In addition to her many album releases, Vikki Carr has played concerts for fans around the world, as well as appeared on stage, and television. She has 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 beloved musical Follies in Los Angeles, garnering glowing reviews from the LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, and Variety. Two years later, Los Angeles PBS affiliate, KCET, filmed a special 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 for their June 2008 pledge drive.
Born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in the San Gabriel Valley of California, Vikki Carr, the eldest of seven children, began performing at the tender age of four singing "Adeste Fidelis" in Latin at a Christmas program. She was signed to a contract with Liberty Records in 1961. She recorded "He's a Rebel", which first became a hit in Australia. That title was soon followed by the unforgettable release, It Must Be Him, which charged up the charts in England. A year later, the single was released in the United States and earned Carr three Grammy Award nominations. The international hit emerged again when she and the song were featured in the storyline of the Academy Award winning movie Moonstruck. After "It Must Be Him" came a string of hits, including With Pen in Hand, for which she received her fourth Grammy Award nomination, The Lesson, Can't Take My Eyes Off You, and For Once in My Life.
Her international appeal was so great that she was invited to perform at a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II, followed by sold-out shows throughout Europe. In the States, Carr became a darling of the White House, performing regularly at State Dinners and at President Richard Nixon's 1973 Inaugural celebration. President Gerald Ford called her his "favorite Mexican dish". She also performed for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and at the 1992 Presidential Summit hosted by President Bill Clinton.
A frequent musical guest on major network variety shows of celebrities like Dean Martin, Ed Sullivan, Perry Como, and Carol Burnett, Carr also taped six specials for London Weekend TV. As an actor, she appeared on the Bing Crosby Show, Mod Squad, Fantasy Island, and co-hosted the Mrs. America and Mrs. World of the World pageants. She was the first woman to regularly guest host for Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show. She was also a visitor and guest host on Michael Jackson's ABC radio show.
The diversity of her rich voice is impressive. She can belt out the blues or touch the heart with a soft romantic ballad. Frank Sinatra once 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 very fond of her and even remarked on stage in Las Vegas many times that Vikki Carr was one of his favorite singers and that he liked her because "she sang from the gut" and introduced her at many of his personal appearances in which she attended.
Vikki Carr has received numerous prestigious awards, including:
- Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
- National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
- Latino Spirit Award (2003)
- Tito Guizar Award (2003)
- Trefoil Award (2002)
- Inductee of the Latino Legends Hall of Fame (2000)
- Imagen Foundation "Humanitarian Award (1998)
- Hispanic Heritage Award (1996)
- Nosotros Golden Eagle Award (1988)
- Hispanic Woman of the Year (1984)
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1981)
- Doctorate in Law from San Diego University (1974)
- Doctorate in Fine Arts from St. Edwards University (1974)
- American Guild of Variety Artists' "Entertainer of the Year" (1972), and
- The Los Angeles Times' highly respected "Woman of the Year" (1970)
She has also earned the career achievement award of the Association of Hispanic Critics, Chicago's Ovation Award, the YWCA Silver Achievement Award, and was honored in 1990 by the City of Hope with the Founder of Hope Award. In 1991, she was presented the Girl Scouts of America Award.
Respected both as an artist and a humanitarian, Carr devotes time to many charities including The United Way, The American Lung Association, Cancer Therapy and Research Center, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and St Jude's Hospital. For 22 years she held benefit concerts to support Holy Cross High School in San Antonio. In 1971 she established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, dedicated to offering college scholarships to Latino students in California and Texas. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 280 scholarships totaling over a quarter of a million dollars.
"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 Carr. "The Foundation seeks to help young Mexican-American students achieve their goals through a college education, something I myself was never able to do."
Official website: http://www.vikkicarr.com/
Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would've sworn it was me.
I might've found out sooner
If you'd only let me close enough to see.
That ain't no way to treat a lady, no way to treat your baby,
Your woman, your friend. That ain't no way to treat a lady,
No way, but maybe it's a way for us to end.
