Chris Montez

Following the untimely death of Ritchie Valens, Chris Montez rose to prominence as a leading rocker within Los Angeles’s Hispanic community. He subsequently adopted a gentler style under Herb Alpert’s guidance and scored multiple middle-of-the-road hits. His breakthrough release came on the Monogram label in 1962 with “Let’s Dance,” a driving rocker built around a roller-rink-style organ. After moving to A&M, Montez altered his approach. Working with Alpert as producer, he delivered an easygoing reading of “Call Me,” “The More I See You,” and “Time After Time,” all of which sold strongly in 1966. That formula soon lost its appeal, and his last chart appearance arrived the following year with “Because of You.”