Andy Russell (born Andrés Rábago; September 16, 1919 â€" April 16,
1992) was an American popular vocalist, actor, and entertainer of
Mexican descent, specializing in traditional pop and Latin music. He
sold 8 million records in the 1940s singing in a romantic, baritone
voice and in his trademark bilingual English and Spanish style. He had
chart-busters, such as "Bésame Mucho", "Amor", and "What a Diff'rence
a Day Made". He made personal appearances and performed on radio
programs, most notably Your Hit Parade, in several movies, and on
television. During this initial phase of his career, his popularity in
the United States rivaled that of crooners Frank Sinatra and Perry
Como.In 1954, he relocated to Mexico where he became a star of radio,
television, motion pictures, records and nightclubs. He toured
extensively throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Cuba, and
hosted the television variety program El Show de Andy Russell in
Argentina from 1956â€"65.Upon returning to the United States, Russell
continued to record. His 1967 single "It's Such a Pretty World Today"
reached #1 on Billboard Magazine's Easy Listening Chart. In the
ensuing years, Russell continued to perform in the United States and
around the world, occasionally recording new records and making
television appearances. Although well received, he did not achieve his
previous level of success.During his 50-year career, Russell received
many international accolades and awards, most notably being recognized
as the original Latino crossover artist who introduced American
audiences to popular songs sung in English and Spanish, thus opening
the doors for later Hispanic bilingual artists to do the same. Through
a fusion of musical styles, rhythms and languages, he created music
that transcended borders and appealed to diverse audiences, becoming
one of the first cross-cultural, multinational musical artists.
1992) was an American popular vocalist, actor, and entertainer of
Mexican descent, specializing in traditional pop and Latin music. He
sold 8 million records in the 1940s singing in a romantic, baritone
voice and in his trademark bilingual English and Spanish style. He had
chart-busters, such as "Bésame Mucho", "Amor", and "What a Diff'rence
a Day Made". He made personal appearances and performed on radio
programs, most notably Your Hit Parade, in several movies, and on
television. During this initial phase of his career, his popularity in
the United States rivaled that of crooners Frank Sinatra and Perry
Como.In 1954, he relocated to Mexico where he became a star of radio,
television, motion pictures, records and nightclubs. He toured
extensively throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Cuba, and
hosted the television variety program El Show de Andy Russell in
Argentina from 1956â€"65.Upon returning to the United States, Russell
continued to record. His 1967 single "It's Such a Pretty World Today"
reached #1 on Billboard Magazine's Easy Listening Chart. In the
ensuing years, Russell continued to perform in the United States and
around the world, occasionally recording new records and making
television appearances. Although well received, he did not achieve his
previous level of success.During his 50-year career, Russell received
many international accolades and awards, most notably being recognized
as the original Latino crossover artist who introduced American
audiences to popular songs sung in English and Spanish, thus opening
the doors for later Hispanic bilingual artists to do the same. Through
a fusion of musical styles, rhythms and languages, he created music
that transcended borders and appealed to diverse audiences, becoming
one of the first cross-cultural, multinational musical artists.
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