Rashid Behbudov

Rashid Macid oglu Behbudov (14 December 1915 – 9 June 1989) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani singer and actor. He has been referred to as the "golden voice of Azerbaijan". He performed his songs in multiple languages.

Biography Rashid Behbudov was born in Tbilisi into the family of singer Majid Behbudov and Firuza Vakilova. In the mid-1940s, composer and pianist Tofig Guliyev began creative collaboration with Behbudov. In 1945, upon the invitation of Tofig Guliyev, Rashid Behbudov moved to Baku. In the same year, he was assigned the main role of Asgar in the film The Cloth Peddler (1945 film) , based on a play by Uzeyir Hajibeyov. and as a singer, he toured with concert performances in several countries of the world, including Iran, Turkey, China, India, Japan, Argentina, and many other countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. and became its soloist and artistic manager.

He was married to Jeyran Behbudova, and was the father of opera singer .

Honors and awards People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR People's Artist of the USSR (1959). Hero of Socialist Labour (23 April 1980) Two Orders of Lenin (6 January 1976, 23 April 1980) Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1 February 1966) Order of Friendship of Peoples (13 December 1985) Stalin Prize, 2nd class (1946) – for his role in the film Asker "Arshin Mal Alan" (1945)

Legacy and memory He is the namesake of Rashid Behbudov Street in Baku; formerly named "Lieutenant Schmidt Street" and renamed in 1991.

On 14 December 2010, FLASHMOB Azerbaijan organized a flash mob to memorialize the honor of Rashid Behbudov and to celebrate the 95th jubilee anniversary of the famous representative of Azerbaijani music and culture.

On 11 June 2016, a monument dedicated to him was erected in front of the State Song Theater named after Rashid Behbudov in Baku.

Filmography The Cloth Peddler (1945 film), as Asker Bakhtiar (film) (1955), as Bakhtiar (1974), as Eldar Aliyev