Guy Chookoorian, Yegoor Im Doonus/No Real
Name/Title
Guy Chookoorian, Yegoor Im Doonus/No RealDescription
Gaizag “Guy” Chookoorian was born in November 15, 1923, Kenosha, WI and was a celebrated Armenian-American musician, singer, comedian, and actor. A World War II veteran, he served in the 331st Bomb Squadron of the 94th Bomb Group, flying 32 missions over Europe. The son of Armenian Genocide survivors from Yerzinga (Erzincan), he co-founded the Armenian-American Theater Group in Fresno, CA, in the mid-1940s. Throughout his Hollywood career, he actively promoted Armenian culture, helping preserve the folk songs of his father’s heritage. Guy's contributions to Armenian-American culture and his community spanned many decades. He passed away in January 31, 2021 in Granada Hills, CA. Chookoorian’s songs were infused with humor and cultural references, often featuring Armenian translations of popular hits and playful inside jokes. One such recording was Yegoor Im Doonus, paired on the flipside with No Real—a hilarious English parody of the Armenian kef song Sood eh, Sood eh. In it, Chookoorian impersonates an old country singer performing the tune in broken English, playfully twisting the original lyrics as only he could. This record led to one of Chookoorian’s most memorable encounters. Always careful to seek permission before recording a parody, he reached out to the songwriters of Come On-A My House, who unexpectedly requested a meeting. To his surprise, they turned out to be none other than William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian—the future creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Chookoorian soon found himself in Saroyan’s elegant Beverly Hills office, chatting with two fellow Fresno Armenians. Saroyan was much older, having left Fresno before Chookoorian was born, while Bagdasarian was only a few years his senior; the two had known of each other back home but moved in different circles. After granting permission for the parody, Saroyan and Bagdasarian learned about Chookoorian’s English rendition of Sood eh and were impressed. They proposed forming a three-way partnership to create more English versions of Armenian songs. Unfortunately, a falling-out between Saroyan and Bagdasarian soon ended those plans before they began.Audio Format
78 RPM RecordRecording Type
MusicCategory
Vinyl Record