Googoosh

Faegheh Atashin, known professionally as Googoosh, was born on May 5, 1950, in Tehran. She started her entertainment career at a very young age, singing in bars and cafés at just five years old, encouraged by her entertainer father, Saber. Her early start meant she did not receive a primary education. By age 10, in 1960, she had already secured a successful role in the film “The Runaway Angel” and had made her initial cinematic appearance in “Fear and Hope” in 1958. Her natural singing talent was recognized by Iranian composers, leading her to develop a unique style in modern Iranian music and become a significant figure in pop culture among the Iranian youth. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Googoosh rose to prominent fame, influencing fashion with her signature short haircut and miniskirt styles, which were widely emulated by young Iranian women.

Googoosh starred in over 25 movies, with some achieving significant commercial success, such as “Bita” (1972), “Honeymoon” (1976), “Fellow Traveler” (1975), “American Mamal” (1975), and “Along the Night” (1978). Her acting career concluded with the 1979 Iranian Revolution, after which she ceased public performances for over two decades due to the ban on female singers. Despite this hiatus, she chose to remain in Tehran. In 2000, after 21 years of silence, Googoosh returned to the stage with a highly anticipated North American tour, beginning in Toronto. This comeback was a significant cultural event, marking her reconnection with a global fanbase that had preserved her music through bootleg recordings. She continued to perform in major venues worldwide, recording songs in multiple languages including Persian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Armenian, and French, further cementing her international appeal.

Her career since 2000 includes releasing several studio albums such as “Zartosht” (2000), “Ejaz” (2012), and “Akse Khosoosi” (2015). She also served as a head judge and head of academy for the reality show “Googoosh Music Academy” from 2011 to 2013. In 2014, she received the Best Iranian Singer award at the World Music Awards. Googoosh has consistently used her platform to address social and political issues, notably releasing the music video for “Behesht” in 2014 to support the LGBTQ+ community in Iran and the political song “40 Saal” in 2018. Her “Final Chapter” world tour, announced in 2023, marks her farewell from touring, celebrating a legacy that transcends music and film.