George Wassouf
جورج وسوف
Wassouf in 2009
Born (1961-12-23) 23 December 1961 (age 62)
Kafroun, Syria
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Spouses
Shalimar Wassouf
​
​
(m. 1982; div. 2009)​
​
​
(m. 2014; div. 2016)​
Children4
Musical career
GenresArabic Music, Syrian Music, Lebanese Music, Khaliji Music
Years active1971–present
Labels
  • Rotana
  • Relax-In
  • EMI Music Arabia
Websitewassoufworld.com

George Wassouf (Arabic: جورج وسوف; 23 December 1961) is a Syrian actor and singer.[1][2][3] In a career spanning more than four decades, he has released more than 30 albums, with a significantly large audience of fans throughout the Arab world. Dubbed Sultan El-Tarab (Arabic: سلطان الطرب), he is one of the most successful Arab singers selling over 60 million records worldwide.[4]

Early life and career

Wassouf was born in Kafroun, Syria to a Greek Orthodox Christian family.[5] Wassouf started singing at the age of 10 in his hometown Kafroun. He was discovered by his first manager and producer George Yazbeck at a wedding party that Wassouf was performing at, aged 12 years old. At the age of 16, he was called Sultan El-Tarab by the Lebanese journalist George Ibrahim El Khoury, a magazine director, Arabic for The Sultan of Music, with his classic song "el-Hawa Sultan".[6] He became famous after appearing on the Lebanese show Studio El Fan 1980 when he was 19 years old as Sultan of Tarab.[6] Wassouf also holds Lebanese citizenship.

Wassouf preferred not to shoot music videos for his songs saying: "I don't feel I can act... I really can't... I only find myself when I'm on the stage... singing, but the video clip forces me to act".[6]

Personal life

George Wassouf married his first wife, Shalimar, at the age of 21. They have three children: Wadih who died on 6-January 2023 following a surgery, Hatem and George Jr. The couple separated after 28 years of marriage in 2009.[7]

He was married to Qatar rally champion Nada Zeidan, his second wife. They divorced in 2016.[8] Their daughter, Oyoon, was born in October 2015.[9]

Wassouf has been a prominent supporter of President Bashar al-Assad's government throughout the Syrian Civil War.[10]

In 2008, he was arrested in Sweden for possession of cocaine.[11]

On January 6, 2023, his son Wadih died due to complications from a gastric bypass surgery.[12]

Discography

Live Albums

Singles

Clips

References

  1. ^ "George Wassouf celebrates his 57th birthday on Dec. 23". egypttoday.com. Mustafa Marie. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  2. ^ Skinner, Patricia (October 2004). Syria. Gareth Stevens. pp. 33–. ISBN 978-0-8368-3118-4. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  3. ^ "Dh4.2m suit against syrian singer George Wassouf thrown out". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  4. ^ Behnke, Alison (January 2005). Syria in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 71. ISBN 9780822523963.
  5. ^ "At the initiative of the national office for culture and information: George Wassouf in concerts in Sétif and Algiers". djazairess.com. Samira Sidhoum. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "George Wassouf Biography". fleurdamour.blogit.fr.
  7. ^ "George Wassouf and rally champion Nada Zeidan's marriage reaches the finish line!". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  8. ^ "George Wassouf secretly divorces rally champion wife!". www.albawaba.com.
  9. ^ "It's a girl! George Wassouf and Nada Zeidan welcome their firstborn into the world". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  10. ^ Naharnet Newsdesk (19 June 2014). "Maher Assad Appears for First Time in Four Years". Naharnet. Naharnet. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Arab singer held on drugs charges". BBC News. 2 November 2008.
  12. ^ Gillett, Katy (7 June 2023). "Arab stars offer George Wassouf support after son Wadih's death". The National News.
  13. ^ "Georges Wassouf to release 'Seket el Kalam' soon". egypttoday. 23 April 2019.
  14. ^ "Georges Wassouf: This job, I do it for you ..." lorientlejour.com. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.

External links

Authority control databases
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