Andradanik "Andy" Madadian was born on April 2, 1958. A member of a large, poor family of Persian and Armenian decent, Andy grew up in a one-room house in Teheran, which he shared with his five siblings and two parents. Though Andy and his siblings were able to attend school, there was no money for formal music study, so the young artist sought musical mentorship from his family and those around him. In so doing, he gained an invaluable knowledge of the folk traditions that surrounded him, learning to sing in Farsi and Armenian. As Andy's pool of knowledge deepened, the political state of his homeland became more and more unstable. The civil war brought on by the Islamic revolution caused Andy to leave Iran. In the early '80s Andy was discovered by popular TV personality and promoter Alireza Amirghassemi. He was paired with vocalist Kouros, with whom he formed a popular, successful duo. Andy & Kouros recorded four albums between 1985 and 1992, when Andy decided to embark on his solo career with the release of Beegharar. Andy subsequently became one of the most famous Persian pop singers to date. With better than a dozen original albums to his credit which sold millions of units, Andy merited the hard-earned title of "Persian Pop Male Singer of the Decade" given him by Universal Studios. Madadian has received accolades from the Armenian community as well, being called the "Best Armenian International Singer" for five years running. With regular work in the film industry and a busy international touring schedule, Andy maintains a diverse portfolio of musical pursuits and achievements. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez