Editing Charo

{{Short description|Spanish actress, singer and comedian}}
{{About|the musician|uses of the name|Charo (name)|other uses|Charo (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|Charro}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Charo
| image        = Charo 2013 ALMA Awards.jpg
| caption      = Charo at the 2013 [[Alma Awards]]
| birth_name   = Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza{{refn|group=note|name=fullname}}
| birth_date   =
| birth_place  = [[Murcia]], [[Region of Murcia]], Spain
| occupation   = {{flatlist|
* Actress
* singer
* classical guitarist
* comedian}}
| years_active = 1963–present
| spouse       = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Xavier Cugat]]|1966|1978|end=divorce}}
* {{marriage|Kjell Rasten|1978|2019|end=died}}
}}
| children     = 1
| website      = {{official website}}
}}

'''María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza''',<ref name="charo-14">{{cite web|url=http://www.charo.com/?page_id=14|title=Charo|work=The Official Charo Website|access-date=June 29, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123120707/http://www.charo.com/?page_id=14|archive-date=November 23, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|name=fullname|Though Charo's official English-language website gives her name as '''Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza''' without accent marks, other sources give longer versions of her name, some of which are contradictory: for example '''María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza''',<ref name="grove-charo">{{citation | title = Charo | first = Kariann | last = Goldschmitt | work = [[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians|Grove Music Online]] | publisher = Oxford University Press | doi = 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2248852 | year = 2013 | isbn = 9781561592630 }}</ref> '''María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza''',<ref name="rvf-baeza">{{cite web|url=https://www.revistavanityfair.es/celebrities/articulos/charo-baeza-murcia-xavier-cugat-los-simpson-vacaciones-en-el-mar/21754|title=La mujer que conquistó EE.UU. sin que nadie en España se enterase|date=15 January 2016|access-date=2019-12-26|archive-date=January 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120255/http://www.revistavanityfair.es/celebrities/articulos/charo-baeza-murcia-xavier-cugat-los-simpson-vacaciones-en-el-mar/21754|url-status=live}}</ref> '''Maria Rosario Pilar Lorenza Emilia Eugenia Martinez Molina Baeza De La Osa Rasten''',<ref name="nyt2019-06-22">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/22/style/charo-cuchi-cuchi.html|title=Thank Heaven for Charo|last=Kerr|first=Jolie|date=2019-06-22|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-23|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205054631/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/22/style/charo-cuchi-cuchi.html|url-status=live}}</ref> or '''María del Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Gutiérrez de los Perales Santa Ana Romanguera y de la Hinojosa Rasten''', but with a shorter version in the text of the same source.<ref name="biocom-charo">{{cite web | url = https://www.biography.com/musician/charo | title = Charo Biography: Dancer, Singer, Guitarist (1951–) | work = [[Biography.com]] | date = 2019-05-14 | access-date = 2019-12-26 | archive-date = July 3, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190703145048/https://www.biography.com/musician/charo | url-status = live }}</ref> }} professionally known by her [[stage name]] '''Charo''', is a Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and [[flamenco guitar]]ist who rose to international prominence in the 1960s on American television, as well as starring in several films.

Charo began playing [[classical guitar|classical]] (Spanish-style) guitar at the age of nine, training under the famed guitarist [[Andrés Segovia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/musician/charo|title=Charo|website=Biography|language=en-us|access-date=2019-11-05|archive-date=July 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703145048/https://www.biography.com/musician/charo|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="slo-beyond">{{cite news | url = https://www.sanluisobispo.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article39198810.html <!-- was http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/03/29/2008706/beyond-cuchi-cuchi.html --> | title=Charo: Beyond 'cuchi cuchi' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704211211/http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/03/29/2008706/beyond-cuchi-cuchi.html |archive-date=2012-07-04 |url-status=live | first = Patrick S. | last = Pemberton | location = San Luis Obispo, California | work=[[The Tribune (San Luis Obispo)|The Tribune]] | date= March 29, 2012 }}</ref> In 1966, she married 66-year-old bandleader [[Xavier Cugat]] and moved to the United States with him. In the late 1960s and 1970s, she became a ubiquitous presence on [[Television in the United States|American television]], frequently appearing as a [[Guest appearance|guest star]] on series such as ''[[Laugh-In]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', and ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''. She is known for her uninhibited and exuberant manner, high energy levels, [[#Birth year controversy|vague age]], heavy Spanish accent, and [[catchphrase]] "cuchi-cuchi". She frequently [[Self-deprecation|pokes fun at herself]], while also pointing out the potential judgment of others, through her accent.

