Vikki Carr | |
---|---|
Birth name | Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona |
Born | July 19, 1941 |
Origin | El Paso, Texas, United States |
Genres | Latin pop Pop Traditional pop Mariachi |
Occupations | Singer |
Instruments | Guitar |
Years active | 1962–present |
Labels | Liberty, Columbia, UMG |
Website | http://www.vikkicarr.com/ |
Vikki Carr (born Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona;[1] July 19, 1941) is an American singer and humanitarian from El Paso, Texas. She has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish.
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After taking the stage name 'Vikki Carr', she signed with Liberty Records in 1962. Her first single to achieve success was "He's a Rebel", which in 1962 reached No. 5 in Australia and No. 115 in the United States. Producer Phil Spector heard Carr cutting the song in the studio and immediately recorded a cover version billed to The Crystals that reached No. 1 in the United States. In 1966, Carr toured South Vietnam with actor/comedian Danny Kaye to entertain American troops there. The following year her album It Must Be Him was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The title track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in 1967. "It Must Be Him" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[2] She had two other songs make the US Top 40: 1968's "The Lesson" and 1969's "With Pen in Hand". Around this time, Dean Martin called her "the best girl singer in the business". Carr had 10 singles which made the US pop charts and 13 albums which made the US pop album charts.
In 1968, she taped six specials for London Weekend TV. She appeared on various television programs, such as ABC's The Bing Crosby Show in the 1964-1965 season. In 1970, she was named "Woman of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times. She guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1973. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981. Carr also achieved the rare feat of singing for five presidents during her career: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Ford writes in his autobiography, A Time to Heal, that when Carr appeared at the White House, she asked the president, "What Mexican dish do you like?" His response: "I like you." He goes on to write that the First Lady was not pleased: "Betty overheard the exchange, and needless to say, she wasn't wild about it."
In the 1980s and 1990s Carr had enormous success in the Latin music world, winning Grammy Awards for Best Mexican-American Performance in 1986 for her album Simplemente Mujer; Best Latin Pop Album in 1992 for Cosas del Amor; and Best Mexican-American Performance in 1995 for Recuerdo a Javier Solis.[3] She also received Grammy nominations for the discs Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti (1993) and Emociones (1996). Her numerous Spanish-language hit singles include "Total", "Discúlpame", "Déjame", "Hay Otro en Tu Lugar", "Esos Hombres", "Mala Suerte" and "Cosas del Amor". The latter song spent more than two months at No. 1 on the US Latin charts in 1991, her biggest Spanish-language US hit. Her Spanish-language albums have been certified gold and platinum in Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador.
In 1999 she taped a PBS TV special, Vikki Carr: Memories, Memorias, in which she performed popular bilingual tunes from the 1940s and 1950s. Her guests were Pepe Aguilar, Arturo Sandoval and Jack Jones. In 2001, she released a bilingual holiday album, The Vikki Carr Christmas Album.
In 2002, she appeared to great acclaim in a Los Angeles production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies, which also featured Hal Linden, Patty Duke and Harry Groener. In 2006, Carr made a cameo appearance in a straight-to-video thriller called Puerto Vallarta Squeeze. In 2008, Carr hosted a PBS TV special, Fiesta Mexicana, which celebrated the music and dance of Mexico. Later that year she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy. She marked the occasion with an appearance on the Latin Grammy telecast in which she performed "Cosas del Amor" with Olga Tañón and Jenni Rivera.
Respected as both an artist and a humanitarian, she devotes time to many charities including the United Way, the American Lung Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and St. Jude's Hospital. For 22 years she held benefit concerts to support Holy Cross High School in San Antonio, Texas. In 1971, she established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, dedicated to offering college scholarships to Hispanic students in California and Texas. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 280 scholarships totaling over a quarter of a million dollars.
Year | Album | US 200 | US Latin | UK [1] |
notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | Color Her Great | - | - | - | |
1964 | Discovery | 114 | - | - | |
1965 | Anatomy of Love | - | - | - | liner notes by Ethel Merman |
1966 | Way of Today | - | - | 31 | |
1967 | Intimate Excitement | - | - | - | |
It Must Be Him | 12 | - | 12 | UK release differs from US release | |
1968 | Vikki! | 63 | - | - | |
Don't Break My Pretty Balloon | - | - | - | ||
1969 | For Once in My Life | 29 | - | - | live |
1970 | Nashville By Carr | 111 | - | - | recorded in Nashville |
1971 | The Ways to Love a Man | - | - | - | |
Que sea el | - | - | - | ||
Love Story | 60 | - | - | ||
Superstar | 118 | - | - | ||
1972 | The First Time | 146 | - | - | title "Song Sung Blue" in UK |
En español | 106 | - | - | ||
1973 | Ms. America | 142 | - | - | |
Live at the Greek Theatre | 172 | - | - | ||
1974 | One Hell of a Woman | 155 | - | - | |
1975 | Hoy | 203 | - | - | |
1976 | The Story of a Woman | - | - | - | live from Japan (JP release only) |
1980 | Y el amor | - | - | - | |
1981 | El retrato del amor | - | - | - | |
1982 | Vikki Carr | - | - | - | |
1984 | A todos | - | - | - | |
1985 | Simplemente Mujer | - | - | - | #3 US Regional MX / #15 US Latin Pop |
1986 | Promesas | - | - | - | |
Esta noche vendras | - | - | - | ||
OK Mr. Tango | - | - | - | with Mariano Mores | |
1987 | Dos corazones (with Vicente Fernández) | - | - | - | #2 US Regional MX |
Me Enloqueces | - | - | - | ||
1988 | Esos hombres | - | - | - | #4 US Latin Pop |
1990 | Set Me Free | - | - | - | several songs from Esos hombres sung in English |
1991 | Cosas del Amor | - | - | - | #1 US Latin Pop |
1993 | Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti | - | - | - | |
1994 | Recuerdo a Javier Solís | - | 35 | - | #10 US Latin Pop |
1996 | Emociones | - | - | - | |
1998 | Con el Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán | - | - | - | |
1999 | Memories, Memorias | - | - | - | from the PBS TV Special |
2001 | Christmas Album | - | - | - |
Year | Song | US 100 | US AC | US Latin | UK [1] |
AUS | Original Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962 | "I'll Walk the Rest of the Way" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
"He's a Rebel" | 115 | - | - | - | 5 | single | |
1963 | "The Rose and Butterfly" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
"San Francisco" | - | - | - | - | - | Color Her Great | |
"Poor Butterfly / Stay" | - | - | - | - | - | Discovery | |
1964 | "Forget You" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
1965 | "The Color of Love" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
"Busca ese camino" | - | - | - | - | - | ||
"Unforgettable" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
"Tell Her of Our Love" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
"None But the Lonely Heart" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
1966 | "The Silencers" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
"Heartaches" | - | - | - | - | - | Anatomy of Love | |
"My Heart Reminds Me" | - | 31 | - | - | - | The Way of Today! | |
"It Must Be Him" | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 2 | It Must Be Him | |
"So Nice" | - | 32 | - | - | - | single | |
"Until Today" | - | 39 | - | - | - | single | |
"Now I Know the Feeling" | - | 28 | - | - | - | single | |
1967 | "Sunshine" | - | - | - | - | - | single |
"There I Go" | - | - | - | 50 | - | Vikki! | |
"The Lesson" | 34 | 1 | - | - | - | Vikki! | |
1968 | "She'll Be There" | 99 | 13 | - | - | - | Don't Break My Pretty Balloon |
"Your Heart Is Free Just Like The Wind" | 91 | 32 | - | - | - | Don't Break My Pretty Balloon | |
"Don't Break My Pretty Balloon" | 114 | 7 | - | - | - | Don't Break My Pretty Balloon | |
"A Dissatisfied Man" | - | 18 | - | - | - | single | |
1969 | "With Pen in Hand" | 35 | 6 | - | 39 | - | For Once In My Life |
"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" | - | - | - | - | - | It Must Be Him | |
"Eternity" | 79 | 5 | - | - | - | single | |
1970 | "Singing My Song" | - | 30 | - | - | - | Nashville By Carr |
"Everybody's Talkin'" | - | - | - | - | - | Nashville By Carr | |
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | - | - | - | - | - | Love Story | |
