Chris Montez
b. Christopher Montanez, 17 January 1943, Los Angeles, California, USA. Teenage vocalist Montez was discovered by impresario Jim Lee in 1961, and having joined the latter's Monogram label, enjoyed an international hit the following year with Let's Dance. This exciting, Lee-penned single, redolent of the Hispanic ‘latino-rock’ style of Ritchie Valens sold over 1 million copies and climbed to number 2 in the UK. A follow-up, Some Kinda Fun, reached the UK Top 10 in 1963, but a three year hiatus ensued before the singer resurfaced on A&Min the US with a version of the much-covered Call Me. The charmingly simple The More I See You, gave Montez a second UK Top 3 entry, while minor US successes followed with There Will Never Be Another You and Time After Time. Re-released in the UK in 1972, Let's Dance confirmed its timeless appeal by reaching the UK Top 10.