Özay Gönlüm, a native of Denizli, endeared himself to all of Turkey by singing Turkish folk songs from Denizli and the Aegean regions in a very emotional and cheerful manner. He played breathtaking solos on his specially made saz, which he named ‘Yaren.’ Özay Gönlüm, who introduced himself to the music world in the 1960s, was considered one of the masters of Turkish folk music at the time of his death in 2000.