Chilean pop singer Buddy Richard was born Ricardo Roberto Toro Lavín on September 21, 1943, in the city of Graneros, O' Higgins Region. Even though he originally rose to fame as part of the Nueva Ola movement, Latin America's response to the English-speaking 50s and 60s rock and roll craze, he became extremely popular in the early 60s for his lavish romantic ballads. After signing with Caracol Records, he made his official recording debut in 1963 with the single "Balada de la Tristeza," followed by his first studio album Buddy Richard y Sus Amigos a year later. During this time, he released some of the biggest hits of his career, including "Cielo" (a cover of Bobby Hebb's "Sunny"), "Despídete con un Beso," and "Si Me Vas a Abandonar." In 1969, he issued the live album Buddy Richard en el Astor, which was also broadcast live on national TV and radio. In the following decades, hit singles like "Tu Cariño Se Me Va" (1975) and "Mentira" (1982) solidified his status as one of the most popular pop singers in Chile, serving as inspiration for a whole new generation of musicians. In 1995, he recorded a cover of his 1975 hit "Tu Cariño Se Me Va" with rock group Los Tres for their studio album, La Espada & la Pared.
