Apollonia Kotero

Patricia Apollonia Kotero (born August 2, 1959) is an American singer, actress, former model and talent manager.[2] She is known for co-starring in Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain and for having been the lead singer of the girl group Apollonia 6.[3]

Apollonia Kotero
Kotero at the Los Angeles Fashion Week in Culver City, California from March 2008
Background information
Birth namePatricia Apollonia Kotero[1]
Also known asApollonia
Born (1959-08-02) August 2, 1959
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
GenresR&B, disco, funk, soul, house, dance, new wave, pop, Minneapolis sound, freestyle, contemporary R&B
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, model, talent manager
Years active1979–present
Associated actsApollonia 6, Prince, Vanity 6

Early life

Kotero was born in San Pedro, California, the daughter of immigrants from Mexico, and the eldest of six children. Her father, Victor, was a restaurant manager, and her mother, Socorro, was a caregiver for the elderly. She dropped out of school at 16 to pursue a career as a model.[4]

Career

Early career

Kotero worked as an actress, singer and a model. After winning the Miss San Pedro beauty competition, and following her stint as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1980s, Kotero began acting in film and television series such as CHiPs, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Fantasy Island, Matt Houston, and Knight Rider. Between March and September 1982, she appeared in music videos for "The Other Woman" by Ray Parker Jr. and "Shakin'" by Eddie Money. In May 1984, she appeared in the ABC television film The Mystic Warrior as the Native American woman Wicahpi.

Prince and Purple Rain

When then-leader of Vanity 6 Denise "Vanity" Matthews, resigned from its membership before Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain was filmed, Kotero landed the film's female lead role. Vanity 6, which was renamed Apollonia 6 for the film, also featured supporting singers Brenda Bennett and Prince's then-girlfriend Susan Moonsie. Apollonia 6 embarked on a worldwide tour to promote their hit single, "Sex Shooter".

Kotero had originally recorded a version of the song "Manic Monday" for the 1984 album Apollonia 6. The album was written and composed by Prince, the song later became a worldwide hit single for The Bangles. Prince's song "Take Me with U" featured vocals by Kotero, and it reached #25 on the Billboard Top 40 chart in the United States.

In 1985, Kotero left Prince's camp to appear on the CBS primetime soap opera Falcon Crest,[3] playing Apollonia, the girlfriend of the character played by Lorenzo Lamas, for ten consecutive weeks. She performed several solo songs, including "Red Light Romeo", written and composed by Jon Lind.

Later career

In 1988, Warner Bros. Records released Kotero's eponymously titled first solo album, Apollonia.[5][6] Three singles were taken from the album: "Since I Fell for You", "The Same Dream" and "Mismatch".

She went on to appear in such films as Ministry of Vengeance (1989),[7] Back To Back (1990), Black Magic Woman (1991), and two Italian productions: La Donna di una Sera (A Lady for a Night) (1991) and Cattive Ragazze (1992). She returned to television on such shows as Sliders and Air America (which co-starred Lorenzo Lamas, her former co-star in Falcon Crest), and also hosted The Jazz Channel's Latin Beat program. During this period an exercise video entitled Go For It was also released. Kotero could also be seen on E!'s Celebrity Homes, The Test, Rendezview, and MTV Cribs, with her friend Carmen Electra.

In 2005, Kotero formed a multimedia entertainment company, Kotero Entertainment, which enlisted a number of producers to produce a children's animated television series as well as feature films. Kotero Entertainment also began managing young talent such as television and film star Sascha Andres and young pop singer Nikki Barreras, also known as Nikki B..

In 2009, Kotero's vocals appeared on The Twilight Singers cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" for Spin magazine's 25th anniversary tribute to the Purple Rain album, entitled Purplish Rain.

Discography

Studio albums
  • Apollonia (1988)

with Apollonia 6

Singles
Title Release Peak chart positions Album
US US
Dance		 US
R&B
"Take Me with U" (with Prince) 1985 25 7 40 Purple Rain
"Since I Fell for You" 1988 — 20 — Apollonia
"Mismatch" 1989 — 10 —
"The Same Dream" — — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
  • The "Take Me with U" duet reached No. 7 in the United Kingdom, becoming Kotero's only chart entry in the country.

References
  1. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGS5-C95
  2. Murthi, R.S. (January 8, 1990). "Apollonia keeps the fires going". New Straits Times.
  3. "Apollonia Kotero List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  4. White, Constance (May 28, 2001). "Out of the Rain". People. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  5. Draper, Jason (2011). Prince: Chaos, Disorder, and Revolution. Backbeat Books. ISBN 9781458429414.
  6. Heim, Chris (March 17, 1989). "Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' Gets Around To Release As Lp". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  7. "Ministry of Vengeance (1989) Directed by Peter Maris". LETTERBOXD. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
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