“Hello everyone. I’m Vikki Carr.
Hola Amigos, yo soy Vikki Carr. Yo sé que muchos de nosotros…
I know that a lot of us are at home alone. And it’s been a rough grind for all of us…
I want to sing a song for you that will hopefully lift your spirits….”
Image caption: Vikki Carr (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Alongside Aaron Prado, who plays a delicate score on the piano, the crisp and powerful voice of Vikki Carr fills the hearts of listeners with comfort and hope. She sings of “times when we don’t know” and promises us that hardships shall soon be over. If the gentle caress of a mother could be heard, it’s the sound of Carr’s voice soaring in conjunction with the captivating notes of a grand piano. She sings “The Prayer” in a YouTube video posted on October 14, 2020, encouraging listeners to join in, regardless of their location. She tells viewers that voices in unison have the power to inspire, give hope, and reminds us that we’re all facing a united struggle and that we will make it through if we only believe.
It isn’t uncommon for this delightful voice to evoke hope in listeners; Vikki Carr often uses her gift to help others. That is the beauty of her musical talent, that it is not a selfish one, that she shares it with others, rather than keeping it all to herself. That is a value taught to the youngsters of many El Paso families, including Carr’s, who welcomed her into the world on a golden summer day on July 19, 1941. Born Florencia Bisenta de Casillas-Martinez Cardona, and later changing her name to Vikki Carr, she was the eldest of seven children. She emerged into the border town city of El Paso, a city that celebrates and generates a surplus of Latin music. She sang in a variety of musical genres and was always enamored by the artistry of theater, but she achieved her greatest success singing in Spanish, one of the most, if not the most, romantic languages of the world. By 1961, Carr had signed a contract with Liberty Records.
At the age of four, Carr discovered her energetic yet moving singing talent performing “Adeste Fidelis” in Latin, no less, at a Christmas program. She had the opportunity to fill lead roles in high school productions, such as Connecticut Yankee, Girl Crazy and Anything Goes. Carr landed the leading role in the latter two musicals, originally starring Ethel Merman, a vocal prodigy and actress known for her commanding and influential voice on Broadway. Replicating Merman’s distinctive voice is a testament to any vocalist’s ability, especially at the high school level. For Carr, it was yet another indication she was made for show business, a business like no other, as Merman would agree.
In high school, Carr began singing with local bands during the weekends. She gained exposure and later received that elusive opportunity to audition for a soloist’s spotlight with the Pepe Callahan Mexican-Irish band. She unsurprisingly broke into singing as a solo star after her debut with the Chuck Leonard Quartet in Reno, then on to Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii. During this time, Liberty Records heard her charming voice and asked her to sign a record contract. She accepted the offer. It was 1961 and Carr was barely into her early twenties. Launching her career early in life meant she was able to perform with legendary entertainers of the likes of jazz legend Tony Bennett, actor-comedians Jackie Gleason and Danny Kaye, jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie, and singer Tom Jones, who all enjoyed long successful careers and were especially popular in the 1960s.
Many well-known artists, such as the renowned jazz and swing singer Frank Sinatra, praised Carr’s talent. He once said of Carr, “[she] possesses my kind of voice.” Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald, two well-known American musical sensations, said Carr was one of their top three favorite singers of all time. As an aspiring vocalist, to be known by legends of the likes of Sinatra and Crosby is one thing, to be loved by them, to be one of their top three favorite artists, is another. The list of stars complimenting Carr goes beyond Sinatra and Crosby. Dean Martin called Carr “the best girl singer in the business.” Elvis Presley –– yes, you read that right, Elvis Presley –– recognized her at many of his appearances, which she attended. He stated that Carr was one of his favorite singers because she “sang from the gut.” The purpose behind Carr’s music was to inspire, celebrate and unify.
Image caption: Vikki Carr (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
And here she was, a young woman from the border town of El Paso, bringing worlds together and representing her love for her heritage. Carr once stated, “Music is universal and can touch everybody on every level.”
In 1967, Carr attained international stardom, touring England, Australia, Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Panama. She sold out many international concerts in Germany, Spain, France, England, Australia, Japan and Holland. While in England, Carr was featured in two “BBC-TV Vikki Carr Show Specials.” She released a song titled “It Must Be Him,” which addressed a universal situation that many people can relate to. The song hit No. 2 in England and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
Carr’s music and dynamism spanned the terms of five United States Presidents, performing for Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. She was invited to the White House in 1970 to sing at a dinner in honor of the Venezuelan president Rafael Caldera. Carr also performed at the inauguration of the Kennedy Music Center in Washington, D.C. She ended up becoming the darling of the White House and would regularly perform at State dinners. If performing for five US Presidents is not enough, she also sang for Queen Elizabeth II at a Royal Command Performance in London, England.
Along with releasing more than 60 best-selling records, Carr worked with several radio stations and always maintained her love for theater, starring in productions of South Pacific, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road. She appeared regularly on popular 1960s TV variety shows hosted by the greats Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Ed Sullivan and Carol Burnett. Carr was also a frequent guest on the highly successful The Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson, making more than 30 guest appearances and even hosting it in 1973, performing hits like “With Pen in Hand” and “It Must Be Him.” PBS taped Vikki Carr: Memories, Memorias, in 1999, in which she sang bilingual songs from the 1940s and 1950s.
Being no stranger to the Grammys, having been nominated several times during her legendary career, Carr took home the Grammy in 1986 for Best Mexican-American Performance for "Simplemente Mujer". One of Carr’s greatest releases was Cosas Del Amor, winning a Grammy in 1992 for Best Latin Pop Album. And, in 1995, she again took home the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Performance for her single “Recuerdo a Javier Solis.” Another one of Carr’s greatest hits was “Hay Otro En Tu Lugar,” which was released in 1988 and was part of the album Esos Hombres, one of her most celebrated releases. Other highly regarded albums include Anatomy of Love (1965), Color Her Great (1963) and The Way of Today (1966). Her Spanish albums became Gold and Platinum-certified in Mexico.
Carr is known to sing in various musical genres, including pop, jazz and country, really any music sheet placed before her. However, her greatest successes came when she sang in Spanish. In 2008, Carr received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latin Grammys, where she performed alongside Olga Tañon and Jenni Rivera, two other highly-regarded Latin performers.
Carr has been not only a distinguished artist but also a revered humanitarian, having founded the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation in 1971, dedicated to promoting the talents and achievement of Hispanic students “and to personally return the support and encouragement [I] received from others during [my] musical career,” She remains centered “in helping Hispanic youth become leaders in our society,” she said in her website. Carr devotes much of her time to many charities like St. Jude’s Hospital and the United Way.
Image caption: Vikki Carr in TV-Programma 1972 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Common
Never relinquishing her El Paso roots, Carr returned to her sunny hometown to headline a benefit concert for the August 3 El Paso shooting victims. She joined local Sun City artists for the CommUNITY en Acción El Paso Strong benefit concert. Proceeds for the event were donated to the El Paso Del Norte Community Foundation’s El Paso Victims Relief Fund. Carr even carved out time to serenade El Paso shooting victims at the hospital, giving them, hopefully, a little bit of light during El Paso’s darkest time.
Her talent and caring heart earned her one of the highest honors for any American artist. In 1981, Vikki Carr’s name was cemented in Hollywood, both literally and figuratively, when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Not only has she been cemented on the streets of Hollywood, but she has also been cemented in the hearts of listeners across the world. Thank you, Vikki Carr.
tags: Biography
