As a Puerto Rican girl, no one captivated me more than Iris Chacón, the illustrious vedette who rose to fame in San Juan in the 1970s and became one of the earliest woman cross-over artists. “La Vedette de América,” as she’s been nicknamed, produced and hosted her own weekly hit variety TV show “El Show de Iris Chacón” for more than a decade, reaching No. 1 ratings in Puerto Rico and airing in U.S. markets like New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles. The “Bombshell of Puerto Rico” had monthslong residencies over multiple years at the iconic Caribe Hilton, lighting up the stage at Club Caribe, the hotel’s legendary cabaret showroom. There, she became part of the same glamorous legacy that drew stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Rita Moreno to the resort.
