At age 22, Andy Madadian fled Iran with nothing, moved to Los Angeles and started playing guitar at nightclubs to pay rent.
Now 63, the internationally celebrated pop singer says he’s ready for another “new beginning”: Madadian is getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first Iranian artist to earn the honor.
“I’m hoping this Hollywood star will open some doors,” Andy told The Guardian in an interview.
“It’s a very difficult position to be in as an Iranian American artist, because whatever I produce is for my people – my American people, my Iranian people, my Armenian people,” he said.
Madadian grew up 7,000 miles away in Iran’s capital, in a neighborhood home to many Armenians
Over the years, Madadian has fused styles of his Iranian-Armenian heritage with western dance music, Spanish flamenco guitar, African rhythms and more.
Madadian will receive his star alongside a number of world-famous American musicians joining this year, including Elvis Costello, Billy Idol, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent and Muddy Waters.
