One of Puerto Rico's first teen idols, Chucho Avellanet has remained active as a television producer, film star, and regular performer at the island's top hotels. Avellanet became the first Latin American artist to perform during the internationally televised Miss Universal competition. A native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Avellanet first attracted attention in the mid-'60s as a member of Trio Los Duendes. "Discovered" by Cuban producer Gaspar Pumarejo, Avellanet began appearing on Puerto Rican television, building an audience that embraced his recordings, including "Canta Muchachita," "Se Acabó," "Ya No Existe el Amor," "La Primera Novia," "Si Yo Fuera Rico," "Manolo," "Love Story," and "Por Ti." His 15-album discography includes the English-language recording In a Little Spanish Town. In 1972, Avellanet finished fourth in a competition at the Festival OTI in Spain. His single "Jamas Te Olvidare" remained in the top slot on the Venezuelan pop charts for 17 weeks. Since the mid-'90s, Avellanet has overseen his own record label, Unicornio, producing albums for such artists as Argentinian vocalist Alberto Cortéz. He has managed to record well into the 21st century, issuing an album every two or three years. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2011, and underwent treatment, and made a full recovery. He issued the album Navidades En Mi Pueblo in 2015 on SJ Family. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi