The Los Angeles homie born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez became known worldwide as Chris Montez when his Monarch Records 45 RPM single Let’s Dance became an international hit in 1962.
Mas…[Pocho Stars of Classic Rock] Chris Montez: ‘Let’s Dance’ (video)
America’s favorite nice clean young white boy, Pat Boone, had a 1962 hit with this love-sick appeal to our hero, Mexico’s fastest mouse. “Speedy Gonzales, Why Don’t You Come Home?” he asks.
In this video, a fan mashes up a Warner Bros. Speedy cartoon with Boone’s music.
Speedy, of course, is voiced by the great Mel Blanc.
Mas…Pat Boone sings ‘Speedy Gonzales, Why Don’t You Come Home?’ (video)
For whatever it’s worth, Mañana is probably the only Spanish word many Anglos knew in the 1950s. Sombrero-topped, sarape-wrapped, siesta-taking mañana. Peggy Lee sings it this 1950 TV clip. Her record of this song (she wrote it) was Number 1 in 1948. That’s right, your abuelita was born when all of America was singing this.