As a musician, Charo has performed and recorded in various styles for five decades. She released a series of [[disco]] recordings in the 1970s with [[Salsoul Records]], most notably ''Dance a Little Bit Closer'' (1977). In 1995, her flamenco album ''Guitar Passion'' (1994) was awarded Female Pop Album of the Year at the ''Billboard'' International Latin Music Conference, and was named Best Female Latin Pop Album by ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Magazine.<ref name="grove-charo"/><ref name=":1">Ruíz, Vicki and Virginia Sánchez Korrol. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_62IjQ-XQScC Latinas in the United States: A Historical Encyclopedia]''. Indiana University Press (2006), p. 144.<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref> In an interview, Charo has said, "Around the world I am known as a great musician. But in America, I am known as the cuchi-cuchi girl. That's okay, because cuchi-cuchi has taken me [[wiktionary:laugh all the way to the bank|all the way to the bank]]."<ref name=":1"/>

==Early life==
Charo was born in the city of [[Murcia]], [[Spain]].<ref name="charo-14"/> Her birth date has been a matter of some dispute (see '[[#Birth year controversy|Birth year controversy]]' below). Her Spanish passport gives her name as '''María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza'''.<ref name="rvf-baeza"/>{{refn|group=note|name=fullname}}

Charo has claimed she was enrolled in a convent school until the age of 15, when a nun told her that she belonged in show business.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1946&dat=19820510&id=E4c1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=-aQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5466,4615896&hl=en "Coochie-coochie comedienne wants to be 'zee' dramatic actress"], ''Montreal Gazette'', May 10, 1982.</ref> In the most colorful version of her childhood, Charo's grandmother hired a music professor to give her weekly [[classical guitar]] lessons, and he became the first man to enter the convent.<ref>[http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1974/04/29/page/52/article/shes-dynamite "She's dynamite: You might say Charo's rather un-convent-ional"], ''Chicago Tribune'', April 29, 1974.</ref>

In a 2005 interview, she reminisced: <blockquote>"The institution had great young teachers and students. Everything was a charity. Mr. Segovia, between concerts that's when he'd come, and if you'd been there a year and you weren't good, you'd go out and they would give your place to another young kid."<ref>[http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Ageless-Charo-keeps-the-cuchi-cuchi-flame-burning-2618338.php, "Ageless Charo keeps the cuchi cuchi flame burning"], ''San Francisco Chronicle'', August 6, 2005.</ref></blockquote>
Charo has stated in several interviews that she graduated with honors at age 16.<ref>[http://napavalleyregister.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/charo-she-s-more-than-just-miss-cuchi-cuchi/article_d07fcb8a-bb0d-11df-b137-001cc4c03286.html "Charo: She's more than just miss 'Cuchi, Cuchi'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908005607/https://napavalleyregister.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/charo-she-s-more-than-just-miss-cuchi-cuchi/article_d07fcb8a-bb0d-11df-b137-001cc4c03286.html |date=September 8, 2023 }}, ''Napa Valley Register'', September 8, 2010</ref><ref name="slo-beyond"/>

[[Bandleader]] [[Xavier Cugat]] "discovered" her while in Spain filming a television special in 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/553545883/ |title=7 Jul 1964, 5 - The Morning Call at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1964-07-07 |accessdate=2022-06-05}}</ref> They wed on August 7, 1966. An April 1966 column by [[Earl Wilson (columnist)|Earl Wilson]] on the couple's wedding plans announced: <blockquote>"Sixty-year-old Xavier Cugat and his 20-year-old Spanish girlfriend and singing star Charo hope to marry in [[Sant Cugat del Vallès|San Cugat, Spain]], in a few days if Cugat can convince church authorities his two divorces should not be counted against him since he wasn't married in church."<ref name="beck"/></blockquote>

They were the first couple to be wed at [[Caesars Palace]] in [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]]. Charo later claimed that her marriage to Cugat was merely a business contract, a way for him to legally bring her to the United States.<ref name="laopinion">[http://www.laopinion.com/print.html?rkey=00050215152722648163 "Fin del 'cuchi cuchi', principio del arte"], ''La Opinión Digital'', February 17, 2005 {{in lang|es}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023222/http://www.laopinion.com/print.html?rkey=00050215152722648163|date=September 27, 2007}}</ref>

===Birth year controversy===
[[File:Charo (10425720574).jpg|thumb|Charo in the 1960s]]
Charo's year of birth is the subject of [[Age fabrication#Actors and comedians|dispute]]. Her Spanish birth certificate and passport, as well as her American naturalization papers, give her birthdate as March 13, 1941. She later claimed she was born in 1947, then changed it to 1949.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19860809&id=HosfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IWMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3829,4124801&hl=en "These stars keep tight rein on real ages"], ''The Pittsburgh Press'', August 9, 1986.</ref> In 1977, she asserted in a court hearing that her passport and naturalization papers were incorrect and that her birthdate was January 15, 1951.<ref name="rvf-baeza"/>

Several newspaper articles around the time of her 1966 wedding to Cugat gave Charo's age as 17.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/180584839/ |title=15 Jul 1964, Page 28 - The Philadelphia Inquirer at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1964-07-15 |accessdate=2022-06-05}}</ref> Others referred to her as Cugat's "18-year-old protégée".<ref name="wilson091664">Earl Wilson. "It happened last night" (column), ''The Dallas Morning News'', September 16, 1964, section 4, Ataahua's song</ref> An April 1966 column on the wedding plans stated that she was 20 and Cugat was 60.<!-- 20 would make her year of birth 1946 --><ref name="wilson0466">Earl Wilson. "It happened last night" (column), ''The Dallas Morning News'', April 18, 1966, page D18.</ref> Many sources identified her as 21 on the day of her wedding.<!-- 21 would make her year of birth 1945 --><ref name="raffetto66">Francis Raffetto. "Las Vegas Opens Caesar's Palace", ''After Dark'' column, ''The Dallas Morning News'', August 8, 1966, page A14</ref><ref name="trend">Paul Steiner. "Jackie followed trend of May–December", ''The Dallas Morning News'', October 27, 1968, page E9</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/fDq6zH2E5WQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170615181557/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDq6zH2E5WQ Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite video|people=Royal Parker|date=August 7, 1966|title=WBAL-TV 11pm News, August 7, 1966|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDq6zH2E5WQ|format=YouTube|medium=TV News|language=en|publisher=WBAL/YouTube|location=Baltimore, MD|access-date=2016-05-11}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Later, when asserting her birthdate was 1951, she claimed her parents allowed her to falsify her age to appear older when marrying Cugat. However, that would have made her 15 at the time, contradicting her claim to have graduated from school at 16, not yet having begun her performing career. She has never clarified the discrepancy.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1966/08/08/archives/cugat-weds-charo-in-las-vegas.html Cugat Weds Charo in Las Vegas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126084801/https://www.nytimes.com/1966/08/08/archives/cugat-weds-charo-in-las-vegas.html |date=January 26, 2023 }}, nytimes.com; accessed March 13, 2016.</ref><ref name="beck">John Beck. "Ageless persona: Vegas headliner Charo thrills fans at Sonoma County Fair: Cuchi-cuchi time at the fair", ''The Press Democrat'' (Santa Rosa, California), August 1, 2002, page B1.</ref>

In October 1977,<ref>Jura Koncius. "Personalities" (column), ''The Washington Post'', August 16, 1978, page D2</ref> the same year in which Charo filed for divorce from Cugat and became a naturalized American citizen, judge [[Roger D. Foley|Roger Foley]] in Las Vegas adjudicated the 1951 birth year to be official. Charo provided sworn [[affidavit]]s from her parents,<ref name="dmn-powell">Larry Powell (column). "Exact age for Charo leaves plenty of wiggle room", ''The Dallas Morning News'', February 7, 1999, page 38A</ref><ref name="Charo, Sister 'Younger'">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19771110&id=EIBIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OW0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7006,1824348&hl=en "Charo, Sister 'Younger'"] ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', November 10, 1977.</ref> although the claim has been viewed with skepticism.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-07-13-ca-20520-story.html|title=Stars' Ages: The Big Lie?|last=CARLINSKY|first=DAN|date=1986-07-13|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-05-01|issn=0458-3035}}</ref> Commenting on the disputes over her age, she has said that the public's disbelief could prove advantageous: <blockquote>"But if people really believe I'm older, that's fine. Don't be surprised if I come out with my own cosmetics, a new energy bar, and maybe some vitamins."<ref name="beck"/></blockquote>

==Career==

Charo was highly visible throughout the 1970s, appearing ten times on ''[[The Love Boat]]'', and on variety and talk shows such as ''[[Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)|Donny & Marie]]'',<ref name="cc-dandm">''Donny & Marie'' broadcast listings, "Channel Choices", ''The Dallas Morning News'', February 27, 1976, pg. C7 (with [[George Gobel]]); December 3, 1976, pg. B11 (with [[Carl Reiner]]); December 2, 1977, pg. A16 (with [[Milton Berle]] and [[the Sylvers]])</ref> ''[[Tony Orlando and Dawn]]'',<ref name="cc-tod">''Tony Orlando and Dawn'' broadcast listings, "Channel Choices", ''The Dallas Morning News'', July 10, 1974, pg. C7 (with [[Lloyd Bridges]]); March 5, 1975, pg. D4 (with [[Tony Randall]]); January 28, 1976, pg. C9 (with [[Freddy Fender]]).</ref> ''[[Captain & Tennille|The Captain and Tennille]]'',<ref name="cc-candt">''The Captain and Tennille'' broadcast listings, "Channel Choices", ''The Dallas Morning News'', March 7, 1977, pg. B7 (with [[John Byner]], [[Ben Vereen]], [[Manfred Mann's Earth Band]], and [[LeVar Burton]]).</ref> ''[[John Davidson (entertainer)|The John Davidson Show]]'', ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]'' (which she guest-hosted at least once)<ref name="md-host">Rena Pederson (column), ''The Dallas Morning News'', December 3, 1976, pg. B11; refers to Charo as "the dizzy Spanish sexpot-songstress".</ref> and the short-lived ''[[Brady Bunch Hour|The Brady Bunch Variety Hour]]''.<ref>''The Brady Bunch Hour'' broadcast listing, "Channel Choices", ''The Dallas Morning News'', March 21, 1977, page A18.</ref>

In 1975, ''Dallas Morning News'' critic Harry Bowman wrote that the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC network]] had "penciled in . . . a half-hour comedy starring the uninhibited wife of Xavier Cugat" and commented, "This is probably the worst idea of the season."<ref name="uninhibited">Harry Bowman. "New season guessing" ("Broadcast Beat" column), ''The Dallas Morning News'', April 22, 1975, pg. A12</ref> By October of that year, Charo was promoting a TV special slated for November,<ref name="wilson101375">Earl Wilson. "Hackett 'Teaching' Charo" (column), ''The Dallas Morning News'', October 13, 1975, pg. D5.</ref> but it did not actually appear until May 1976.<ref name="bowman2">Harry Bowman. ''The Dallas Morning News'', April 27, 1976, page C5</ref><ref name="sizzler">UPI. "Charo special looms as family sizzler", ''The Dallas Morning News'', May 24, 1976, pg. B7.</ref>

A television listing for August 24, 1976, shows what appears to be an unsold pilot airing on ABC at 8:30&nbsp;p.m. [[Central Standard Time|CST]]: "''Charo and the Sergeant''—Situation comedy starring Charo Cugat. Charo's first U.S. job is to be a dancer at an off-limits nightclub, and her conservative [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] husband finds out. The few episodes that were taped ended up being broadcast on the American [[Armed Forces Network]] overseas."<ref>"Channel Choices", ''The Dallas Morning News'', August 24, 1976, pg. B5.</ref> Writer [[Bruce Vilanch]] wrote about his work on ''Charo and the Sergeant'' in his 2025 memoir ''[[It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time]]''.<ref name=K>{{cite web|title=It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time|website=[[Kirkus Reviews]]|date=March 4, 2025|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bruce-vilanch/it-seemed-like-a-bad-idea-at-the-time/|access-date=March 5, 2025|archive-date=March 7, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307022934/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bruce-vilanch/it-seemed-like-a-bad-idea-at-the-time/|url-status=live}}</ref>

