Vikki Carr likes to remind concert audiences of her given name, although many in the crowd might not be able to easily pronounce Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona.
Carr is proud of her Mexican heritage and cherishes her Hispanic fans, a loyal following that regularly propels her albums into the top 10 in Latin America.Carr's first hit, however, was the pop ditty "It Must Be Him" (later used in the film "Moonstruck"), which went to No. 3 in the United States in 1967. Five years later, she cut her first album in Spanish, "Vikki Carr, En Espanol," and traveled to Mexico to perform. It was the start of a mutual love affair that continues to this day.
"That album is the one that opened the door for me in Mexico and all of Latin America," Carr said this week from her home in San Antonio. "Unlike other pop singers who have had a difficult time continuing their careers in the U.S., I've been blessed with an audience throughout the world."
Born 54 years ago in El Paso, Texas, Carr began her career as a teenager attending high school east of Los Angeles. After landing a singing spot with a touring band, she took solo engagements at nightclubs and signed with Liberty Records in 1961.
By 1967, her popularity had soared to the point where she was invited to sing for Queen Elizabeth II at a command performance in London. Back home, she became a regular visitor at the White House under Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
"I'm a prime example of an American of Mexican descent who made it through a lot of hard work," she said.
Carr moved to San Antonio about 18 months ago from Los Angeles after marrying her longtime friend, doctor Pedro De Leon. She has three stepchildren and several grandchildren.
"I love it here," the two-time Grammy winner said. "It's the 10th largest city in the country, but it still retains a small-town feel. They call it the Venice of the United States. What I miss most about California is the weather. The heat in L.A. cools down in the evening, which is something they don't know about around here."
Despite the popularity of her albums and concerts, Carr finds it frustrating that English-language radio stations ignore her work.
"I don't understand radio in the States and how they can be so negative and not play certain things," she said. "On radio outside the States, they play songs from other countries. It's rare when a Gipsy Kings or a Julio Iglesias is welcomed into this market.
"You don't hear of a disc jockey with a great ear that often anymore. Everything has to be on a play list and programmed in advance."
Pepe Yniguez, program director at local Spanish-language radio station KWKW-AM (1330) - La Mexicana - said Carr is one of the world's most popular and longstanding Mexican-American artists.
"We love her," he said. "She represents our people from Texas and Mexico, and she has one of the most beautiful voices. She's a very warm person who helps the community with her scholarship."
Established in 1971, the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation provides educational opportunities for Hispanic youths in the United States. The fund has awarded about 185 scholarships for students to attend universities and colleges around the country.
Carr, who won Grammys for Best Latin Pop Album in 1985 and 1992, isn't shy about performing songs from the beginning of her nearly four-decade-long career, such as her earliest pop hits, "It Must Be Him," "The Lesson" and "With Pen in Hand."
"You may have done the songs for years and years, but each time you perform, you might have a whole new audience," she said. "So, for some, it may be the first time they've seen me perform. I'm thankful to God people still want to hear all of it."