María Conchita Alonso (born June 29, 1957), better known as María Conchita, is a Cuban-Venezuelan-raised three time Grammy Award–nominated singer/songwriter and actress.

Early life María Conchita Alonso was born María Concepción Alonso Bustillo in Cienfuegos, Cuba, the daughter of Ricardo Alonso and María Conchita Bustillo. Her family moved to Venezuela when she was five years old, in 1962, after the Cuban Revolution. She had her first experience in show business when she was crowned Miss Teenager World in 1971, and was Miss World/Venezuela in 1975 where she became sixth runner-up in the Miss World pageant won by Puerto Rico's Wilnelia Merced; she quickly became a top model and a popular singer/actress in Venezuela.

Career Alonso's first gold album and number one song in the charts was "Love Maniac" in 1979, her name as a singer back then was A'mbar, after that followed her second number 1 with "The Witch" and soon after "Dangerous Rhythm". In what is generally considered to be her best known song, she was asked by Giorgio Moroder to write the lyrics in Spanish and sing "Vamos a Bailar" which he had written to be part of the soundtrack for the film Scarface. The song instantly became a classic amongst Spanish speakers despite failing to garner any major attention outside of Cuba where it was recorded. As her two albums with Ambar and her solo debut were recorded in English, it was her second album María Conchita from 1984 that made her a singing star in the Spanish-speaking market, receiving a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Latin Performance".

She made her Hollywood film debut in Moscow on the Hudson (1984) with Robin Williams, and also starred in movies like Touch and Go (1986) Extreme Prejudice (1987), The Running Man (1987), Colors (1988), Vampire's Kiss (1989), Predator 2 (1990) and The House of the Spirits (1993).

She was one of the few Latin-born actresses to star in a Broadway show in 1995, playing Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She later acted in romantic comedies like Chasing Papi (2003) and The Last Guy on Earth (2006).

Alonso was cast to play Lucía, the mother of Gabrielle Solis, on the ABC series Desperate Housewives. The episode was aired on February 19, 2006. She was in the Latin version Amas de Casa Desesperadas for Univision Network. She was a guest star in the live-action film of the comic book El Muerto and appeared in the film Material Girls (2006).

Alonso hosted VH1's Viva Hollywood! on April 13, 2008 with Carlos Ponce. She portrayed Sam in the Werewolf horror film Wolf Moon, which was directed by Dana Mennie.

Alonso shot Rob Zombie's Lords of Salem, released in 2013. Her latest film, a fantasy short titled The Secret of Joy, features her alongside fellow Venezuelan actor Carlos Antonio Leon, Spanish actress Laura Bayonas and Brazilian actress Ana Carolina Da Fonseca in a story that aims to bring awareness about pediatric cancer.

Political views Alonso has often spoken in support of LGBT rights and in appreciation to her LGBT fans, stating that "I was very much supported by the community when I first came out with my music". In a 2004, she compared herself to Cher in terms of her connection to LGBT culture.

Alonso was an outspoken critic of Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, whom she described as a "dictator" like "Hitler," and those who vote and support him as "terrorists." She appeared on Sean Hannity's Hannity's America on May 6, 2007, Hannity & Colmes on June 1, 2007 and Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor on August 13, 2007 and March 11, 2009.

Alonso issued an "Open Letter to Sean Penn" online on March 29, 2010 regarding his support of Hugo Chávez. She used a point-by-point refrain of "WHY" in her letter questioning various issues occurring in Venezuela. In December 2011, she got into a heated exchange with Penn at a Los Angeles airport during which Penn called her a pig and she responded by calling Penn a communist.

In the fall of 2008, Alonso endorsed the presidential campaign of Republican nominee John McCain, writing:

As a Latina and a new American citizen, I believe in this country and its people, and I believe that we need more than just "change." We need a leader who can bring about the right kind of change, and John McCain has the experience and judgment necessary to lead us in these uncertain times. I grew up in Cuba and Venezuela, and I am appalled that Barack Obama apparently wants to emulate the "spread the wealth" economic policies of those countries and negotiate with their leaders.

In an August 2012 Spreecast interview, Alonso stated her opposition to Obama's re-election, saying that if reelected he would take steps to make the United States become more like Venezuela under the Chávez government.

In January 2014, Alonso resigned from a San Francisco production of The Vagina Monologues after appearing in an advertisement for Republican candidate for Governor Tim Donnelly.