By the late 1970s, Charo was being mentioned as an example of how overexposure could damage a celebrity. One such article quoted the "[[Q score]]" of Performer Q, Steve Levitt's celebrity popularity rating service, to show that her popularity declined slightly even as her familiarity increased:{{blockquote|Before she gained national fame on talk shows in 1975, bosomy Latina starlet Charo was 'recognized' by 57 percent of Levitt's national television sample and had a 'popularity quotient' of 9 percent. Today, known by 80 percent, a figure as high as [[Clint Eastwood]]'s 80 percent, Charo's popularity is 8 percent. 'If she was known by 100 percent of the world, chances are her popularity might go down to 7 or 6 percent,' Levitt says coolly. That paradox makes some performers think twice when invitations to talk shows come in.|"The TV Talk Shows", ''[[The Washington Post]]'' July 14, 1977 (''Style'' section, pg. B1)}}

[[File:Charo black dress.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Charo performing in 2004]]

She was named Best Flamenco Guitarist in ''[[Guitar Player Magazine]]''{{'}}s readers' poll twice.<ref name=LatinasintheUnitedStates>{{cite book|last=Ruíz|first=Vicki|title=Latinas in the United States: a historical encyclopedia, Volume 1|year=2006|publisher=Indiana University Press|isbn=978-0-253-34681-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_62IjQ-XQScC&q=%22Best+Flamenco+Guitarist%22+charo&pg=PA144|author2=Virginia Sánchez Korrol|page=144|access-date=November 30, 2015}}</ref>

Charo returned to the dance-music scene in June 2008 with the single "España Cañi", which was released through Universal Wave Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://perfectbeat.com/product_info.php?products_id=16933 |title=From Perfect Beat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702044226/http://perfectbeat.com/product_info.php?products_id=16933 |archive-date=2008-07-02 }}</ref>

On March 1, 2017, Charo was revealed a contestant for [[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 24)|Season 24]] of ''[[Dancing with the Stars (U.S. TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'', paired with professional dancer [[Keo Motsepe]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dancing-stars-2017-season-24-celebrity-cast-partners/story?id=45767534|title='Dancing With the Stars' 2017: Season 24 celebrity cast and partners revealed on 'GMA'|work=ABC News|access-date=March 1, 2016|date=March 1, 2016|archive-date=April 24, 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250424024446/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/dancing-stars-2017-season-24-celebrity-cast-partners/story?id=45767534|url-status=live}}</ref> On April 3, 2017, they were the second couple eliminated from the competition and finished in 11th place.

==Personal life==
In 1977, she became a [[naturalized citizen]] of the United States. That year, she filed for divorce from Cugat, which was granted on April 14, 1978.<ref name="divorce">Roger Piantadosi. "Personalities" (column), ''The Washington Post'', April 15, 1978, page C3.</ref>

On August 11, 1978, she married her second husband, producer Kjell Rasten, in [[Lake Tahoe|South Lake Tahoe, California]].<ref>Ellen Goldman and Joseph P. Mastrangelo. "Personalities" (column), ''The Washington Post'', August 15, 1978, p. C1</ref> He soon became her manager. They had one child, son Shel Rasten (born 1981),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romper.com/p/who-is-charos-son-shel-rasten-the-actor-singer-has-a-great-relationship-with-his-mom-44795|title=Charo's Son Has A Great Relationship With His Mom|last=Bobic|first=Chrissy|website=Romper|date=March 20, 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-02-19|archive-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220002928/https://www.romper.com/p/who-is-charos-son-shel-rasten-the-actor-singer-has-a-great-relationship-with-his-mom-44795|url-status=live}}</ref> who is the drummer for the [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band Treazen. He is also an actor and producer, known for ''The Boulevard'' (2013), ''FAMOUS (and on the List)'' (2010) and ''[[CSI: Miami]]'' (2002).

