Consuelo Velázquez

Although a prolific recording artist and composer in her native Mexico, to the rest of the world Consuelo Velázquez is known almost exclusively for one song -- but what a song: "Besame Mucho," recorded over the years by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to the Beatles. Born August 29, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico, Velázquez began teaching herself piano at the age of four, two years later making her public debut at the Academy in Serratos. After studying at the National Conservatory, in 1938 she was received as a concert pianist at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts...