İlhan Şeşen

İlhan Şeşen — Biography

İlhan Şeşen was born in Manisa on 18 June 1948 and, after graduating from Istanbul University's law faculty, spent roughly a decade practicing as a lawyer before turning to music full time. He started performing with dance orchestras in 1968, took up the guitar that same year, and put out his first record, "Kavga," in 1971. In 1983 he left law to found the group Grup Gündoğarken with his nephews, and went on to study acting for ten years under Levent Kırca and two more under Ferhan Şensoy.

Beyond songs he performed himself, such as "Neler Oluyor Bize," Şeşen was known for writing and composing hits for other artists — including Leman Sam's "Rüzgar" and Kenan Doğulu's "Ellerimde Çiçekler" — while also acting in television series such as Aliye, Gönülçelen and Yeditepe İstanbul. He married Arzu Şeşen in 1974, had two children with her, and divorced in 1996.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2023, he died on 26 May 2025 in Istanbul and was buried at Karacaahmet Cemetery. He continues to be remembered through memorial events in Kadıköy and Manisa, and a park in Kadıköy is planned to bear his name.