ft. Ebi) 2014: Ki Ashkato Pak Mikoneh (ft. Ebi) 2014: Hamzad (Twin) (New Arrangement) 2016: Hastamo Nistam (I am and I am not) 2017: Do Panjereh (Two Windows) (New Version) 2017: Sogand (Oath) 2018: Mosalas-e Khatereha (The Memory Triangle) (ft. Hassan Shamaizadeh) 2018: Ajab Jaei (What a Place) 2018: Roya (Dream) "Unofficial Version Of The Witness" 2018: Shahed (Witness) 2018: 40 Saal (40 years) (ft. Siavash Ghomayshi) 2018: Talagh "Remix 2018" (Divorce) 2018: Mordab "Live Version" (The Swamp) (ft. Hassan Shamaizadeh) 2018: Refaghat (Friendship) (ft. Martik) 2019: Eshghe Kamyab (Rare Love) (ft. Martik) 2019: Darde Man (My Pain) 2020: Fardamon (Our Tomorrow) 2020: Harigh (Fire) 2021: Gohare Kamyab (Rare Gem) 2021: Tooye Tehran (In Tehran) (Demo Recording In 2017) 2022: Rooze Khoob (Good Day) (Recorded 43 years ago) 2022: Naaz Edkeh (Southern Song) 2022: Safar Mikonam (l Travel) 2022: Ghesseye Do Maahi "Live Version" (The Story Of Two Fish) (ft. Shahyar Ghanbari) 2022: Geryeh Dar Ragbaar (Crying in a barrage) (Recorded 44 years ago) 2022: Dobareh (Again) (ft. Leila Forouhar, Shahrzad Sepanlou, Darya Dadvar, Sogand & Shohreh Aghdashloo) 2023: Gol Bi Goldoon "Live Version" 2023: Hamvatan (Compatriot) 2025: Hamseda "Live Version" 2025: Mano Gonjeshka "Live Version" 2025: Makhloogh "Live Version" 2025: Azizam (My Dear) (ft. Ed Sheeran)

Filmography

Year Persian title Googoosh also acted in two other movies: Mard-e keraye-i (مرد کرایه‌ای) and Hajji Firuz (حاجی فیروز), but the production of each of these films was suspended during the final stages for unknown reasons. Googoosh has also acted in many television shows and commercials in Iran.

Books Googoosh: A Sinful Voice (2025)

Tours and concerts since 2000

Comeback World Tour (2000–2001) CountryCityVenueDateTHE END

2003–2005 concerts CountryVenueDateWith Mehrdad AsemaniTHE END

Googoosh & Mehrdad Asemani: 2006 concerts

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Googoosh & Mehrdad Asemani: 2007 concerts CountryVenueDateTHE END

Googoosh & Mehrdad Asemani: 2008 concerts CountryVenueDateWithout Mehrdad AsemaniTHE END

Googoosh: Memory Lane World Tour (2009–2010) CountryVenueDateTHE END

2011 concerts CountryVenueDateTHE END

2012 concerts CountryVenueDateTHE END

Ejaz World Tour (2012–2014) CountryVenueDateTHE END

Googoosh & Ebi: Nostalgia World Tour (2014) CountryVenueDateTHE END

Googoosh: Akse Khosoosi World Tour (2015–2016) CountryVenueDateTHE End

2017 concerts CountryVenueDateTHE END

The Memory Makers World Tour (With Hassan Shamaeizadeh & Ardalan Sarfaraz) (2017–2018) CountryVenueDateTHE END

Googoosh & Martik: The Friendship World Tour (2018–2019) CountryVenueDateTHE END

Googoosh: 21, The World Tour (2021–2022) CountryVenueDateFinal AppearanceFinal AppearanceFinal AppearanceFinal AppearanceTHE END

2023 concerts CountryVenueDateFinal AppearanceTHE END

Final Chapter, The World Tour (2023–) CountryVenueDate

Awards and achievements

1971: first prize and gold record for the best singer in the world at the Midem trade fair in Cannes for her 7" record (as "Gougoush") performing two songs in French produced by Barclay Records: "Retour de la Ville" (A-side) and "J'entends Crier Je T'aime" (B-side). 2001: Performed at the Carthage Music Festival. 2014: Best Iranian Singer (World Music Awards) Two awards from Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles for record breaking performances 2022: Performed at the Expo Festival. 2024: Performed at the Saadiat Nights Festival. 2024: Arab Glamour 2024 (Enigma magazine)