Chris Montez
Ezekiel Christopher Montañez arrived in Los Angeles on the 17th of January 1943. He grew up in Hawthorne, California within a Mexican-American family. The streets of his hometown hummed with Latino-flavored music that shaped his early years. A local hero named Ritchie Valens inspired him deeply. Montez met Valens briefly at a show in 1958. This encounter left a mark on the young musician who would soon change his name to Chris Montez. He studied music composition at El Camino College while building his foundation.
Monogram Records released the single "Let's Dance" in 1962. Jim Lee wrote and produced the track that became a massive hit. It climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Across the Atlantic it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart where it stayed for four weeks. Both this record and its follow-up "Some Kinda Fun" sold over one million copies. Industry awards granted gold discs to these two records as proof of their commercial power. The song remains a defining moment in his career history.
Montez returned to the recording studio in 1965 at A&M Records. He sought to replicate the rock and roll formula of his earlier success. Herb Alpert co-produced Montez's first album there and suggested a different approach. The producer recommended a middle-of-the-road soft ballad sound instead. Montez agreed to try the new direction despite initial reluctance. The title track from his 1966 album The More I See You entered the Easy Listening Top 40 in December 1965. It peaked at No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart by March 1966. This shift opened doors to adult-formatted radio stations across the country.
November 1972 brought a Latin hit to Brazil titled "Loco Por Ti (Crazy About You)". Montez resurfaced again in 1974 with CBS Records releasing The Best of Chris Montez. His album Raza: Ay No Digas did well internationally but failed to make an impact in the US market. A final album featuring exclusively Spanish-language material called Cartas de Amor arrived in 1983. Specific chart successes appeared in the Netherlands during the early 1970s. The song "Ay No Digas" reached No. 3 on the Dutch charts that same year.
The song "Let's Dance" appeared on the soundtrack of John Landis's Animal House film. In 2013 the track served as a jingle for a DSW Shoe Warehouse commercial. Montez has worked within Mexican-American communities in the United States especially his native California. He promotes education and healthy living throughout these areas. San Antonio Texas honored him on the 16th of September 2011 with the First Annual SOPA Wellness Award. This recognition came among four awards given to national celebrities for their public service efforts. He was named a distinguished alumnus of El Camino College in 2012.
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Common questions
When was Chris Montez born and where did he arrive in Los Angeles?
Ezekiel Christopher Montañez arrived in Los Angeles on the 17th of January 1943. He grew up in Hawthorne, California within a Mexican-American family.
What song by Chris Montez reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1962?
Monogram Records released the single Let's Dance in 1962 which climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Across the Atlantic it reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart where it stayed for four weeks.
How did Chris Montez change his musical style after working with Herb Alpert at A&M Records?
Herb Alpert co-produced Montez's first album there and suggested a different approach recommending a middle-of-the-road soft ballad sound instead. The title track from his 1966 album The More I See You entered the Easy Listening Top 40 in December 1965 and peaked at No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart by March 1966.
Which Chris Montez song reached No. 3 on the Dutch charts in 1973?
Specific chart successes appeared in the Netherlands during the early 1970s when the song Ay No Digas reached No. 3 on the Dutch charts that same year. This occurred alongside other releases like Loco Por Ti (Crazy About You) which brought a Latin hit to Brazil in November 1972.
What awards has Chris Montez received for his community work in San Antonio Texas?
San Antonio Texas honored him on the 16th of September 2011 with the First Annual SOPA Wellness Award among four awards given to national celebrities for their public service efforts. He was named a distinguished alumnus of El Camino College in 2012 after working within Mexican-American communities in the United States especially his native California.