Katy de la Cruz

Katy de la Cruz (born Catalina Mangahas de la Cruz; February 13, 1907 – November 10, 2004) was a leading Filipina singer who specialized in jazz vocals and torch songs in a long career that lasted eight decades. Hailed as "The Queen of Filipino Jazz" and as "The Queen of Bodabil", she was, by the age of 18, the highest paid entertainer in the Philippines. De la Cruz also appeared in films and received a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953.

Early life Catalina de la Cruz was born in Bustos, Bulacan. Even as a young child, de la Cruz would be hired to sing at town fiestas, and at intermissions during cockfights and boxing matches. and mastered the English language with the help of her brother.

Initially, her signature tune was the bluesy ballad St. Louis Blues. Her take on the song, which afforded her to showcase her scatting ability, has been described as impish and rustic, rounded out by her low, playfully dragging key.

She also occasionally acted in films, most prominently in Inspirasyon (1953), for which she received the FAMAS Best Supporting Actress Award in 1953. In 1961, she starred in her own stage show in Las Vegas.

Family Of de la Cruz's four children, her daughters Angie and Ronnie followed her into showbusiness, pairing with Nikki Ross to form Wing Trio, a singing group that was popular on the bodabil circuit and in films during the 1950s. When Ronnie got married, both Angie and Nikki continued on as the Wing Duo.

In popular culture

Katy! the Musical is a biographical musical based on the life of de la Cruz. Singer and actress Julie Anne San Jose portrayed de la Cruz on the GMA Network's war drama television series Pulang Araw.