"For Once in My Life" | - | - | - | - | - | For Once in My Life | |
"I'll Be Home" | 96 | 7 | - | - | - | Love Story | |
1971 | "Six Weeks Every Summer" | - | 28 | - | - | - | Love Story |
"I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel For You" | - | - | - | - | - | Superstar | |
"Que sea el" | - | - | - | - | - | Que sea el | |
"I'd Do It All Again" | - | 39 | - | - | - | Superstar | |
1972 | "The Big Hurt" | 108 | 31 | - | - | - | single |
"Grande, Grande, Grande" | - | - | - | - | - | En español | |
"Let the Band Play On" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
1973 | "Ms. America" | - | - | - | - | - | Ms. America |
"Leave a Little Room" | - | - | - | - | - | Live at the Greek Theatre | |
1974 | "Sleeping Between Two People" | - | - | - | - | - | One Hell of a Woman |
"One Hell of a Woman" | - | - | - | - | - | One Hell of a Woman | |
"Wind Me Up" | - | 45 | - | - | - | One Hell of a Woman | |
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
1975 | "Hoy" | - | - | - | - | - | Hoy |
"Puttin' Myself in Your Hands" | - | - | - | - | - | single | |
1980 | "Disculpame" | - | - | - | - | - | Y el amor |
"Abrazame" | - | - | - | - | - | Y el amor | |
1981 | "Total" | - | - | - | - | - | El retrato del amor |
1982 | "Todo me gusta de ti" | - | - | - | - | - | Vikki Carr |
1983 | "Ya" | - | - | - | - | - | Vikki Carr |
"Prefiero amar un extraño" | - | - | - | - | - | El retrato del amor | |
"Eso no" | - | - | - | - | - | El retrato del amor | |
1984 | "Comprendeme" | - | - | - | - | - | A todos |
1985 | "Ni princesa ni esclava" | - | - | - | - | - | Simplemente mujer |
"Atrapame" | - | - | - | - | - | Simplemente mujer | |
"Ni me viene ni me va" | - | - | - | - | - | Simplemente mujer | |
"Cantare, cantaras" | - | - | - | - | - | Hermanos | |
1986 | "Promesas" | - | - | - | - | - | Promesas |
"Yo creo en un mundo de amor" | - | - | - | - | - | OK Mr. Tango | |
"Esta noche vendras" | - | - | 33 | - | - | Esta noche vendras | |
"Tu Dicha, Tu Calma" | - | - | - | - | - | Esta noche vendras | |
"Asi es la vida" | - | - | - | - | - | Esta noche vendras | |
1987 | "Que no que no" | - | - | - | - | - | Me enloqueces |
"Fallaste corazon" | - | - | - | - | - | Me enloqueces | |
"Me parece perfecto" | - | - | - | - | - | Me enloqueces | |
"Dos corazones" (duet with Vicente Fernández) | - | - | 10 | - | - | Dos corazones | |
"Juntos los dos" | - | - | - | - | - | Dos corazones | |
1988 | "Mala suerte" | - | - | 3 | - | - | Esos hombres |
"Hay otro en tu lugar" | - | - | 14 | - | - | Esos hombres | |
"Esos hombres" | - | - | 37 | - | - | Esos hombres | |
1991 | "Cosas del Amor" (duet with Ana Gabriel) | - | - | 1 | - | - | Cosas del amor |
"Me estoy volviendo loca" | - | - | - | - | - | Cosas del amor | |
"Con los brazos abiertos" | - | - | - | - | - | Cosas del amor | |
1993 | "Dejame" | - | - | 30 | - | - | Brindo a la vida, al bolero, a ti |
"Nadie" | - | - | - | - | - | Brindo a la vida, al bolero, a ti | |
"Una Mujer" | - | - | - | - | - | Brindo a la vida, al bolero, a ti | |
1994 | "Amaneci en tus Brazos" | - | - | - | - | - | Recuerdo a Javier Solis |
"Sombras" | - | - | - | - | - | Recuerdo a Javier Solis | |
"En mi viejo San Juan" | - | - | - | - | - | Recuerdo a Javier Solis | |
1996 | "Emociones" | - | - | - | - | - | Emociones |
"Que No Se Rompa la Noche" | - | - | - | - | - | Emociones | |
1998 | "No Soy De Piedra" | - | - | - | - | - | Con El Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitan |
In "MoonStruck", starring Cher and Nicolas Cage, upon Loretta Castorini coming home to tell her father that she was engaged to Johnny Cammerieri, Cher's character and her father go up to tell her mother the news. The family has a heated exchange over who shall pay for the wedding. Loretta's father ends the fight by putting on a Vikki Carr record, ending the fight. The mother, Mrs. Castorini, played by Olympia Dukakis alleges that "Now he's going to listen to that Vikki Carr record and he won't touch me."
In "Vanilla Sky", starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, David Ames is given music options from Sofia Serrano: Jeff Buckley or Vikki Carr. He picked both, simultaneously.