Iris Chacón

Years before Shakira shook her hips with the bootylicious Beyonce, Puerto Rico's Iris Chacón was hypnotizing Americans with her traffic-stopping curves.

Born on March 7, 1950, the Boricua bombshell began her career in the late '60s, performing as a dancer in variety shows throughout La Isla Del Encanto. In 1970, Chacón made the jump from the stage to radio with her debut album, Tu No Eres Hombre (You're Not a Man). The record featured the standout single Rey de Amores, but it was her second album, Yo Soy Iris Chacón, which yielded her biggest hit, "Caramelo y Chocolate." Sometimes called "La Vedette de América" (America's Showgirl), Chacón parlayed her popularity as a singer-dancer into a lucrative acting career, performing a syrupy "Caramelo y Chocolate" in the movie Eva, ¿Qué Hace Ese Hombre en Tu Cama? (Eva, What Is That Man Doing in Your Bed?).

Throughout the 70s and early 80s, Chacón hosted a popular weekly TV variety show that aired in 15 Latin American countries. With a legion of Spanish speakers already under her voluptuous spell, a redhead Chacón soon became a household name in the United States. In the mid to late 80s, the triple threat often appeared on American talk shows, including The Merv Griffin Show and Late Night with David Letterman, where she made the cool hosts break a sweat with double entendres and revealing outfits. Her seemingly effortless ability to leave tongues wagging landed her the lead in a now iconic TV commercial for some "tremendo" coolant. (Say it in Spanish.)

Alas, her crossover ended with minor roles in movies like Desperately Seeking Susan and East Side Story as well as regular appearances as Juana in the 90's Nickelodeon show Gullah, Gullah Island. Chacón, now a born-again Christian, recently announced she is working on a movie about her life.