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/
Loving Him Was Easier (Than Anything Ill Ever Do Again
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aching with the feeling of the freedom of an eagle when she flies
Turning on the world, the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dying
Healing as the colors in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes
Loving her was easier than anything I'll ever do again
Coming close together
With a feeling that I'd never known before in my time
I don't know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind
But dreaming was as easy as believing it was never gonna end
Loving her was easier than anything I'll ever do again
Waking in the morning to the feeling of her fingers on my skin
Wiping out the traces of the people and the places that I"ve been
Teaching me that yesterday was something that I never thought of trying
Talking of tomorrow and the money, love and time we had to spend
The lyrics to Vikki Carr's song "Loving Him Was Easier" describe a love that was so powerful and free that it felt like soaring through the skies like an eagle. The singer describes how seeing the morning sun burning golden on the mountain and feeling the freedom of the eagle's flight, were similar to how she felt when she was with her loved one. The love they shared was healing and brought color to her life, much like the sunshine and shadows in her love's eyes.
The singer then goes on to say that loving her partner was easier than anything she'll ever do again. They came close together in a way that she had never experienced before. Her partner was unashamed to be a woman and unafraid to be a friend, opening every door in the singer's mind. Dreaming with her partner was easy and felt endless, but it was still easier than anything she will ever experience again.
The song continues by describing how waking up in the morning and feeling her partner's fingers on her skin wiped away the traces of the people and places she had been with before. Her partner taught her that yesterday was something she never thought of trying, and instead focused on their future together. They talked about the money, love and time they had to spend.
Overall, the lyrics to Vikki Carr's song "Loving Him Was Easier" describe a love that was pure, powerful, and healing. The singer is grateful to have experienced a love like this, but also acknowledges that it was something that she may not experience again.
Line by Line Meaning
I have seen the morning burning golden on the mountain in the skies
I have witnessed the sun rising in the sky and painting the world with a golden hue.
Aching with the feeling of the freedom of an eagle when she flies
Feeling the yearning for liberation, like an eagle soaring high in the sky.
Turning on the world, the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dying
Her smile brought life to my soul even in my most difficult moments.
Healing as the colors in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes
Her presence was like the vibrant colors of the sun and the shades in her eyes had healing powers.
Loving her was easier than anything I'll ever do again
Loving her came naturally and was simpler than any other experience I'll ever have.
Coming close together with a feeling that I'd never known before in my time
The closeness and intimacy we shared was something entirely new to me.
She ain't ashamed to be a woman or afraid to be a friend
She was unapologetically herself and was never afraid to be a true friend.
I don't know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind
I am unsure of how she effortlessly unlocked and explored every thought in my mind.
But dreaming was as easy as believing it was never gonna end
Dreaming of a future with her came naturally, as if it would last forever.
Waking in the morning to the feeling of her fingers on my skin
Starting the day feeling her touch on my skin was a beautiful way to wake up.
Wiping out the traces of the people and the places that I've been
She made me forget my past and the people/places that were once part of my life.
Teaching me that yesterday was something that I never thought of trying
She showed me that dwelling on the past was pointless and to focus on the present and future.
Talking of tomorrow and the money, love and time we had to spend
Discussing our future plans, including the money, love, and time we could share together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kris Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind