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/
With Pen in Hand
Vikki Carr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You sign your name
Today at five
I'll be on that train
And you'll be free
And I'll be alone
So alone
We can't find the love we once knew
If you think
I can't make everything up to you
Then I'll be gone
And you'll be on your own
You'll be on your own
Can you take good care of Jenny
Can you take her to school everyday
Can you teach her how to play
All the games that little girls play
Hear what I say
Can you teach her how to roll up her hair
Can you make sure each night that she says her prayers
Well if you can do all these things
Then maybe she won't miss me
Maybe she won't miss me
And tonight as you laid in that big lonely bed
And you look at that pillow
Where I laid my head
With your heart on fire
Will you have no desire
To kiss me
Or to hold me
And if you can forget
The good times we had
If you don't think
They out weigh the bad
Well then go ahead
Sign your name
And I'll be
On my way
I'll be on my way
The lyrics to Vikki Carr's song "With Pen in Hand" tell a story of a woman who is about to leave her partner. She tells him that she loves him and wants to try to fix their relationship, but if he thinks that they can't find their way back to each other, she will leave. The woman then asks if her partner can take care of their daughter Jenny if she leaves, including taking her to school, teaching her how to play, and making sure she says her prayers. The woman wonders if her partner will miss her and still desire her, or if he will forget the good times they had and sign his name, ending their relationship.
The lyrics are a poignant expression of the struggles of love and relationships. They demonstrate the difficult decision that the woman must make to leave someone she loves because she cannot continue in a relationship without love. The woman shows her strength by recognizing that she must be alone, even though it is hard for her to leave. Additionally, the woman challenges her partner to step up and take care of their daughter, showing the accountability and responsibility that she holds her partner to.
Overall, "With Pen in Hand" is a beautiful, evocative song that explores the complexity of human emotions in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
With pen in hand
With a writing instrument in your possession
You sign your name
You leave your signature written on a document
Today at five
At the current moment, when the clock reads five o'clock
I'll be on that train
I'll be departing on a locomotive
And you'll be free
And you will be released from obligation
And I'll be alone
And I will be unaccompanied
If you think
In the event that you believe
We can't find the love we once knew
We cannot rediscover the affection we once shared
If you think
In the event that you believe
I can't make everything up to you
I cannot compensate for all my past wrongdoings
Then I'll be gone
Then I will take my leave
And you'll be on your own
You will be left to fend for yourself
You'll be on your own
You will be left to fend for yourself
Can you take good care of Jenny
Are you capable of caring for Jenny's well-being
Can you take her to school everyday
Can you accompany her to campus each day
Can you teach her how to play
Are you able to instruct her on how to participate in recreational activities
All the games that little girls play
all of the pastimes that are typically enjoyed by young females
Hear what I say
Understand and listen clearly to my words
Can you teach her how to roll up her hair
Are you capable of demonstrating how to style her hair
Can you make sure each night she says her prayers
Are you able to ensure that she recites her religious devotions every night
Well if you can do all these things
If you are competent in completing these tasks
Then maybe she won't miss me
Then perhaps she will not experience a sense of loss in my absence
Maybe she won't miss me
Perhaps she will not experience a sense of loss in my absence
And tonight as you laid in that big lonely bed
At nighttime, when you rest in your large, isolated sleeping space
And you look at that pillow
And you gaze upon the cushion
Where I laid my head
Where I rested my cranium
With your heart on fire
With intense emotion
Will you have no desire
Will you not have the urge
To kiss me
To express physical affection towards me
Or to hold me
Or to embrace me
And if you can forget
If you are capable of disregarding
The good times we had
The times of happiness and positivity that we shared
If you don't think
If you do not believe
They out weigh the bad
That they overshadow the negative memories
Well then go ahead
In that case, proceed
Sign your name
Add your signature to the requisite documents
And I'll be
And I will be
On my way
Departing towards my destination
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY GOLDSBORO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MostlyBrenda
Vikki was nominated for a Grammy, but the competition was fierce. And the nominees are:
Dionne Warwick - This Girl's in Love With You
Vikki Carr - With Pen in Hand
Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man
Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is
Jackie DeShannon - Put A Little Love In Your Heart
Brenda Lee - Johnny One Time
It was a banner year for female soloists!
May I have the envelope please. And the winner is: Peggy Lee
@christinerandenberg4076
If this woman didn't take you on her journey you missed out. What EMOTION, HEART, SOUL. Every time she sings I'm reminded why I loved her for over 60 years. One of the GREATEST singers of all time!!
@chelseaphilips63
Yes!! Just love her and love this song!! Reminds me so much of my Mom, miss those days!
@edufau815
She doesn't sing a song, she interprets it! Wonderful, and an exceptional artist...
@drgeoffangel5422
Vikki Carr wasn't only singing this song, she was living it too!
@7omly
Beautiful lady, beautiful singer and a beautiful song.
Music doesn't come much better than this.
Today's music can't hold a candle to this.
@sharonterao9613
Amen!!! U r so right
@kevinryan4857
WHAT a voice! WHAT an incredible style! In a word, Ms Carr is FABULOUS ❗❗❗
@janetbaker3616
Great Bobby Goldsboro song. She did a wonderful job of this.
@DenverTW
She had just recorded this live at the Persian Room in NYC. Earlier she recorded a studio version which came nowhere near as this to conveying the emotion the song deserves. I've heard her sing this in concert at least a dozen times. Each time she brings the same emotion, the same tears. This is a talent you just cannot teach.
@lonestarfriend
Fine and emotional performance. And the piano and orchestra sound fantastic.