I was only bein' a picture,
With all the colors, I know,
While you were busy lookin' into
Wide blue mirrors and lovin' the show.
That ain't no way to treat a lady, no way to treat your baby,
Your woman, your friend. That ain't no way to treat a lady,
No way, but maybe it's a way for us to end.
There's a funny kind of consolation keeping me sane,
And I'd really like to share it, crawl on deep in my brain;
And see the times you never felt me lovin' you or needin' you,
So leavin' you now, you still won't know how to feel the pain.
I was lookin' out for my happiness
While you were lookin' within
And before you knew your own reflection
Always starts to tire you, it's happened again.
That ain't no way to treat a lady, no way to treat your baby,
Your woman, your friend. That ain't no way to treat a lady,
No way, but maybe it's a way for us to end.
The lyrics to Vikki Carr's song "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" describe a woman who is being mistreated in her relationship. She is questioning her partner about his involvement with someone else and feeling like the relationship has been a lie. She expresses her frustration in the chorus, stating that it's no way to treat a lady, but perhaps it's a way for their relationship to end.
The verse describes how the woman was only an image in her partner's life, while he was preoccupied with his own reflections. She is hurt that he never allowed her to get close enough to see his true self. The bridge offers some consolation for the woman, as she acknowledges that leaving her partner now won't make him feel the pain that she has endured in their relationship.
The song can be interpreted as a feminist anthem, as it addresses the issue of women being mistreated in relationships. It was written by Harriet Schock and was a hit for Vikki Carr in 1975. The song has since been covered by various artists, including Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Gaynor.
Line by Line Meaning
I guess it was yourself you were involved with,
I thought you were committed to me, but it seems like you were only interested in yourself.
I would've sworn it was me.
I was so convinced that you cared for me, that I thought I was the one you were involved with.
I might've found out sooner
If you had let me get close to you, I would have realized what was really going on much earlier.
If you'd only let me close enough to see.
You kept me at a distance and didn't allow me to see what was going on in your life.
That ain't no way to treat a lady, no way to treat your baby,
Treating someone you care about like this is not right, whether it's your partner, friend or lover.
Your woman, your friend. That ain't no way to treat a lady,
Deceiving someone you love is not acceptable, no matter what their relationship with you is.
No way, but maybe it's a way for us to end.
Although it's not a good way to treat someone, this could be the reason why our relationship is coming to an end.
I was only bein' a picture,
I was not being my true self, just a projection of what you wanted me to be.
With all the colors, I know,
I was trying to add some excitement and variety to our relationship, but maybe it wasn't enough.
While you were busy lookin' into
You were so focused on something else that you didn't pay attention to the relationship we had.
Wide blue mirrors and lovin' the show.
You were looking at something else that was capturing your attention and ignoring the love that I was giving you.
There's a funny kind of consolation keeping me sane,
I have found a way to feel better about this situation and keep myself from going crazy.
And I'd really like to share it, crawl on deep in my brain;
I wish I could explain my thoughts and feelings to you so that you could understand what I'm going through.
And see the times you never felt me lovin' you or needin' you,
I want you to know that there were times when I loved and needed you, but you didn't perceive it.
So leavin' you now, you still won't know how to feel the pain.
Even though I'm leaving, you won't understand the pain you've caused me by treating me this way.
I was lookin' out for my happiness
I was trying to protect my own happiness and well-being in this relationship.
While you were lookin' within
You were only thinking about yourself and your own needs, not considering how it affected me.
And before you knew your own reflection
You didn't take time to discover your own strengths and weaknesses or appreciate who you are.
Always starts to tire you, it's happened again.
You've lost interest in me because you've become bored with yourself and are searching for something new.
That ain't no way to treat a lady, no way to treat your baby,
Treating someone you care about like this is not right, whether it's your partner, friend or lover.
Your woman, your friend. That ain't no way to treat a lady,
Deceiving someone you love is not acceptable, no matter what their relationship with you is.
No way, but maybe it's a way for us to end.
Although it's not a good way to treat someone, this could be the reason why our relationship is coming to an end.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRIET SCHOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind