A4 | Friday, June 5, 2015 | SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS AND MYSA.COM

1865-2015

Leaders

going through a painfuldivorce without forgive-ness from her husband.

“Music is universal andcan touch everybody onevery level — funny, hap-py, loving and sad,” shesaid. “And hopefully inmy past 57 years of per-forming, I’ve done that.”

She recalled that herfirst hit songs shot to No. 1outside of the UnitedStates: “He’s a Rebel” inAustralia and “It Must BeHim” in England. Ofcourse, the songs thentriumphantly hit thecharts in the States, too.

“Still, I think a lot ofthe success that I havehad has been based onpeople telling me, ‘Youcan’t do it,’ ” she said.

Carr has appeared ontelevision, stage and film,performed for presidentsRichard Nixon, GeraldFord, Ronald Reagan,George Bush and BillClinton. In 1973, she wasthe “first regular femaleguest host” of the “To-night Show Starring John-ny Carson,” according toa Carr assistant. In 1981,she received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.

But it’s her commit-ment to education andleadership developmentfor Latino youth that shevalues more than anyaccolade she has received.

Brother Stanley Culot-ta, president of HolyCross of San Antonio,remembered talking toCarr about the school’shardship all those yearsago.

“She replied, ‘I’m just alittle lady, but I have avoice I can offer.’ She may

Four-time Grammywinner Vikki Carr, whohas made San Antoniohome for more than 20years, is chatting aboutthe love of her life, herhusband Dr. Pedro De-Leon.

The couple — Carr, 73,and DeLeon, 85 — cele-brate their 22nd anniver-sary today.

“He is one of the rea-sons I fell in love with SanAntonio all those yearsago. The other reason wasHoly Cross High School,”she said.

Long known as the“Angel of Holy Cross,”Carr has performed nu-merous benefit concertsfor the West Side schoolsince 1968, when she firstlearned it was in dangerof closing. Through theyears, Danny Thomas,Larry Gatlin, Trini Lopezand others have joinedher on stage to benefit theschool she saved, whichwent coed in 2005.

“I came here to performat HemisFair in ’68 whenthere was a knock on myhotel room door,” Carrrecalled.

In the hallway stoodseveral men from HolyCross. They pleaded tospeak with the singerabout a project to savetheir school.

“They didn’t look dan-gerous; so we let them inand they told us the storyabout the school’s finan-cial predicament. I askedthem, ‘How the heck didyou know what room Iwas in?’ They said thebellmen are Holy Crossboys.”

By then Carr — an ElPaso native whose birthname is Florencia Bisentade Casillas Martinez Car-dona — had been a Gram-my nominee in 1964 forbest new artist. Fouryears later came fourmore nominations for hersignature song and in-ternational hit “It Must BeHim.” Her album thatyear was up against theBeatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’sLonely Hearts ClubBand,” which took theprize.

Carr, who has recordedmore than 50 albums,received a Grammy Life-time Achievement Awardin 2008. In 2012 she wasnominated for a LatinGrammy for her self-produced Spanish-lan-guage album “Viva laVida,” a sweet thank youto fans.

Come July, she’ll receivea philanthropic awardfrom the San AntonioAssociation of HispanicJournalists.

The oldest of sevenchildren, she grew up inCalifornia’s San GabrielValley. She started singingat the age of 4 andlaunched her career whilestill a teenager. She’s per-formed with legendaryentertainers Tony Ben-nett, Tom Jones, DannyKaye, Jackie Gleason andCount Basie.

Frank Sinatra said Carr“possesses my kind ofvoice.” Dean Martin saidshe was “the best girlsinger in the business.”Bing Crosby called herone of his three favoriteall-time singers. Andwhile on a Las Vegasstage, Elvis Presley an-nounced she was a favor-ite, too, because “she sangfrom the gut.”

Carr said often shecan’t help the tears whenshe performs, especiallywhile singing BobbyGoldsboro’s lyrics to“With Pen in Hand,” asong about a woman

be a little lady, but she …saved us,” Culotta said.

“She put the spotlighton Holy Cross when weneeded it the most. Best ofall, she recognizes thateducation is extremelyimportant. And she is soproud to hear when stu-dents are funded underher own scholarship.”

Carr, who establishedthe Vikki Carr Schol-arship Foundation in 1971,was Holy Cross’ firstfemale honorary gradu-ate.

“Imagine that,” she

said. “I mean, that’s reallysomething.”

So is her marriage toDeLeon, who still clocksin part-time at a SouthSide practice. The twomet during one of herearly Holy Cross fund-raisers. DeLeon oftenhosted post-concert sup-pers for the brothers.

“When I first saw him,I fell in love with him,”she recalled. “We wereboth attached to otherpeople at the time, but wemade eye contact and thechemistry was there.”

Flash forward to 1992.By then, Carr’s benefitconcerts had come to anend. She was in town fora singing gig for a nation-al Hispanic group. Think-ing about DeLeon, whowas now single (as wasshe), Carr found his num-ber in a phone book. Hewas busy with patients.She left her name withthe receptionist, DeLeon’sdaughter. She responded,“He’s been waiting foryour call,” and then sum-moned her dad to thephone.

Carr suggested they goto dinner. While sippingwine, she asked, “ ‘Do youmind if I kiss you? I’vewaited for this for 30years.’ His lips were trem-bling, and he must havebeen thinking ‘Who isthis woman? Man, shecomes on strong.’ ”

And the kiss?“The kiss was every-

thing.”Nine months later, they

wed at San FernandoCathedral with Carr’sparents present.

“It has been a wonder-ful marriage.” said Carr,who has three stepchild-ren and three grandchild-ren. “I cherish every mo-ment and don’t take any-thing for granted. I justkeep going,” said Carr,who turns 74 on July 19.

And there’s no sign ofstopping.

Summer will bringconcert dates in San Die-go and Monterrey, Mex-ico. Several months ago,she packed them in at theTobin Center. Last month,in Las Vegas, she per-formed to a full house onthe night of the boxingmatch between FloydMayweather and MannyPacquiao.

“Why they would bookme to do a concert on thatnight I’ll never know, butmore than 1,000 peoplewere there, and everyonewas happy,” she said.

mquintanilla@express-news.net

Vikki CarrSinger known worldwidefound her true loves in S.A.

Grammy winnerfound romance,special cause here

By Michael QuintanillaSTAFF WRITER

ABC Photo Archives

Vikki Carr performs with fellow singers Tony Bennett (top center) and host TomJones for a 1969 TV special. Actor-comedian Fred Willard is at bottom right.

Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images for the Music Center

Carr performs at the Music Center's 50thanniversary in Los Angeles in 2014.

Express-News file photo

Carr, who helped Holy Cross High School during its financial struggles, washonored there during the 2000 graduation ceremonies.

Courtesy photo

Carr poses with Dr. Pedro DeLeon in Chandler,Ariz., where she performed her hits.

SingerGloriaEstefanjoined Carron the redcarpet forthe 2008LatinRecordingAcademyPerson ofthe YearTribute toGloriaEstefan.

Getty Images file photo

For morephotos, go toExpressNews.com

Coming Saturday:San Antonio’s first stretchof freeway.