Andy Garcia

Interested in singing from early childhood, Andy Garcia learned his chosen trade, and gained a substantial following, working in hotels and clubs in towns and cities in Florida, Illinois, Colorado, and many other states before making his name in New York City. Among the many clubs he played in the city were Kelly's, Gypsy's, Club Manhattan, Upstairs at Greene Street, Don't Tell Mama, and the Triad. Garcia won the 1988 Backstage magazine Bistro Award as Outstanding Vocalist and in the same year the Manhattan Association of Cabaret and Clubs Award for his cabaret debut. In 1997, he appeared in the acclaimed Miracle on 35th Street benefit for the Manhattan Center for Living. Despite the high quality of other acts, including Betty Buckley, Baby Jane Dexter, and Liza Minnelli, Garcia's performance proved to be a highlight. Garcia sang in an emotionally charged manner; unusually for a cabaret artist, his powerful lyric tenor voice was of operatic quality. For several years he suffered from brain cancer but fought bravely and successfully against the disease. The cause of his early death was given as kidney failure resulting from late diagnosed diabetes.