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1-16 of 16
- Actress
- Soundtrack
In the mid 1950s Monna Bell was barely in her teens when she took part in a singing contest held at Radio Minerias, then Chile's most popular radio station. Her voice and style won over the listeners and she became a regular at the station's live music shows. She was praised by her ability to sing both romantic ballads and swinging jazz tunes and blues, rare qualities in a Latin artist. Sometime in 1956 she was asked by prestigious band leader Roberto Inglez to join his group as a vocalist for a 3-week stint at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Miss Bell and the band had such a success that they stayed for a whole year in the Big Apple. From there they toured Europe but in Madrid the young vocalist decided to go solo after receiving an attractive offer from that city's best night club the Pasapoga. Monna Bell at the Pasapoga was a huge success and she became a favorite of Spanish audiences.
By 1959 she was recording for Hispavox a repertoire of romantic songs which included a cover of The Platter's "My Prayer" (Rogar), the theme song from the Hollywood film "Anastasia" and a Spanish version of "Woman in Love" (Una Mujer Enamorada) from "Guys and Dolls." That same year she was invited to appear at the First Spanish Song Festival held at Benidorm, a beach resort in Alicante, Spain, and her rendition of a jazzy novelty tune titled "Un Telegrama" made quite sensation winning the top award. Her recording of "Un Telegrama" became an international hit both in Europe and Latin American making Monna Bell a top recording star. From then on, it was hit after hit for the vocalist including "La Montaña," "Silencio Corazón," "Aun Te Sigo Amando," "Envidia," "Tómbola" and many others which spread her fame all over the world. She recorded with orchestras led by top musicians such as Augusto Algueró Jr., Gregorio García Segura and Bebo Valdés.
Monna Bell combined her recording activities with live performances and television work. Between 1962 and 1964 Mexican film producers featured her in three films just to take advantage of her popularity as a singer. Around this time, she settled in Mexico and married cinematographer Alex Phillips Jr. The marriage did not last long but it produced a daughter and a son. Monna's reputation as a hit maker followed her for many years and in 1968 she left the Hispavox label and signed with Mexico's Musart. However, the Musart sessions relayed heavily on Spanish covers of American and British hits and although these assured her air play on Spanish language radio stations everywhere, the excitement of the first years was gone. In the 1970s she left Musart and signed with Orfeon where mediocre material, bad arrangements and worst production values sabotaged her career. Not even the dismal 1977 disco-version of her "Un Telegrama" mega-hit could revive the popularity of one of the most gifted vocalists in Latin music history. There were also rumors of blacklisting by Televisa, a monopoly which, at that time, extended its influence on Mexican television, radio, recording, night clubs, printed press, etc. In the 1980s it seemed her career had run out of steam and Miss Bell was reported as "living happily in retirement". She was quickly forgotten by both the public and the music industry, ignoring the facts that she had one of the greatest voices of the century and had served as inspiration to a whole new generation of singers and songwriters.
Among these was the top Mexican composer-singer Juan Gabriel who tried to remedy the situation by luring Miss Bell out of retirement to appear as a guest star in some of his shows, both in Latin America and in the United States. He even built a guest villa for Monna in his enormous living compound in New Mexico so that she could vacation there whenever she felt like it. The relationship became an enduring friendship and offered the promise of a grand return for Monna Bell but it never happened. In 1993 Miss Bell recorded for Sony "Monna Bell Ahora," an album composed and produced by Juan Gabriel which went into oblivion as soon as released. Juan Gabriel blamed Sony for failing to promote the album properly, but critics pointed out that the selection of songs was the main culprit in the debacle. One critic wrote: "Miss Bell's voice is as great as ever and her interpretation retains the genius that made her a legendary vocalist, but there's not much she, or anyone else, can do with this boring material."
The hopes for a true artistic return vanished on April 21, 2008. While recovering from a successful colon cancer surgery, Monna Bell died of cerebral hemorrhage at a hospital in Tijuana, Baja California, where she was residing to be close to her daughter and grandchildren.- Soundtrack
Al Wilson was born on 19 June 1939 in Meridian, Mississippi, USA. He was married to Patricia Wilson. He died on 21 April 2008 in Fontana, California, USA.- Bruna Simionato was born on 20 July 1941 in San Dona Di Piave, Italy. She was an actress, known for The Easy Life (1962), Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell (1965) and Gunfight in the Red Sands (1963). She died on 21 April 2008 in Rome, Italy.
- Angela Pringle was born on 9 May 1942 in Calcutta, India. She was an actress, known for A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970). She was married to Jonathan Sieff. She died on 21 April 2008 in Andover, Hampshire, England, UK.
- Carmem Silva was born on 5 April 1916 in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. She was an actress, known for Contos Eróticos (1980), Quase no Céu (1949) and Os Ossos do Barão (1973). She was married to Cancela Filho. She died on 21 April 2008 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Mihajlo Mijuskovic was born on 8 October 1947 in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for Tajni Agent Izzy: Mjautomobilska Groznica (2002), Tajni agent Izzy (2002) and Guca - The Capital of the Trumpet (2005). He died on 21 April 2008 in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Gustl Weishappel was born on 27 May 1925 in Graz, Austria. He was an actor, known for Tatort (1970), Die Münchner Räterepublik (1971) and Philomena Marturano (1960). He died on 21 April 2008 in Gräfelfing, Bavaria, Germany.
- Marvelli Jr. was born on 7 June 1932 in Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He was an actor, known for Klimbim (1973), Abschied vom Ronacher (1976) and Ein Lied für Luxemburg (1973). He died on 21 April 2008 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
- Adelina Campos was born on 11 April 1905 in Vila Flor, Portugal. She was an actress, known for José do Telhado (1945), Uma Vontade Maior (1967) and Histórias Simples da Gente Cá do Meu Bairro (1961). She was married to Samuel Dinis. She died on 21 April 2008 in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Lester Shadduck was born on 7 October 1919 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA. He was married to Mary Newton and Maxine Holm. He died on 21 April 2008 in Spokane, Washington, USA.
- Clyde Martin was born on 24 July 1929 in Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor, known for The Only Way Home (1972). He died on 21 April 2008 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA.
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Claude Veillot was born on 29 September 1925 in Fontenay-le-Comte, Vendée, France. Claude was a writer, known for Coplan sauve sa peau (1968), Le choc (1982) and Greed in the Sun (1964). Claude died on 21 April 2008 in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France.- Marcello Venturi was born on 21 April 1925 in Seravezza, Italy. Marcello was a writer, known for Germán vakáció (1967). Marcello died on 21 April 2008.
- Darell L. Garretson was born on 18 March 1932 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Mixed Company (1974). He died on 21 April 2008 in Mesa, Arizona, USA.
- Tibor Komáromi was born on 28 May 1930 in Debrecen, Hungary. He was an actor, known for Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and Puskás Hungary (2009). He died on 21 April 2008 in Budapest, Hungary.
- Aaron Shearer was born on 6 September 1919 in near Anatone, Washington, USA. He died on 21 April 2008 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.