Biography
Who is Dariush Eghbali?
Early life and career beginnings
Dariush Eghbali was born in Tehran, Iran, on February 4, 1951. His parents came from Mianeh, and he spent his early years living in Mianeh, Piranshahr, Karaj, and the Kurdistan province.
His musical talent was recognized at the age of nine when he performed on stage at his school. Hassan Khayatbashi introduced Dariush to the public at age twenty through Iranian national television, launching his professional music career.
Musical success and evolution
Dariush gained widespread popularity for his song titled Don't Tell Me You Love Me. His early tracks were largely classified as ballads, and some of the music contained political themes.
A youth magazine named him the most popular singer in Iran in 1977. Ethnomusicology Professor Farzaneh Hemmasi later described him as the best-loved popular musician of his generation alongside Googoosh.
After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Dariush left Iran in 1981 and joined the diasporic music scene in Los Angeles. His 1991 song Dastaye To was named the most enduring song in Iranian music history by Manoto TV. His recorded work consists of over two hundred songs across more than twenty-seven albums.
Personal life and philanthropy
Dariush Eghbali is married to Venus Eghbali. During the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, he was arrested and imprisoned for twenty-six months.
In the late 1970s, he survived an acid attack by a fan and subsequently struggled with an addiction to morphine and later heroin. In the year 2000, Dariush successfully quit heroin and released a song titled Silent Miracle to mark this turning point.
He established the Ayeneh Foundation and launched a recovery website to help Iranian addicts and their families. His organization has reportedly assisted over forty thousand Iranians in breaking their substance abuse problems.
Activism and community work
Dariush is an active member of Amnesty International. He supports the organization by focusing his efforts on helping Iranian asylum seekers and working children.
While living in Los Angeles, he consistently supported Iranian asylum seekers. In 2022, during a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo venue in London, the building was evacuated following a bomb threat from an anonymous caller, though police later confirmed the threat was not genuine.
Birthday and age
Dariush Eghbali was born on February 4, 1951, which makes Dariush 75 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Dariush shares the date with 48 other famous people.
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