Rüçhan Çamay

Rüçhan Çamay — Biography

Fatma Rüçhan Çamay was born on 1 May 1931 in Istanbul and died there on 9 July 2025 at the age of 94. She trained in music at the Ankara State Conservatory and became known as one of Turkey's first jazz singers, reaching wide audiences with her Turkish-language pop records in the 1960s.

At a time when Turkey had no television broadcasting of its own, she became the first Turkish artist to appear on screen, as a guest on a CBS program in the United States. Her 1976 record "Para Para Para" became one of the best-selling releases of its era. She also worked in film, appearing in titles such as Yuvamı Yıkamazsın (1947), The Nights of Istanbul (1950), Zorla Evlendik (1962), and Love and Grudge (1964).

From her marriage to actor Turgut Demirağ came her daughter Melike Demirağ, who also became a well-known screen actress; it was Melike who announced her mother's death to the public.