26 Facts About Palito Ortega

Palito Ortega reached international fame, particularly in Latin America and Spain, during the 1960s, when the rock en espanol style of rock and roll music was popularized among teenagers in the region.

Palito Ortega was born to a very poor family in Lules, and had to work from a young age, selling newspapers in San Miguel de Tucuman, and finding a job at a store.

Palito Ortega's real passion was music, as he had been dreaming of becoming a singer since early childhood; as a teenager, Ortega was an admirer of Elvis Presley.

Palito Ortega moved to Buenos Aires in 1956, where he sold coffee in the city's parks, corners, and streets.

Palito Ortega used his work as a coffee seller to get into show business by setting up a coffee-selling spot near Buenos Aires' Channel Seven Public Television station.

Palito Ortega worked near Radio Belgrano, where many of the singers he met while selling coffee near the television station would recognize him and form a bond with the young star in the making.

Palito Ortega became friends with members of a famous group called "Carlinhos y su Banda".

Palito Ortega learned to play drums during band practice sessions, eventually joining the group.

Palito Ortega left the group to follow a solo career, confident that the recognition the group had given him would guarantee him success as a solo artist.

Palito Ortega used the artistic nickname of Tony Varano for some of his live shows at the time, and he became a member of "The Lyons" when the Argentine rock legend, lead singer Peter Rock, left the band.

Palito Ortega's interests remained in being a successful solo singer, and he left The Lyons within months of joining that band.

Palito Ortega recorded 27 albums, and starred in 26 films at the time, becoming a teen idol as a consequence.

Palito Ortega acted and sang in those films, and shared the big screen with many of Argentina's most important actors and actresses of the time.

Palito Ortega's fame acquainted him with Evangelina Salazar, a television actress known for her role as a country schoolteacher; the couple were married in 1967, and had six children.

Palito Ortega went on to record for RCA in Mexico, Italy, England, and Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1966 while in Nashville, Palito Ortega recorded the hit song "Sombras" by music composer and visual artist Gil Veda.

Palito Ortega did become a successful music promoter, and in August 1981, produced a show for Frank Sinatra in Argentina.

Palito Ortega reportedly lost one million dollars after paying the legendary crooner for his Luna Park Stadium show, and was forced to sell a significant portion of his estate.

Palito Ortega relocated with his wife and six children to Miami in 1985, which by then was becoming a mecca for Latino entertainers.

Palito Ortega joined the likes of Iris Chacon, Charytin, Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias and others as a resident of the south Florida city.

Palito Ortega sang the United States national anthem before the 1986 world middleweight championship boxing fight between Marvin Hagler and John Mugabi.

Palito Ortega retired from show business for a while after that, focusing on his career as a businessman and eyeing a career as a politician.

Two of his children followed in their father's footsteps as entertainers, and, with Emanuel moving to Mexico, Palito Ortega decided to return to Argentina.

Palito Ortega was elected Governor of Tucuman Province in 1991, narrowly defeating former military Governor Antonio Domingo Bussi.

Palito Ortega governed as a close ally of President Carlos Menem.

Palito Ortega left politics, and in 2002, began to tour as a singer again.