born : September 16, 1919, Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, USA
died : April 16, 1992, Sun City, Arizona, USA
American singer, specializing in traditional pop and Latin music. He had a few hits in the 1940’s on Capitol Records. Born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents, Andy Russell, who took his professional name from one of his idols, Russ Columbo, achieved his greatest U.S. popularity in the 1940’s. As with Columbo and Bing Crosby before him, Russell started out singing with Gus Arnheim And His Orchestra at the Cocoanut Grove, but as he was only 13, Arnheim had to become his legal guardian to permit him to travel out of the state. Possessed of a romantic baritone voice, he sang songs in English and Spanish, his biggest hit being Besame Mucho (Capitol: 1945). In the early 1950’s, he re-located to Mexico, where he remained a major star until his death. He remained a U.S. citizen, however, and still performed there occasionally. He was married to Della Russell from 1945 until their divorce in 1954.