Viva La Vida!! VICKI CARR and Mariachi Campagna Celebrate Latin Music And More At The McCallum

The McCallum Theatre presents Vikki Carr, with Mariachi Campagna, on Friday, December 1, at 8:00pm. Vikki Carr has captivated audiences nationally and abroad for over 50 years. Her illustrious career has garnered four Grammy Awards and she has released over 60 best?selling recordings. She has performed for the Queen of England, five U.S. Presidents, soldiers in Vietnam, and sold?out audiences around the world. She has worked in radio, television, film and theater. Her music embraces multiple languages, and she was among the first artists to bridge the cultures of the United States and Latin America, paving the way for many performers today.

In addition to her many album releases, Vikki has appeared on stage and television. She starred in productions of South Pacific, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road. In 2002, she starred in the Reprise production of Steven Sondheim's Follies in Los Angeles, garnering glowing reviews from the LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. Two years later, Los Angeles PBS affiliate, KCET, filmed Vikki Carr: Memories, Memorias, a salute to the English?language hits of the 1940s and 1950s originally composed by Latinos, and featuring guest appearances by Jack Jones, Pepe Aguilar and Arturo Sandoval. PBS again tapped Vikki to host and star in a production celebrating the music of Mexico, Fiesta Mexicana, which was featured on all PBS stations in 2008.

Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Southern California, Vikki began performing at the age of four singing "Adeste Fidelis" in Latin at a Christmas program. She was signed with Liberty Records in 1961 and recorded "He's A Rebel," soon followed by "It Must Be Him," which charged up the charts in England. One year later, the single was released in the U.S. and earned Vikki three Grammy nominations. The international hit emerged again when she and the song were featured in the storyline of the Oscar winning movie Moonstruck. After "It Must Be Him" came a string of hits including "With Pen In Hand" (her fourth Grammy nomination), "The Lesson," "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," and "For Once in My Life."

A frequent musical guest on network variety shows, including Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, and Carol Burnett, Vikki also taped six specials for London Weekend TV. As an actor, she appeared on "The Bing Crosby Show," "Mod Squad," "Fantasy Island," and many other shows. Vikki was the first female to regularly guest host for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show."

The diversity of her voice is impressive. She can belt out the blues or touch the heart with a soft romantic ballad. Frank Sinatra said, "She possesses my kind of voice." Dean Martin called her "the best girl singer in the business," and Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald named her among their three favorite female singers of all time. Elvis Presley was also fond of her and remarked on stage in Las Vegas many times that Vikki was one of his favorite singers. He liked her because "she sang from the gut" and introduced her at his personal appearances at which she attended.

Vikki has received many prestigious awards throughout her career. In addition to the 2008 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, honors include the 2011 Medallion of Excellence given by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute; 2009 Vietnam Veterans President's Award; 2005 National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Lifetime Achievement Award; 2003 Latino Spirit Award; 2003 Tito Guizar Award; 2002 Trefoil Award; 2000 Inductee, Latino Legends Hall of Fame; 1998 Imagen Foundation Humanitarian Award; 1996 Hispanic Heritage Award; 1988 Nosotros Golden Eagle Award; 1984 Hispanic Woman of the Year; 1981 Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; 1974 Doctorate in Law from San Diego University and Doctorate in Fine Arts from St. Edwards University; 1972 American Guild of Variety Artist's Entertainer of the Year; and the Los Angeles Times' Woman of the Year for 1970. She earned the career achievement award of the Association of Hispanic Critics, Chicago's Ovation Award, and the YWCA Silver Achievement Award.

As a humanitarian, Vikki's accomplishments are equally as impressive. She established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, offering scholarships to Latino students in Texas to pursue their dreams of a college education. More than 300 scholarships totaling over $350,000 have been awarded. "My voice is a gift and a gift is nothing unless you can share it. The Foundation is one of the ways that I am able to share my gift," said Vikki. "The Foundation seeks to help young Mexican-American students achieve their goals through a college education, something I myself was never able to do."

Her philanthropic support extends beyond the Latino community to health related charities, several which benefit children and families. Serving for two years as chairperson of The American Lung Association, Vikki was at the forefront of the anti-smoking campaign. St. Jude, The American Heart Association and The National Breast Cancer Foundation are just a few of the many organizations she has supported. In 2009, the Humana Health Organization entered into a celebrity endorsement agreement with Vikki to be the spokesperson, in television, radio and print advertising, for Humana's Medicare supplement program, in English and Spanish, throughout the U.S. southwest.
In 2012, Vikki teamed with mariachi master Jose Hernandez and his Mariachi Sol De Mexico to produce a 50th Anniversary Album. The Grammy nominated Viva La Vida, included new songs and recognizable standards, featuring string and vocal arrangements by Mr. Hernandez

Vikki Carr continues to bring Viva la Vida and her many other hits to concert audiences throughout the U.S. and Latin America, a true celebration of life through song!

Tickets for this performance of Vikki Carr, with Mariachi Campagna, on Friday, December 1, at 8:00pm are priced at $87, $67, $57 and $37. Tickets are available at the Theatre's website at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-ARTS.