They moved to Hawaii, but eventually moved back to [[Beverly Hills, California]].<ref name=People>Corinthios, Aurelie; White, Chelsea (2019, February 19). "Charo's Husband Kjell Rasten Dies by Suicide: 'He Was an Amazing Man,' Star Says". ''People'', 19 February 2019. Retrieved on 2019-03-11 from https://people.com/tv/charo-husband-dies-suicide/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717063705/https://people.com/tv/charo-husband-dies-suicide/ |date=July 17, 2019 }}.</ref>

Kjell Rasten died by [[suicide]] on February 18, 2019, at the age of 78. Charo publicly stated: <blockquote>In recent years, his health began to decline and he developed a rare and horrible skin disease called [[bullous pemphigoid]]. He also became very depressed. That, along with the many medications he needed to take, became too much for him, and he ended his suffering.<ref name=People/></blockquote>

==Discography==
===Albums===
* ''Cuchi-Cuchi'' (1977) <small>(with the [[Salsoul Orchestra]])</small>
* ''Olé Olé'' (1978) <small>(with the Salsoul Orchestra)</small>
* ''Bailando con Charo'' (''Dancing with Charo'', 1981) <small>(with the Salsoul Orchestra)</small>
* ''Guitar Passion'' (1994)
* ''Gusto'' (''Pleasure'', 1997)
* ''Charo and Guitar'' (2005)

===Singles===
* 1976: "La Salsa"
* 1977: "Dance a Little Bit Closer" – [[Hot Dance Club Songs|US Dance]] No. 18; [[UK Singles Chart|UK]] No. 44<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 101}}</ref>
* 1978: "[[¿Donde Esta Santa Claus?|Mamacita, ¿dónde está Santa Claus?]]" ("Mommy, Where's Santa Claus?")
* 1978: "Olé Olé" – [[Hot Dance Club Songs|US Dance]] No. 36
* 1979: "Sha Na Na"
* 1979: "Stay with Me" – US Dance No. 55
* 1979: "Hot Love"
* 1981: "La Mojada (Wet Back)"
* 2003: "Prisionera De Tu Amor" (with Seductive Souls)
* 2008: "[[España Cañi]]" – US Dance No. 14
* 2011: "Sexy Sexy" – US Dance No. 24
* 2013: "Dance a Little Bit Closer" (Charo & the Salsoul Orchestra vs. the Cube Guys Remix)

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year 
! Title 
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|1963 || ''[[New Friendship]]'' ||{{n/a}} ||
|-
| ''Ensayo general para la muerte'' ||{{n/a}} ||English Title: "Dress Rehearsal for Death"
|-
|1967 || ''[[The Big Mouth]]'' || Mexican Maid||Uncredited 
|-
|rowspan=2|1970|| ''[[Tiger by the Tail (1970 film)|Tiger by the Tail]]'' || Darlita||
|-
| ''[[Elvis: That's the Way It Is]]''|| Herself ||Documentary
|-
|1979 || ''[[The Concorde... Airport '79]]'' ||Margarita ||
|-
|1988 || ''[[Moon Over Parador]]'' ||Madame Loop ||
|-
|1994 || ''[[Thumbelina (1994 film)|Thumbelina]]'' || Mrs. Toad ||Voice
|-
|1996 || ''Blame It on the [[Macarena (song)|Macarena]]!'' || ||
|-
|2017 || ''[[Sharknado 5: Global Swarming]]'' || The Queen of the United Kingdom ||
|-
|2021 || ''[[The Bitch Who Stole Christmas]]'' || ||
|}

