Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than six decades.
Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has performed in a variety of musical genres, including pop, jazz and country, while her greatest success has come from singing in Spanish. She established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation in 1971. Carr has won three Grammys and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 at the 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Career
Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona was born in El Paso, Texas, on July 19, 1940. In 1958, she graduated from Rosemead High School in Rosemead, California, in a class that included fashion designer Bob Mackie. Under the stage name Vikki Carr she signed with Liberty Records in 1962. Her first single to achieve success was "He's a Rebel", which in 1962 reached No. 3 in Australia and No. 115 in the United States. Producer Phil Spector heard Carr cutting the song in the studio and immediately produced his own cover version with the Blossoms (though it was presented as a recording by The Crystals) which reached No. 1 in the United States. In 1966, Carr toured South Vietnam with actor and comedian Danny Kaye to entertain American troops. The following year, her album It Must Be Him was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The title track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in 1967, sold more than 1 million copies and received a gold disc.
Carr followed with two US Top 40 hits: 1968's "The Lesson" and 1969's "With Pen in Hand". Around this time, Dean Martin called her "the best girl singer in the business." In total, Carr had 10 singles and 13 albums that made the US pop charts.
In 1968, Carr taped six specials for London Weekend TV. She made frequent appearances on various television programs, such as ABC's The Bing Crosby Show in the 1964–1965 season. She appeared on The Carol Burnett Show in 1969. In 1970, she was named "Woman of the Year" by the Los Angeles Times. A favourite of Johnny Carson's, she appeared more than 30 times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, even hosting on occasion.
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1981. Carr also achieved the rare feat of singing for five presidents during her career: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton. The bi-cultural nature of her career has included recording with Vicente Fernandez and Pepe Aguilar, while Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were friends.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Carr had enormous success in the Latin music world, winning Grammy Awards for Best Mexican-American Performance in 1986 for her album Simplemente Mujer, Best Latin Pop Album in 1992 for Cosas del Amor and Best Mexican-American Performance in 1995 for Recuerdo a Javier Solís. She also received Grammy nominations for the discs Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti (1993) and Emociones (1996). Her numerous Spanish-language hit singles include "Total", "Discúlpame", "Déjame", "Hay Otro en Tu Lugar", "Esos Hombres", "Mala Suerte" and "Cosas del Amor". "Cosas del Amor" spent more than two months at No. 1 on the US Latin charts in 1991, her biggest Spanish-language US hit. Her Spanish-language albums have been certified gold and platinum in Mexico, Chile, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador. She also voiced Georgette in the Latin American dub of Disney's Oliver & Company.
In 1999, Carr taped a PBS TV special, Vikki Carr: Memories, Memorias, in which she performed popular bilingual tunes from the 1940s and 1950s. Her guests were Arturo Sandoval and Jack Jones. In 2001, she released a bilingual holiday album, The Vikki Carr Christmas Album.
Carr appeared in a 2002 Los Angeles production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies, which also featured Hal Linden, Patty Duke and Harry Groener. In 2006, Carr made a cameo appearance in a straight-to-video thriller called Puerto Vallarta Squeeze. Carr hosted a PBS TV special in 2008, Fiesta Mexicana, which celebrated the music and dance of Mexico. Later that year she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy. Carr marked the occasion with an appearance on the Latin Grammy telecast, in which she performed "Cosas del Amor" with Olga Tañón and Jenni Rivera.
In 2014, Carr was invited by producer Gerry Gallagher to record with Latin rock singers El Chicano, Alphonse Mouzon, Brian Auger, Alex Ligertwood, Salvador Santana, Ray Parker Jr., Lenny Castro, Siedah Garrett, Walfredo Reyes Jr., Pete Escovedo, Peter Michael Escovedo, Jessy J, Marcos J. Reyes and David Paich, and is featured on a remake of the Latin classic "Sabor A Mi" from a 2019 Gallagher studio album. In August, she headlined a benefit in El Paso for the Walmart shooting victims of the 2019 El Paso shooting.
