Thank Heaven for Charo – The New York Times

Her first television appearancewas on Johnny Carson’s show in 1965; the host asked Charo, “What are you?” “I am cuchi cuchi!” came her reply.

After that, she got a call from Norman Brokaw, the renowned agent at William Morris who made Marilyn Monroe into a star. “We want to sign you,” he said, “but not with one name. We cannot sell anyone who only has one name.”

Charo began reciting her full name, “Maria Rosario Pilar Lorenza Emilia Eugenia. …” Mr. Brokaw told her to pick one, and she said, “Charo. Johnny Carson introduced me as Charo,” and Mr. Brokaw had to concede that if it was good enough for Johnny Carson, it was good enough for the rest of the world.

“Then, they all want one name!” Charo said, rattling off a list of the era: Cher, Sammy, Elvis. …

It was while performing at casinos that Charo made two important decisions. The first was to tell Mr. Rasten that she was three months pregnant. Though she knew she was carrying a child — “the maracas, they were like meow-meow-meow,” Charo said, singing the Meow Mix jingle to describe her growing bosom — she put it out of her mind to focus on work.

She had an engagement scheduled at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe (Mr. Harrah himself had sent the private plane to transport her to the gig), and she had made up her mind that she was going to honor it, pregnant or not.

But during the first part of a two-show set, Charo began to bleed. She told Mr. Rasten, who promptly picked up the phone and canceled the second half of the performance. Charo cried, because she didn’t want to let Mr. Harrah down.