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Vikki Carr to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Recording Academy! Congratulations Vikki!! Click here for the Official Press Release
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM * DINNER AT 8:00 PM * SHOW STARTS AT 9:00PM
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VIP Reception Brownsville, Texas Photos by Cookie Wimer One Classic Carr! On Thursday, November 7th 2002 Vikki Carr performed a sold out benefit concert for the Diocese of Brownsville at the Brownsville Events Center. The funds raised will be used to build a convent and chapel of perpetual adoration for an order of cloistered nuns, the Capuchin Poor Clare Sisters. Vito Cifaldi/Chicago, IL, Kathryn Robinson/Fort Worth, TX, Mal Brown/New Bedford, MA, and Rick Musquiz/Houston, TX came to Brownsville just to see and hear our very own songbird -- the incomparable Vikki Carr. I hope they all enjoyed their short stay in Brownsville. I know that they made this concert all the more special for me. The Events Center was beautifully decorated for this very special event. Each table had a floral arrangement consisting of red roses, day lilies and a white candle in the center. Every other chair had a big gold bow tied around it. At each place setting the Poor Clare Sisters left a 5 inch Italian crucifix. It was a very thoughtful gesture and it has become a cherished memento for me. The Four Points Sheraton catered a dinner of steak, shrimp, baked potato, salad and bread. The dessert was a waffle cup dipped in chocolate with a scoop of ice cream with crème de menthe drizzled on top and strawberries on the side. It was "muy delicioso" to say the least! Vito and the gang stayed at the Four Points Sheraton and were treated wonderfully from the moment they arrived until they left. This is the place to stay if you are ever in Brownsville, TX. Before Vikki came onstage, the Mariachi of the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan National Shrine performed for us. For their final number, Monsignor Juan Nicolau took the microphone and sang a solo with the mariachis. Good job Father, but don't quit your day job! When Vikki came on stage at 8:15pm she looked absolutely radiant and the crowd went wild! Luckily for us, we had a table on the third row so we had a good view of Vikki. She sang in English and Spanish. She danced. She interacted with her delighted audience. She swatted at a mosquito on stage and called herself "Killer Carr!" Vikki performed her retro show nonstop for about 95 minutes and was rewarded with a well deserved standing ovation. We had passes to a VIP reception with Vikki after the concert was over. So, we went backstage and got to spend a few minutes with a great humanitarian -- Vikki! It was a perfect evening. I can't wait to do it again! Cookie Wimer, Brownsville, TX
Vikki and her
Gang -- Brownsville, Texas, November 2002 ________________________________________________________________ Vito, I
want to thank you for the invitation to Vikki's concert in Brownsville. It is a
night I will never forget. I have been telling everyone about the concert and
the fan members I had the privilege of spending the evening with. Vikki is a
Lucky person to have the people running her fan club that she has. You are very
wonderful people and she should be proud of you all. You all as in Texas talk.
She put on a fantastic performance that night. Vikki is truly a wonderful
Entertainer, she was fantastic. Thank you again, pass this on to Rick,
Kathryn, Mal and Cookie for me. ________________________________________________________________
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LIVE VIKKI CARR TONIGHT!!!!! I am sure each of you reading this will know what it is like planning a trip kind of at the last minute, wondering all the way to the airport, did I forget to bring something, will my luggage make it down to Brownsville, etc... Once I made it down to Houston, I knew I would be meeting up with Kathryn Robinson and hopefully Mal Brown, to continue our journey down to Brownsville in this smaller plane. Luckily, I met Tom also flying from Chicago O'Hare to Brownsville, and since he was also on our connecting flight, we talked and I mentioned Vikki's performance, and my dear friends were all staying at the Four Points/Sheraton Hotel. Tom was also staying there as well so when he asked if there were any tickets left for Vikki's show I said let me check. To my surprise, Kathryn said look who I found and ta da Moises Cabrera was there with open arms and then there's Ron, and Thomas Gordon Gondolf who I finally met after many years of hearing his name and knowing he's been with Vikki for many years this was a surprise! Once we arrived at the airport and was greeted by club member Cookie Wimer, I knew we all were in for a great time! Then our group witnessed my travel bag shot out of the moving track in this huge mount, looking like it had been at war. Kathryn, Mal and Cookie can all tell you first hand! The Sheraton provided transportation from the airport and Vel our driver was really nice and of course knew of Vikki and her music. I must say that this hotel really treated each of their guests like royalty, so I highly recommend them for future use when Vikki appears in Brownsville, Texas! Once unpacking, our dear friend Rick Musquiz who drove in from Houston, made it and now it's time to party! We all met in the hotel lounge, put several tables together and just had a ball. Cookie brought her VSP