Charo biography
Date of birth : 1951-01-15
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Murcia, Spain
Nationality : Spanish-American
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2011-08-18
Credited as : Actress, comedienne, flamenco guitarist
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Official documents in Murcia, Spain (where she was born) and the United States indicate she was born in 1941, but Charo has insisted she was born in 1951 and persuaded a United States court to uphold the 1951 birth year as official.
The performer has said in past interviews that her parents allowed her to falsify her age to appear to be older after marrying 66-year-old band leader Xavier Cugat when she was 15. Further complicating the question is the fact that contemporary press reports gave her age at marriage as 21, an April 1966 column on the wedding plans stated she was 20 and Cugat was 60, and columns less than two years before the marriage refer to her as Cugat's "18-year-old protegée" which, if she was falsifying her age, would have made her actually 13 at the time.
In October 1977 the same year in which Charo filed for divorce from Cugat and became an American citizen a United States court upheld the 1951 birth year as official, with the performer providing a sworn statement from her parents in support of her claim. Commenting on the disputes over her age, she has said that the public's disbelief could prove advantageous: "But if people really believe I'm older, that's fine. Don't be surprised if I come out with my own cosmetics, a new energy bar and maybe some vitamins."
She now has a regular touring show in addition to appearances in Branson, Missouri, and Las Vegas (which at one time were choreographed by Comedy Central actor/dancer Jade Esteban Estrada). Charo appeared as the Celebrity Showtime entertainer aboard Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas on its January 4 & January 13, 2008 sailings, and on the Adventure of the Seas on its August 10, 2008 sailing. She was a Celebrity Grand Marshal of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29, 2008. She was accompanied by hordes of Charo lookalikes on a pink float. On May 23, 2008, she was a guest on GSN Live.
She returned to the dance music scene in June 2008 with the single "España Cañi". The single was released through Universal Wave Records. She performed Rihanna's song "Don't Stop the Music" at the 2009 Muscular Dystrophy Association Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon.
Charo appeared as the Celebrity Showtime entertainer aboard Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas cruise ship on Christmas Eve, 2009. She also appeared on the Royal Caribbean ship Adventure of the Seas on Thursday, February 25, 2010. She continues to entertain guests on Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas in May 2010. In April 2010, she made a guest appearance on Dancing with the Stars. In 2010, she made a guest appearance on the Disney television show, The Suite Life on Deck. Charo made an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live!" on February 22, 2011 where she promoted a new song, "Sexy! Sexy!". On May 23, 2011 Charo performed parts of her Las Vegas show on the Disney Magic cruise ship's Eastbound Transatlantic crossing to standing ovations. The first half of the show were more pop oriented pieces while the second half was her playing classical Spanish guitar. She noted her seven years of study with Andre Segovia several times during this portion of the show. She appeared later in the cruise at an informal autograph-signing session. Charo appeared as a celebrity guest judge on RuPaul's Drag U, Episode 5, season 2.
Albums:
Cuchi-Cuchi (1977) (with the Salsoul Orchestra)
Olé Olé (1978) (with the Salsoul Orchestra)
Bailando con Charo (Dancing with Charo, 1981) (with the Salsoul Orchestra)
Guitar Passion (1994)
Blame It on the Macarena (1996)
Gusto (Pleasure, 1997)
Charo and Guitar (2005)
Singles:
1976: "La Salsa"
1977: "Dance A Little Bit Closer" (US Dance #18); UK #44[26]
1978: "Mamacita, ¿dónde está Santa Claus? (Mommy, Where's Santa Claus?)"
1978: "Olé Olé" (US Dance #36)
1979: "Stay With Me" (US Dance #55)
1979: "Hot Love"
1981: "La Mojada (Wet Back)"
2003: "Prisionera De Tu Amor" (with Seductive Souls)
2008: "España Cañi" (US Dance #14)
2011: "Sexy Sexy" (US Dance #24)
Filmography:
Don Juan Tenorio (1952) (unconfirmed)
Tiger by the Tail (1969)
Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) (documentary)
The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979)
Moon Over Parador (1988)
Thumbelina (1994) (voice)
Television:
Chelsea Lately (special appearance July 24, 2008)
Tonight Show with Jay Leno (special appearance Dec 18, 2008)
RuPaul's Drag Race (guest performer Mar 9, 2009)
The Suite Life on Deck (special appearance as Esteban's mother in 2010)
Good Luck Charlie (special appearance as girl crushing on Bob Duncan)
