(music playing on phone)
(music stops)
>> ERDBRINK: I'm sitting here at
this near-abandoned parking lot
next to the studio waiting for
the Persian superstar Andy.
Andy lives right here in L.A.,
but he's known in Iran as the
"Prince of Persian pop."
And he is so famous that at
every Iranian wedding, people
play his songs.
(Andy singing)
(audience chanting)
>> How are you, my friend?
>> ERDBRINK: Not bad.
How are you?
>> All right.
>> ERDBRINK: Nice to meet you!
>> Nice to meet you, yes.
>> ERDBRINK: Like many people,
Andy used to dream of becoming a
rock star.
And just before the shah was
chased out of the country by
Khomeini in 1979, Andy was about
to make his big breakthrough.
>> I managed to record one
album because CBS Record Company
had just opened a branch in
Iran...
>> ERDBRINK: In Tehran.
>> In Tehran.
They discovered me and they
said, "Hey, we have found the
Iranian Rod Stewart, we want to
take him to America," and all
that.
And I did a track, and we were
on the right track to become the
Iranian Rod Stewart.
And revolution broke out, so
everybody fled and I lost
contacts.
>> ERDBRINK: And what made you
decide to leave immediately?
>> I was going to...
That was my plan to leave,
because I was discovered.
I was going to be an
American singer.
(singing)
>> ERDBRINK: The Iranian rock
star, based in Los Angeles,
became hugely popular
in the Iran of the mullahs.
But soon, his music was
officially banned there.
>> When we would do music here,
it would be recorded on
VHS tapes.
>> ERDBRINK: Mm-hmm, video
cassettes.
>> And smuggled in Iran, and
people would watch it at home
and suddenly it was the thing.
It was amazing.
>> ERDBRINK: Yeah, so, then
comes the point, you're super-
famous, and then you would
think, "Okay, I should have a
concert in Iran."
>> (laughs): Right.
Well, even from the beginning,
it was clear our music
is banned in Iran.
Our way of life is 
banned in Iran, because we had
female dancers.
It was a little too American for
the Iranian regime taste.
But thank God that we had the
opportunity to go to Dubai and
the surrounding countries and
then later on, in Armenia,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and
people would come outside of
Iran to see us, and that was an
amazing feeling, because when
they come out and see us, we
feel like the Beatles.
(both laugh)
>> ERDBRINK: Because they were
so enthusiastic.
>> Yeah, hungry for music.
They haven't seen the artists.
(audience cheering)
(Andy singing)
>> ERDBRINK: Some of his fans
spent their last money on a
ticket to Dubai or Armenia, so
that they could see their idol
at least once.
But the millions of fans inside
Iran can only dream that the
clerics will ever let Andy
perform in his own country.
You actually, you even have one
video clip that you, as a sort
of animated figure, go back and
you fly over Iran and then you
jump out of a plane, it's a
pretty nice clip.
But then you actually go on a
motorcycle and you tour the
whole country, and everywhere
people are waving, "Welcome
back, Andy!"
>> Sure, it's very sad.
It's sad because we should be
there.
We should be touring every city,
every village.
I grew up in that country and I
love that country.
And I always thought that's
possible, although it's been
38 years already, maybe more.
But I keep thinking that's
possible and it will happen.
(Andy singing)
♪ ♪
(fireworks exploding)
♪ ♪
>> ERDBRINK: It's usually in a
secret location, preferably far
from Tehran.
The members share information on
Instagram.
What time?
How many people?
And most importantly, where?
They convene in secret a few
times a year: Andy's Iranian
fan club.
It's all very innocent.
They only play his latest songs.
And today, there is a surprise
guest, an Andy impersonator.
He performs all over Iran under
a surprising name-- Mandy.
(Erdbrink speaking):
(laugh)
>> ERDBRINK: I have a surprise
for them.
A live connection with their
idol in Los Angeles.
We have a lot of people here
that are very interested
in talking to you.
>> ERDBRINK: Like star-struck
teens, they wait in line to talk
to their hero.
Some of them have driven for
hours to get here.
(woman speaking):
>> ERDBRINK: None of these fans
ever saw Andy perform in Iran.
They're too young for that.
>> (singing along to song)
>> ERDBRINK: This is one of
those moments when I realize
what a bizarre country this
sometimes is.
These people have come together
in secret because the nation's
leaders have banned their
favorite singer, who sings
innocent songs about love.
Even when the whole country
listens to those songs.
