Lucha Villa
Lucha Villa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano |
| Also known as | "La Grandota de Camargo" "La Grandota de Chihuahua" |
| Born | November 30, 1936 Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1960–1997 |
| Labels | Musart |
| Associated acts | |
Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano (born November 30, 1936),[1] more commonly known by her stage name Lucha Villa, is a Mexican singer and actress of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.
Early life[]
Born in Camargo, Chihuahua, Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano was given her pseudonym "Lucha Villa" by television producer Luis G. Dillon[2] ("Lucha" being a hypocorism for Luz Elena, and "Villa" in honor of Pancho Villa). She has been a constant presence in popular music and film since the early 1960s. Villa's early hits included "Media vuelta", by José Alfredo Jiménez, as well as "La cruz del cielo" and "Viva quien sabe querer"[1]
In the 1970s, Lucha Villa traveled to Denver, Colorado to perform for a benefit for the Crusade for Justice, youth programs and school.
In 1996, Villa, along with Lola Beltrán and Amalia Mendoza, recorded the studio album, Disco del Siglo: Las Tres Señoras, produced by Juan Gabriel,[1] acknowledging their lasting contributions to music fanatics throughout Mexico and Latin America.
Acting career[]
She appeared in several films during the 1950s and early 1960s, received her first starring role in El gallo de oro (1964),[3] and starred in Me cansé de rogarle, a musical with Jiménez and recording star Marco Antonio Muñiz. She has appeared in some fifty films and won an Ariel Award for Best Actress (the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar) for Mecánica nacional (1973).[2]
Personal life[]
She fell into a coma because of complications during surgery in August 1997, but recovered after a long stay in hospital,[4] and has appeared on television sporadically since then. She was married 5 times; to Mario Miller 1951–1958 with whom she had two children, Rosa Elena b. 1953-Carlos Alberto b. 1954, Alejandro Camacho, Arturo Durazo in 1960, Justinano Rengifo in 1974 with she had a daughter, Maria Jose B. 1974, and finally Francisco Muela.
Selected filmography[]
- The Empire of Dracula (1967)
- National Mechanics (1972)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Burr, Ramiro (1999). The Billboard Guide to Tejano and Regional Mexican Music. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7691-1.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Lucha Villa Bio | MTV". Country Music Television. n.d. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lucha Villa : Biography". IMDb. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lucha Villa Biography – ARTISTdirect Music". Artistdirect.com. n.d. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
External links[]
Interviews[]
Val De La O Interviews Lucha Villa [1]
- Mexican film actresses
- 1936 births
- Living people
- Ranchera singers
- Ariel Award winners
- Actresses from Chihuahua (state)
- Singers from Chihuahua (state)
- People from Camargo, Chihuahua
- 20th-century Mexican actresses
- 21st-century Mexican actresses
- 20th-century Mexican singers
- 21st-century Mexican singers
- 20th-century Mexican women singers
- 21st-century Mexican women singers