Betty Pino | |
|---|---|
| Born | Beatriz Pino April 21, 1948 |
| Died | August 7, 2013(2013-08-07) (aged 65) |
| Citizenship | Ecuador United States of America[citation needed][when?] |
| Occupation(s) | Radio host,announcer |
| Children | 2 |
Betty Pino, bornBeatriz Pino and also known asLa Reina de la Radio (21 April 1948 – 7 August 2013), was an Ecuadorianradio host andannouncer.[1]
Betty Pino was born inAncón,Ecuador on 21 April 1948, but grew up, went to school, and worked inQuito. From an early age, Pino had an interest inradio and it became her dream to become an internationally recognized radio star. At 14, she made her first foray into radio at a local station in Quito. Around this time, Pino and her family immigrated to theUnited States of America and she found work as amaid in a luxury hotel and at a cafe.[2][3] In 1973, Pino landed a job as a receptionist at a radio station inMiami,Florida and the next year became the city's first femaleDJ forWCMQ-FM.[4][5]
Years later, Pino arrived atUnivision'sAmor 107.5 FM and hosted a weekly music and entertainment show. Very quickly, she became very popular to listeners and many Hispanic artists and personalities and earned thenickname "La Reina de la Radio," or "The Queen of the Radio" in Miami.[2][3][4][6][7] ThroughoutLatin America, she became known as "La Gurú del mundo del disco," "The Guru of the Disc World,"[2] for her ability to predict which songs would become a hit. Examples includeRoberto Torres's cover ofCaballo Viejo,Macarena byLos del Río,La Gota Fría byCarlos Vives,[5] andEl hombre que yo amo byMyriam Hernández, among others.[2][8] Among the artists that Pino counted as her friends are Myriam Hernández,Raphael,Sandro,Braulio García,Dyango,Rocío Jurado, andJulio Iglesias.[4][5][8]
On 15 July 2013, Pino entered the Doctors Hospital of Coral Gables inMiami,Florida for a bacterial infection. However, whenantibiotics failed to better her condition, she was placed in amedically-induced coma and then died at the Jackson Memorial Hospital at 2 AMEST, 7 August 2013. When news hit the music world, an outpouring of grief was expressed by such personalities asMyriam Hernández,Julio Iglesias,Dyango,Raphael,Ricardo Montaner,Luis Fonsi,Olga Tañón,Willie Colón,Shakira,Laura Pausini,Chayanne,Douglas Bastidas,Carlos Baute,María Celeste Arrarás,Roberto Angelelli [es],Javier Romero, andPepe Forte. She is survived by her two daughters, Beatriz and Christina.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]