Iraj (Hossein Khajeh-Amiri), Legendary Iranian Vocalist, Passes Away at 94
Iraj (Hossein Khajeh-Amiri), born on January 1, 1933, in Natanz, and one of the most renowned figures in Iranian vocal music, passed away at the age of 94 after several months of illness. He was born into an artistic and cultivated family; his ancestor was a celebrated singer during the era of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, and his father, who himself possessed a fine voice and was well-versed in the radifs (modal systems) of Persian music, devoted years to training his son’s voice. In his early youth, Iraj also participated in Ta’ziyeh (religious passion plays) and learned the subtleties of vocal performance step by step from Ta’ziyeh performers who had mastered the radifs and modes.
In 1947, he entered the school of Abolhasan Saba and over two consecutive years completed his musical education under this prominent master. With Saba’s introduction, he gained entry to Radio Iran, where he performed with the orchestra of Ebrahim Mansouri. He later entered the Officers’ Academy. Since his simultaneous service in the gendarmerie imposed restrictions on his artistic activities, he adopted the stage name “Iraj” – which was originally his brother’s name – in order to continue his singing while adhering to official regulations.
The year 1957 marked a turning point in his artistic career: at the invitation of Davoud Pirnia, he joined the legendary radio program Golha (Flowers). His first collaboration was on an episode titled Barg-e Sabz-e 43 (Green Leaf 43), alongside Ali Tajvidi, Farhang Sharif, and Amir-Naser Eftekhah. This collaboration initiated a prolific period of his presence across various radio platforms.
In addition to performing a vast number of radio programs, Iraj also excelled in film songs and vocal pieces for cinema, to the extent that many prominent actors of the time, such as Fardin, Manouchehr Vosough, and others, lip-synced to his songs on screen. The first film featuring his work was Rowzaneh-ye Omid (Window of Hope), directed by Sardar Sagar Hindi, with lyrics by Javad Lashgari.
His range of artistic collaborations was remarkably broad and unique. He performed alongside greats such as Ali Tajvidi, Homayoun Khorram, Parviz Yahaghi, Habibollah Badiei, Asadollah Malek, Jalil Shahnaz, Lotfollah Majd, Farhang Sharif, Fereydoun Hafezi, Mehdi Takestani, Masoud Jamali, Akbar Mohseni, Mansour Nariman, Mahmoud Rahmani-Pour, Yousef Kamousi, Simin Agharazi, Emad Ram, Amir-Naser Eftekhah, Jahangir Malek, Abtin Ajlali, Hassan Kassai, Mohammad Mousavi, Hassan Nahid, Reza Varzandeh, Mansour Saremi, Majid Nahjai, Fazlollah Tavakkol, Mohammad Heydari, Ahmad Ebadi, Anoushirvan Rouhani, and many other instrumentalists and singers of his era. This extensive network attests to the deep respect he commanded among musicians, and he was widely praised and validated by his peers. Nevertheless, the greatest title ever recorded for him in the history of Iranian music is “Pahlavān-e Āvāz-e Irān” (The Champion of Iranian Song).
Iraj, who retired with the rank of colonel from the Road Police force, left behind a prolific artistic legacy of over two thousand vocal pieces, including songs, classical vocal renditions (āvāz), and instrumental-vocal compositions (tasnifs), performed across various programs over his career.
A funeral ceremony and farewell for Iraj Khajeh-Amiri, the celebrated vocalist of Iranian music, will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 14, 2026, in front of Vahdat Hall. Following the ceremony, his remains will be transferred to the Artists’ Section of Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery for burial.
