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/
Until It's Time for You to Go
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're not an angel
You're a woman
I'm not a king,
I'm a man,
Take my hand
We'll make a space
In the lives that we planned
Until it's time for you to go
Yes, we're diff'rent worlds apart
We're not the same
We laughed and played
At the start like in a game
You could have stayed
Outside my heart
But in you came
And here you'll stay
Until it's time for you to go
Don't ask why,
Don't ask how
Don't ask forever,
Love me now
This love of mine
Had no beginning
It has no end
I was an oak,
Now I'm a willow
Now I can bend
And tho' I'll never
In my life see you again
I still stay
Until it's time for you to go
Vikki Carr's "Until It's Time for You to Go" is a song about embracing love, regardless of societal expectations and judgments. It's a song that breaks down boundaries and expresses a deep and passionate love between two people, regardless of their differences. The first two lines of the song, "You're not a dream, you're not an angel, you're a woman," highlights that the person the singer is singing to is real and that they're not idealized or romanticized. Similarly, the line "I'm not a king, I'm a man, take my hand" reflects that, though the singer might not have much to offer, they are still willing to share their life with this person.
The song highlights that the love between these two people is unconventional, with the line "Yes, we're different worlds apart, we're not the same." This is further emphasized later in the song, where the singer sings "You could have stayed outside my heart, but in you came." Despite their differences, the two people in this song find each other and find true love. This love is further emphasized in the line "this love of mine had no beginning, it has no end" which highlights the timeless nature of their love.
The final stanza of the song is poignant, as the singer admits that they may never see this person again, but promises to love them until it's time for them to go. The line "Don't ask why, don't ask how, don't ask forever, love me now" emphasizes that, in the grand scheme of things, all that matters is this present moment and the love that they share.
Overall, "Until It's Time for You to Go" is a song that celebrates love, regardless of societal expectations or judgments. It's a song that highlights the beauty of finding someone who loves you for who you are and who will stand by you until the end.
Line by Line Meaning
You're not a dream
You are real and not just a figment of my imagination
You're not an angel
You are not a heavenly being, but a human with flaws and imperfections
You're a woman
You are a feminine person with all the emotions and complexities that come with being a woman
I'm not a king,
I don't have power or authority over you, as a king would
I'm a man,
I am a male human with strengths and weaknesses
Take my hand
Let us face life together, with each other's support
We'll make a space
We'll create a place where we can be together and where our relationship can flourish
In the lives that we planned
We'll find a way to fit our relationship into the lives we have envisioned for ourselves
And here we'll stay
We'll remain steadfast in our commitment to each other
Until it's time for you to go
We'll be together until the time comes for you to move on
Yes, we're diff'rent worlds apart
We have different backgrounds and experiences
We're not the same
We are unique individuals with our own identities
We laughed and played
We enjoyed each other's company and had fun together
At the start like in a game
Our relationship began playfully, like a game
You could have stayed
You had the choice to not enter into a relationship with me
Outside my heart
You could have kept your distance emotionally
But in you came
You chose to give our relationship a chance
And here you'll stay
You will remain committed to our relationship
Don't ask why,
Don't question why our relationship is the way it is
Don't ask how
Don't question how we ended up together
Don't ask forever,
Don't demand that our relationship be permanent
Love me now
Let us cherish the present and the love we share at this moment
This love of mine
My love for you
Had no beginning
My love for you has always existed
It has no end
My love for you will never die
I was an oak,
I was strong and inflexible
Now I'm a willow
Now I am graceful and able to bend
Now I can bend
I am flexible and open to change
And tho' I'll never
Even though I may never
In my life see you again
If we are to be separated in the future
I still stay
I will remain committed to our love and relationship
Until it's time for you to go
Until the time comes when we must part ways
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Buffy Sainte-Marie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
alanex
What a golden toned powerful voice that is so beautiful with great vibrato that cuts in at the right moment. Absolutely wonderful. God bless you, Vikki!
Marino Villarin
A BEAUTIFUL SOUL, SINGING BEAUTIFUL SONGS
Linda Burns
1960's where the true music is VIKKI CARR!!! Such a velvety voice as always!🥰💕🦋💜🌹💚🥰♥️
geom404
Best cover of a most beautiful song.
Brad rawsner
Actually? Elvis's interpretation is light years better.
And that's saying something because this is very very good.
But elvis's voice is like a fine Bordeaux wine.
Remedios Cabigao
So sad , so touching, i thank that i found this very sentimental song.
Hamdoud Salah
🇩🇿 THANK’S GOD YOU GAVE ME GOOD TASTE FOR MUSIC AND THIS VOICE IS A GIFT
Michel Lauzon
Great song sang by a great voice. Bravo.
Harry Boggon
This girl is very special thank You
Dick Perlas
I always sing this song since 20 yrs ago. It's rather sad but I like it.