Andy Russell (singer)  Andy Russell (born Andrés Rábago; September 16, 1919 – April 16, 1992) was an American popular vocalist, actor, and entertainer of Mexican descent, specializing in traditional pop and Latin music. He sold 8 million records in the 1940s singing in a romantic, baritone voice and in his trademark bilingual English and Spanish style. He had chart-busters, such as "Bésame Mucho", "Amor", and "What a Diff'rence a Day Made". He made personal appearances and performed on radio programs, most notably "Your Hit Parade", in several movies, and on television. During this initial phase of his career, his popularity in the United States rivaled that of crooners Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. In 1954, he relocated to Mexico where he became a star of radio, television, motion pictures, records and nightclubs. He toured extensively throughout Latin America, Spain, Portugal and Cuba, and hosted the television variety program "El Show de Andy Russell" in Argentina from 1956–65. Upon returning to the United States, Russell continued to record. His 1967 single "It's Such a Pretty World Today" reached #1 on Billboard Magazine's Easy Listening Chart. In the ensuing years, Russell continued to perform in the United States and around the world, occasionally recording new records and making television appearances. Although well received, he did not achieve his previous level of success. During his 50-year career, Russell received many international accolades and awards, most notably being recognized as the original Latino crossover artist who introduced American audiences to popular songs sung in English and Spanish, thus opening the doors for later Hispanic bilingual artists to do the same. Through a fusion of musical styles, rhythms and languages, he created music that transcended borders and appealed to diverse audiences, becoming one of the first cross-cultural, multinational musical artists. Russell was born September 16, 1919 (Mexican Independence Day) as Andrés Rábago in Boyle Heights, which, at the time, was an ethnically integrated, middle-class neighborhood  in Eastside Los Angeles. He was the second youngest of ten children (eight boys, two girls) born to Mexican immigrant parents, Rafael Rábago and Vicenta (née Pérez), who had emigrated to United States in 1902 from the Mexican states of Durango and Chihuahua, where each had been born, respectively. His father was employed as an extra by Hollywood studios, while his mother was a housewife.