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/
For Once In My Life
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
The lyrics of Vikki Carr's song "For Once In My Life" speak to the feeling of finally finding someone who understands us, someone who completes us. The song is about the joy of finally finding that missing piece in our lives, and the freedom that comes with that. The first two lines of the song, "For once in my life I have someone who needs me, someone I've needed so long," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer has finally found someone who truly understands them and needs them.
The lyrics go on to say that the singer is no longer afraid to go where life leads them, because they know they have someone by their side who will support them and provide them with strength. The lyrics suggest that before this person came into the singer's life, they may have felt lost or unsure about their future. But now, they have the confidence to chase their dreams and make them a reality.
The chorus of the song declares that the singer has finally found something that can't be taken away from them, and they are willing to fight to protect it. The line "For once in my life I have someone who needs me" is repeated throughout the song, highlighting the importance of this newfound love in the singer's life.
Overall, "For Once In My Life" is a celebration of love and the peace that comes with finally finding someone who completes us. It is a reminder that we all deserve to be loved and supported, and that when we find that special someone, we should hold onto them tightly.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I finally found someone who needs my love and support, something I've been longing for.
Someone I've needed so long
I have been searching for this person for a long time and finally, I found them.
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
With this person's support and love, I feel strong enough to face any challenges that might come my way.
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
With this person in my life, I can finally experience the love and affection that I always dreamed of.
Long before I knew Someone warm like you Who have my dreams come true
Even before I met this person, I was dreaming of someone warm and loving like them, and now they have made my dreams come true.
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me Not like it's hurt me before
With this person's love, I won't let past sorrow and heartbreak affect me like it used to.
For once I have someone I know won't desert me I'm not alone anymore
I finally have someone who I can rely on and trust, and I no longer feel alone.
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it As long as I know I have love I can make it
With this person's love, I feel empowered to assert my independence and feel confident that I can overcome any obstacles.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
The presence of this person fills me with a great sense of purpose and meaning in my life.
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it
I have finally found something in my life that I can truly call my own and feel a sense of ownership over.
As long as I know I have love we can make it
With this person's love and my own determination, we can overcome any obstacle and make it through anything.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
This person's need for me fills me with a sense of joy and fulfillment that I have never experienced before.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheHalfpint1961
hands down, my favorite version of this song. it was always meant to be a ballad
Larry O'Hanlon
I saw Vikki Carr when I was a teenager at the state fair. I thought she was the most beautiful woman alive. Grew up, got married and took my son to see Vikki Carr when I was in my 60's. Man she can still sing and belt out a tune.
John M
Vikki has never sung a bad note in her whole career......she's certainly is a most likeable and talented singer.
Beverly Oats
One of my favorite singers, what can I say? I love to sing her music.
Mercedes bolaños
Genial cantante. Maravillosa voz y gran sentimiento
Eleanor Palmisano
TWO OF MY FAVORITE VERSIONS OF THIS GREAT SONG ARE: VIKKI CARR AND OLD BLUE EYES FRANK SINATRA...THEY BOTH BELT THIS SONG OUT WITH SO MUCH FEELING....
Jose Rubens Alves Castro
Essa canção com. Está linda de Vikki Carr são para os eternos Namorados.
Robert Barry
love this song.......story of my life !
Irma Montero
Love it ..love Vikki Carr , I didn't know her song until I heard It must be him .
Marcelino Teran
Este álbum lo tengo creó es en directo me gustaría que pasaron imagines de ella