On September 17, 2014, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro asked Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres to pursue on court legal actions to revoke Alonso's Venezuelan citizenship. The reason was her public request on a radio interview for a military intervention against Venezuela: "In my opinion, (the US) must intervene, because the Cubans already invaded without firing a single bullet because they gave it (Venezuela) for free. So I would like that the US would invade using bullets to get all those communists out of Venezuela"

In mid-2016, Alonso stated that she supported neither Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump nor Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the U.S. election, viewing both of them as unacceptable. She ended up supporting Gary Johnson in the general election.

Maria Conchita Alonso Actress - Date of Birth 29 June 1957, Cienfuegos, Cuba

Birth Name María Concepción Alonso Bustillo

Nicknames Ambar

Miss Venezuela

Miss Distrito Federal

Height 5' 6½" (1.69 m)

Mini Bio (1) Maria Conchita Alonso was born on June 29, 1957 in Cienfuegos, Cuba, but raised in Caracas, Venezuela. She was crowned Miss Teenager of the World in 1971 and later as Miss Distrito Federal became the first runner up in the Miss Venezuela 1975 competition placing later that year in the top seven of the Miss World 1975. She became a popular actress in Latin America, working in ten telenovelas (soap operas) and starred in a quartet of Venezuelan films. She was also a popular singer, and has three Grammy Award nominations. In 1982, she emigrated to the United States, and made her Hollywood film debut in Paul Mazursky's Moscow on the Hudson (1984), opposite Robin Williams. In 1995, she was playing Aurora/Spider Woman in a Broadway production of "Kiss of the Spider Woman", making her the first South American woman to star on the Great White Way.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: anonimous

Trivia (14)=Family Parents are Ricardo Alonso and Conchita Bustillo. Has two brothers: Ricardo and Robert Alonso.

On October 29, 1984, she gave a concert in "El Junquito", a prison in Caracas, Venezuela.

In the early 1980s, she released two albums under the nickname of Ambar, ("Love Maniac" and "The Witch"), with huge success.

Miss Teen World 1971, Miss Venezuela 1975 and Miss Distrito Federal 1975.

Has two dogs and two cats and works with many animal protection groups.

Loves motorcycling, snow skiing and water skiing

Educated in Switzerland and Spain. Speaks four languages - Spanish, English, French and Italian.

She has her own record label Ambar Entertainment, and her own production company called Ambyth Prods.

Was considered for the role of Eva Peron in Evita (1996), which went to Madonna.

Was initially offered the role of Lupe Lamora in Licence to Kill (1989), but dropped out, and the role was given to Talisa Soto.

Was originally considered for the role of Matron in Edmond (2005), but had to decline because she had a tour in Mexico during the time the film would be shot. The role was eventually given to Debi Mazar.

"Love Maniac" was her first album. It was released on 1979 under the nickname of Ambar. The album was recorded in English and the songs were heavily influenced by Donna Summer and other disco music artists from that era. The record label decided not to use Alonso's picture on the cover for the promo single and the release of the song was surrounded by mystery. The marketing strategy paid off and the song went to become a huge hit, topping the Venezuelan charts in September of that year.

In 2005, she launched her own fashion line called "Soy".

Became a United States citizen on October 10, 2005.

Personal Quotes (10) I've always been more in control of my professional life than my personal life. Although I'm a strong woman, when I fall in love I just give myself 100 percent. I become secondary.

I believe that your own thoughts can bring on positive or negative effects. So the people who feel sick all the time are the ones who are going to get sick, and the people who are constantly worried about what's going on around them... those are the ones in trouble.

All my life I've had a weight problem. As a child, I loved to eat. I would hide from my mother and drink whole cans of condensed milk in my room.

I've always wanted to be the center of attention.

I've never had a problem with age; my feelings and emotions are still like those of a young woman. Thank God, I can still be surprised and excited, and I can still dream. I think that's something no one should stop doing, because it's what keeps you young!

Being born in Cuba, a country where freedom of speech is non-existent, it's startling to observe how Venezuela, where I was happily raised, is fast becoming Cuba's mirror image: Dismantling of fundamental democratic rights deserved by its people and citizens of the world.

It's not right to believe that the only way you're gonna get a job and the only way you're gonna get a man or be happy is by being so skinny.

It doesn't really matter where the opportunity comes from, as long as I have fun doing the work.

I left Venezuela looking for something bigger. I wanted to be an international star.

I have friends who hide in their bedroom for three days every time they have another birthday. That's what brings the wrinkles! I didn't care when I turned 30 or 40 or 50.