treasures, like her VSP briefcase, portfolio, original Milk Mug (Marcie was the president of VSP then) to several items VSP auctioned off like a glass Vikki used on stage and a letter of authenticity from Vikki for the Scholarship Foundation (Pat Moore was president of VSP many years) and Cookie's book, autographed by Vikki on the inside from page to articles from the 70's to current. We all took turns looking, reading, drinking and knew we had a dear friend in Cookie! Then I look up and there's Tom at the bar, came over introduced himself to Kathryn, Rick, Mal, Cookie and found out everyone at the lounge was talking about Vikki's show and where to get tickets! Networking does pay!! Before attending the show Thursday evening, Mal, Rick, Kathryn, Cookie and I went to Mexico to shop during the afternoon. We all had on Vikki Carr shirts and everyone wanted to know who we were and the love that Mexico has for Vikki, it made each of us so PROUD to hear different comments/stories etc. What a lunch too! Checked out the new Convention Center to see if the marquee was working, later they had it fixed and running thanks to Cookie asking, by 6:00pm in bright red letter glowing...LIVE VIKKI CARR TONIGHT!!!!! Now we are all excited...we are all here finally together in one piece to have a wonderful evening! We were all dressed up for this classy benefit dinner, and each of us with our Vikki Carr buttons, and club badges, we made our entrance. We were greeted by Aida (who worked herself silly making sure everything was perfect and you did a WONDERFUL job) as well as Doctor Manuel G. Guajardo who also has the neatest office as Vikki's gang stopped by to say Hi (all had our VSP shirts on)! The Doctor escorted us to our Corporate table and what a nice greeting, in the middle of the huge centerpiece in big letters it said VIKKI CARR FAN CLUB I know each of us at our table were so proud to be there representing VSP and we will never forget all the kindness Aida and the Doctor and the staff showed us! Vikki started her show with "I am Singing Of Love" looking and sounded as great as ever, and the applause was deafening! Once she started the first verse of "First Time Ever", you knew the house was full of Vikki Carr fans, here again the deafening applause, they loved Vikki and she put on a show I know Brownsville will be talking about for some time! "Total" performed with no music and yet Vikki did it so naturally, you didn't need anything but Vikki doing what she does best. I must congratulate Vikki's band, headed by Bill & Mary and her musicians, they make great music, and what a asset to Vikki and to each of us in attendance! I also do believe Vikki threw in some Italian in The Prayer, Vikki and Bill really did that song justice! After this wonderful performance, there was a special VIP gathering with cocktails, and Vikki met with the audience in the Corporate tables (starting at $5,000.00 a table) and signed autographs, posed for pictures. Poor Vikki had to do an interview for a TV station minutes after finishing her performance so I know from watching the very excited crowd almost grabbing her and there for posing that all of us were sweating, Cookie and I were taking turns fanning Vikki and then she noticed what we were doing and said THANK YOU! Vikki signed every program, posed for pictures, and once she finished she looked for us and wanted to sit on the couch with us and Moises played photographer once again. Moises also took the pictures of Vikki and her Gang during the Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament still posted on the home page of the website. Hopefully, we will have plenty of pictures to share with all of you and Tom being our guest and knowing he's never experienced a Vikki show, was totally speechless afterwards, needless to say, Vikki has another fan! He sent a email which I will also post for everyone. A perfect evening for everyone! We also had the honor of meeting Cookie's mother, and several relatives who also attended this show, it was a pleasure to meet each of you! Thank you Cookie for the wonderful welcome to Brownsville and even making sure I made it back on the plane that afternoon (but not before having lunch at RUDY'S) what a lunch, many thanks Cookie. Also to my dear friends Kathryn Robinson, Mal Brown and Rick Musquiz for also making this "Pre-holiday" gathering so enjoyable! I must also thank Mary O'Brien for her dedication and making VSP badges and Vikki buttons, Joyce Steele and Daniel Maglione, who monitored the website during my mini-vacation. Special thanks to Deborah and Vikki for always making sure everything was perfect for VSP members, we love ya Until next time!! Vito Cifaldi President of "Vikki's Special People" & Webmaster Chicago, IL P.S. It was also great seeing Arthur Silber, Jr and Sandy, after the show! _________________________________________________________________
April 20th Concert at The Majestic Theatre with the San Antonio Symphony Wendy Smith - Canada
Vito Cifaldi and Kathryn Robinson
presenting Vikki with Fan Club mugs
Edyn Lopez, Kathryn Robinson and Vikki presenting Vito Cifaldi with an award for his efforts on behalf of the Fan Club and Web Site
Kathryn Robinson, Vikki and Vito Cifaldi
Vikki, Vito Cifaldi and Kathryn Robinson watching Vikki reading a card sent by Joyce Steele
Joey & Vito April 19, 2002 -
Majestic VIP room San Antonio, TX Vikki and her Gang April 21, 2002 - San Antonio
Majestic Theater Photo taken by
