Though her beauty was the first thing that brought Maria Conchita Alonso fame, it is her remarkable singing ability, acting talent, and intelligence that have kept her in the public eye since she was Miss World Teenager in 1971 and represented Venezuela in the 1975 Miss World pageant where she finished sixth. It didn’t take long after she participated in the beauty pageants before she shot to fame as a top model as well as a popular singer and actress. Virtually from day one she has consistently turned in top performances in stage, screen and television.

Love Maniac was Alonso’s first number one song and gold album followed quickly by her second, The Witch and her third, Dangerous Rhythm. But perhaps her most famous musical contribution was writing the Spanish lyrics and singing Vamos a Bailar, for the soundtrack of the movie Scarface. The first album she released in Spanish, Maria Conchita earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Artist in 1985. Her second Grammy nomination in 1988 for Best Latin Pop Performance was for the single Otra Mentira Mas.

Never one to rest on her laurels, Alonso turned to acting in movies when she starred with Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson. She went on to the play significant roles in The Running Man with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator 2 with Danny Glover, Vampire's Kiss with Nic Cage, and Colors with Robert Duval and Sean Penn. Other feature films included Extreme Prejudice with Nick Nolte, Touch and Go featuring Michael Keaton, A Fine Mess with Ted Danson and Howie Mandel, and McBain with Christopher Walken.

Always quick to try something new and different, Alonso starred in El Muerto (The Dead One), a live action version of what we now call graphic novels (comic books). She also appeared in Material Girls, Wolf Moon, and in romantic comedies Chasing Papi about three men who think they’ve found the perfect man and The Last Guy on Earth. The first Latin-born woman to star on Broadway, Alonso was a hit as Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman, a dark musical directed by Harold Prince.

Turning to television (both Spanish and English) at various stages of her career, Alonso starred in the novela Alejandra. Her role in this remarkable show was two-fold: as its star and as the singer of the romantic ballads taken from one of her albums and woven into the story line. The program aired in 40 countries (virtually all Spanish speaking countries) to over 300 million people. For a year, her variety show PIcante aired throughout Mexico every Sunday evening.

On English television, Alonso has also shined. She played, in the ABC series Desperate Housewives, the character Lucía, Gabrielle Solis’ mother, appeared on the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, had the lead role in the comedy One of the Boys, and hosted VH1's Viva Hollywood! Made for TV movies have also been favored with Alonso’s star quality; she starred with Brian Dennehy in Teamster Boss – The Jackie Pressor story for HBO and Texas, a four-hour mini series based on the bestseller by James Michener.

For all of her accomplishments in her professional life, Maria Conchita Alonso may be equally revered for her contribution to the arts and to the Hispanic community. Always aware and proud of her national heritage, and willing to help those in need, Alonso was named Hispanic Woman of the Year in 1990 by the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation. By recognizing, her, the Hispanic community acknowledged her long and steadfast contribution both as an entertainer and a human being.