==Television==
{{Expand list|date=August 2008}}
{{Div col|colwidth=40em}}

* ''[[The Danny Kaye Show]]'' (October 6, 1965)
* ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'' (four episodes; 1965–67)
* ''[[Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]'' (one episode; S05E19 "Find a Victim", 1972)
* ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]''
* ''[[The Cher Show]]'' (May 14, 1975)
* ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''
* ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh In]]''
* ''[[Donny & Marie (1976 TV series)|Donny & Marie]] 1976
* ''[[The Hollywood Squares]]'' (semiregular panelist; 1972–78, 1986–89, 1998–2004)
* ''The Charo Show'' (1976; unsold pilot for variety series)
* ''[[Chico and the Man]]'' (cast member from 1977 to 1978) -- Aunt Charo
* ''[[Sha Na Na (TV series)|Sha Na Na]]'', Season 3
* ''[[The Love Boat]]'' (guest-starred in 10 episodes, 1977–84) -- April Lopez<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0004819/filmotype/actress?ref_=m_nmfm_1|title=Charo- IMDB|website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>
* ''[[Flying High (TV series)|Flying High]]'' (guest-starred in episode #9, 1978–1979)
* ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' (guest-starred in four episodes, 1981–84)
* ''[[The Facts of Life (TV series)|The Facts of Life]]'' (guest appearance in 1985)
* ''[[The Jeffersons]] '' (January 8, 1985)
* ''[[The Tortellis]] '' (March 8, 1987)
* ''[[Marblehead Manor]]'' (February 18, 1988)
* ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special]]'' (guest star; 1988)
* ''[[Mickey Mouse Works]]'' (special guest voiceover)
* ''[[That '70s Show]]'' (special guest appearance: "[[Red Sees Red]]" in 2000)
* ''[[The Brak Show]]'' (special guest star; 2001)
* ''[[The Surreal Life]]'' (cast member; 2004)
* ''[[So NoTORIous]]'' (Season 1, Episode 5 in 2006)
* ''[[I Love the '70s: Volume 2]]'' (appearances in 2006)
* ''[[Chappelle's Show]]'' (guest appearance in 2006)
* ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]''
* ''[[Viva Hollywood!]]'' (new reality show on VH1; May 11, 2008)
* ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' (special appearance April 17, 2008)
* ''[[Chelsea Lately]]'' (special appearance; July 24, 2008)
* ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' (special appearance; December 18, 2008)
* ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]'' (special guest, "[[RuPaul's Drag Race season 1|Absolut Drag Ball]]"; March 9, 2009)
* ''[[The Suite Life on Deck]]'' (special appearance as Esteban's mother; 2010)
* ''[[The Wendy Williams Show]]'' (Episode 363; aired October 5, 2010)
* ''[[Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23]]'' (special appearance May 17, 2013)
* ''[[Hell's Kitchen (American TV series)|Hell's Kitchen]]'' (dining-room guest; May 26, 2015)
* ''[[Celebrity Wife Swap]]'' (aired June 17, 2015)
* ''[[Jane the Virgin]]'' (special appearance March 28, 2016)
* ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]'' (special appearance April 4, 2016)
* ''[[Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)|Dancing with the Stars]]'' (contestant during Season 24, 2017)
* ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]'' (special appearance March 13, 2020)
* ''[[RuPaul's Drag Race]]'' (special appearance March 3, 2023: "[[50/50's Most Gagworthy Stars]]")
* ''[[Generation Gap (game show)|Generation Gap]]'' (special appearance September 21, 2023)
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of Spanish Americans]]
* [[Mononymous person]]
* [[Age fabrication]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
*{{official website}}
* {{IMDb name|0004819|Charo}}
* {{TV Guide person|charo/189663|Charo}}
* "Charo Baeza" episode of ''El Tiempo Vivido'' {{in lang|es}}, first broadcast on [[La 7 Televisión Región de Murcia|7RM]] in Murcia, Charo's home town: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmwgOPN3Roo part 1], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmLVYd1-Iuk part 2], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc442NKzPt4 part 3], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7R8m4QmwF4 part 4], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFBUeetiZCI part 5]

{{Portal bar|Biography|Film|Music|Television}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charo}}
[[Category:20th-century American actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]
[[Category:Actors from Murcia]]
[[Category:Actresses from Beverly Hills, California]]
[[Category:Age controversies]]
[[Category:American dance musicians]]
[[Category:American television actresses]]
[[Category:American voice actresses]]
[[Category:American women comedians]]
[[Category:American women guitarists]]
[[Category:American women singers]]
[[Category:Flamenco guitarists]]
[[Category:Las Vegas shows]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:Singers from the Region of Murcia]]
[[Category:Spanish dance musicians]]
[[Category:Spanish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Spanish television actresses]]
[[Category:Spanish voice actresses]]
[[Category:Spanish women comedians]]
[[Category:Spanish women singers]]
[[Category:Women classical guitarists]]
[[Category:Women in Latin music]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]