Michael Whalen One day last year while surfing the net, I ran across this fantastic web site, and got inspired to go see Vikki live for the first time in close to 20 years, in Las Vegas. I had such a great time that I decided to sign up for a San Antonio sequel! Another major incentive for making the trip though, was the chance to play in a golf tournament at the Hill Country Hyatt resort course (Great course!) on behalf of the Vikki Carr Scholarship Foundation. This very worthy cause has provided educational assistance to hundreds of Hispanic students for 31 years, and is still going strong. I was very glad to participate, but this was way too much fun to take any credit for my philanthropic (way to go spell checker!) ways. Vikki at one point actually ventured out onto the course to greet each team during the round, which was a real treat! And she actually drove her own golf cart! (I’m sure that little dent in the cart had been there all along). The golf tournament and lunch of burgers & dogs afterward were a real blast, and I’d love to tee it up again some day. Vikki’s two shows Friday and Saturday evening were a continuation of her ‘retro’ show, chocked full of great songs from her albums of the 70s and 60s. There was one significant difference this time however. It seems that awhile back, Vikki had personally been invited by Liza Minnelli to attend her wedding and to perform at the big party afterward. I think I remember hearing something about this affair in the news. Anyway, Vikki paused the show to discuss this experience at some length. There is always a lot of humor in Vikki’s stories, and this was no exception, but the humor was always very respectful and in good taste. She obviously had a great time and wanted to share the experience. It was fun to hear some of the inside stories behind this gargantuan, media circus/social event. Upon continuing the show, Vikki turned the dial on the time machine a few more clicks, and took us all back even further -- to the 50s, 40s, and 30s - and proceeded to treat us to her world-renowned tribute to Judy Garland! The Majestic theatre in San Antonio is a truly impressive concert hall. It is a very large theatre, with a large balcony including extended box seats along the sides. The acoustics are perfect, and the artwork in this theatre is breathtaking. The ceiling is painted to look like a star filled sky at dusk, and the artwork creates the feeling that you are watching a concert under the stars, with a beautiful European fairytale city, all lit up, as a backdrop. It really is a neat effect. You’d think you might find a theatre like this only in New York or London, yet here it is in San Antonio. Well, Vikki was playing to a crowd that was packed to the rafters both nights. She was accompanied by no less than the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra opened the show with a 45-minute set of fiesta music, and as the commercial says, these guys are good! To listen to Vikki’s tribute to Judy Garland on an album recorded live (‘Live at the Greek’) has always been great. But to be there to witness it performed live in this incredible venue, before a packed house, backed by the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra - that was something special !!! Of course, the tribute consists of a medley of several of the songs Judy had made famous, but there was no doubt which song was going to come last. When the time came, Vikki stepped down off of the stage and, seated on the steps leading up to center stage, she began to sing ‘Over The Rainbow’. This song has been so uniquely identified for so many years with a single legendary entertainer - who will never sing it again. How do you follow a legend? Yet, what a shame if this great song were left abandoned for want of someone to sing it with the style, with the class, and with the talent to do it justice. Well, the torch has been well passed, and it’s in the best of hands. This was an electrifying, simply magnificent performance - jeez, talk about goose bumps! And the response from this jam-packed hall? - An ovation the like of which I know I had never seen! It was so overwhelming in fact, that Vikki seemed genuinely surprised the first night, and she was literally moved to tears the second, maybe even more so because it came from her home town fans of San Antonio. There were still a few more songs to go, each one resulting in yet another heartfelt standing ovation. Watching the last 20 minutes of this amazing evening, one couldn’t help but think --This is what it’s all about! I wish I could have attended many more of Vikki’s shows over the years - they are always so great. But I will always be grateful that I had the chance to see this pair of concerts by this truly Great entertainer at the Majestic theatre, they were really something special. The people of San Antonio seem to know they are very lucky to have Vikki Carr, and they really appreciate her. By the way, San Antonio is a terrific city for tourists, the Alamo and River Walk being the main attractions. But beware if you visit during basketball season. Everybody down there, including Vikki, is a huge basketball fan, and Spurs fever is very contagious! I caught a pretty good case of it and promised I’d help them root for the Spurs during the playoffs - so… GO SPURS!! Michael Whalen
Mal Brown and Vikki
Vito Cifaldi and Vikki
Vikki's Award
Reyna Diaz, Edyn Lopez, Mal Brown, Vito Cifaldi, Kathryn Robinson and Juan Manuel Salcedo A.
CLASSIC CARR AT THE MAJESTIC
Bernie
& Vikki - San Antonio April 2002
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