Personal life Carr has been married three times, first to producer and entertainment attorney Dann Moss, then paint company executive Michael Nilsson. She was married to San Antonio, Texas physician Pedro De Leon from 1993 until his death in 2019.
Charitable work Carr devotes time to charities including the United Way, the American Lung Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. For 22 years, she hosted benefit concerts to support Holy Cross of San Antonio Middle and High School in San Antonio, Texas. In 1971, she established the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation dedicated to offering college scholarships to Hispanic students in California and Texas.Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation, bigfuture.collegeboard.org. Accessed November 27, 2025.
Discography
Albums YearAlbumUSUS LatinUKnotes1963Color Her Great!---1964Discovery!114--Discovery Vol. II---1965Anatomy of Love---liner notes by Ethel Merman1966The Way of Today!--311967Intimate Excitement---It Must Be Him12-12UK release differs from US release1968Vikki!63--Don't Break My Pretty Balloon---1969For Once in My Life29--live1970Nashville By Carr111--recorded in Nashville1971The Ways to Love a Man---Que Sea El---Vikki Carr's Love Story60--Superstar118--1972The Best Of Vikki Carr---The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)146--Song Sung Blue in UKEn Español106--1973Ms. America142--Live at the Greek Theatre172--1974One Hell of a Woman155--1975Hoy203--1976The Story of a Woman---live from Japan (JP release only)1980Y El Amor---1981El Retrato Del Amor---1982Vikki Carr---1984A Todos---1985Simplemente Mujer---No. 3 US Regional MX / No. 15 US Latin Pop1986Promesas---Esta Noche Vendrás---OK Mr. Tango---with Mariano Mores1987Dos Corazones (with Vicente Fernández)---No. 2 US Regional MXMe Enloqueces---1988Esos Hombres---No. 4 US Latin Pop1990Set Me Free---several songs from Esos Hombres sung in English1991Cosas del Amor---No. 1 US Latin Pop1992It Must Be Him – The Best of Vikki Carr---1993Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti---1994Recuerdo a Javier Solís-35-No. 10 US Latin Pop1996Emociones---1998Con el Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán---1999Memories, Memorias---from the PBS TV Special2001The Vikki Carr Christmas Album---2012Viva La Vida-49-No. 16 US Latin Pop2014The First time ever + 9 Bonus track---Love again: The Lost Columbia Masters---
Singles
1960s and 1970s Years represent year of release, not necessarily the chart peak year. YearTitles (A-side, B-side)Both sides from same album except where indicatedUS 100US CBUS ACUKAUSOriginal Source1962"I'll Walk the Rest Of The Way"b/w "Beside A Bridge (Along The River Tiber)"-----Non-album tracks"He's A Rebel"b/w "Be My Love"115102--31963"The Rose and Butterfly"b/w "From Nine To Five"-----"San Francisco"b/w "Look Again"-----Color Her Great"Medley: Poor Butterfly/Stay"b/w "The Right Kind Of Man" (Non-album track)-----Discovery!1964"Forget You"b/w "Her Little Heart Went To Loveland"-----It Must Be Him1965"Busca Ese Camino"b/w "No Seas Asi"-----Non-album tracks"The Color Of Love"b/w "There Goes My Heart"-----Unforgettable"Unforgettable"b/w "Theme From Peyton Place"-----"I Only Have Eyes For You"b/w "None But The Lonely Heart"-----Anatomy Of Love1966"The Silencers"b/w "Santiago" (from Unforgettable)-----Non-album track"Heartaches"b/w "True Love's A Blessing" (Non-album track)-----Anatomy Of Love"My Heart Reminds Me"b/w "Can I Trust You" -12731--The Way Of Today!"Summer Samba (So Nice)"b/w "It Must Be Him" (from It Must Be Him)--32--Unforgettable"Until Today" /--39--Non-album track"Now I Know The Feeling"--28--Unforgettable1967"Sunshine"b/w "Fly Away" (Non-album track)-----The Very Best Of Vikki Carr"There I Go"b/w "One More Mountain" (from It Must Be Him)UK release only---50-Vikki!"It Must Be Him"b/w "That's All" (from That's All)35121It Must Be Him1968"The Lesson"b/w "One More Mountain" (from It Must Be Him)34351-44Vikki!"She'll Be There" /999213--Don't Break My Pretty Balloon"Your Heart is Free Just Like the Wind"91-32--"Don't Break My Pretty Balloon"b/w "Nothing To Lose"1141037--"A Dissatisfied Man"b/w "Happy Together" (from For Once In My Life)--18--The Ways To Love A Man"With Pen In Hand" 3542639-For Once In My Life1969"Can't Take My Eyes Off You"-----It Must Be Him"Eternity"b/w "I Will Wait For Love" (Non-album track)79695--The Best Of Vikki Carr1970"Singing My Song"b/w "Make It Rain"--30--Nashville by Carr"I'll Be Home"b/w "Call My Heart Your Home"961177--Vikki Carr's Love Story1971"Six Weeks Every Summer (Christmas Every Other Year)"b/w "If You Could Read My Mind"--28--"I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You"b/w "I've Never Been A Woman Before" (from Vikki Carr's Love Story)-103---Superstar"I'd Do It All Again"b/w "I'm Gonna Love You"-10239--1972"The Big Hurt"b/w "Cabaret" (from The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face))108-31--Non-album track"Grande, Grande, Grande"b/w "Y Volvere"-----Los Exitos De Hoy Y De Siempre"Let the Band Play On"b/w "Reflections"-----Non-album tracks1973"Ms. America"b/w "We Didn't Know The Time Of Day"-----Ms. America"Leave A Little Room"b/w "Have You Heard The News"-----Live At The Greek Theatre1974"Sleeping Between Two People"b/w "Borrowed Time" (Non-album track)-----One Hell Of A Woman"Wind Me Up"b/w "One Hell of a Woman"--45--1975"Hoy"b/w "El Pajaro Herido"-----Hoy (Today) "Puttin' Myself In Your Hands"b/w "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man"-----Non-album tracks
1980s to the present YearSongUS LatinOriginal Source1980"Disculpame"-Y El Amor"Abrazame"-Y El Amor1981"Total"-El Retrato del Amor1982"Todo Me Gusta de Ti"-Vikki Carr1983"Ya"-Vikki Carr"Prefiero Amar un Extraño"-El Retrato del Amor"Eso No"-El Retrato del Amor1984"Comprendeme"-A Todos1985"Ni Princesa Ni Esclava"-Simplemente Mujer"Atrapame"-Simplemente Mujer"Ni Me Viene Ni Me Va"-Simplemente Mujer"Cantare, Cantaras"-Hermanos1986"Promesas"-Promesas"Yo Creo en un Mundo de Amor"-OK Mr. Tango"Esta Noche Vendras"33Esta Noche Vendras"Tu Dicha, Tu Calma"-Esta Noche Vendras"Asi es la Vida"-Esta Noche Vendras1987"Que No Que No"-Me Enloqueces"Fallaste Corazon"-Me Enloqueces"Me Parece Perfecto"-Me Enloqueces"Dos Corazones" (duet with Vicente Fernández)10Dos Corazones"Juntos los Dos"-Dos Corazones1988"Mala Suerte"3Esos Hombres"Hay Otro en Tu Lugar"14Esos Hombres"Esos Hombres"37Esos Hombres1991"Cosas del Amor" (duet with Ana Gabriel)1Cosas del Amor"Me Estoy Volviendo Loca"-Cosas del Amor"Con los Brazos Abiertos"-Cosas del Amor1993"Dejame"30Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti"Nadie"-Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti"Una Mujer"-Brindo a La Vida, Al Bolero, A Ti1994"Amaneci en Tus Brazos"-Recuerdo a Javier Solis"Sombras"-Recuerdo a Javier Solis"En Mi Viejo San Juan"-Recuerdo a Javier Solis1996"Emociones"-Emociones"Que No Se Rompa la Noche"-Emociones1998"No Soy de Piedra"-Con El Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitan
Cultural references In the Family Guy episode "Total Recall", Peter remarks, "So what? She can name a kind of car. Big whoop, I can do that, too. Vikki. Vikki Carr".