Raquel is an American singer, model, writer, and actress born in September 1940 in Chicago, which makes her 80 years old as of 2020. Her real name apart from her stage name is Jo Raquel Tejada. She is the firstborn in their family of three children. Her father, Bolivian Armando Carlos Tejada Urquizo, was an aerospace engineer while her mother was Irish-American going by the name Josephine Sarah.
Raquel Welch Early Life
Her will and passion as a performer started in her early childhood when she would attend Pacific Beach Presbyterian Church with her mother. She learned ballet for ten years from the age of ten but later quit after she realized that she didn’t have the right body figure from her instructor.
She became a winner as early as fourteen when she won the Miss Photogenic, a beauty title further also won Miss Fairest of the Fair while she attended high school. She successfully Raquel graduated high school in 1958. One year later, she became pregnant for her high school boyfriend, James Welch, who went on and married her, and together they were blessed with two children.
Personal life
She first got married in 1959 to James Welch, and together they had Damon and Latanne Welch, who was born in 1959 and 1961, respectively. Her marriage to Welch, however, was short-lived as they separated in 1962 and got divorced in 1964. Finding love again, she was married to Patrick Curtis, who is a producer in 1966. Unfortunately, she also divorced Patrick in 1972. A trend of her life since she also went ahead and got married to her fourth husband that is Richard Palmer, in 1999 whom she later separated from in 2008. Having had enough of marriages, she decided that she would not get into another marriage.
Professional Career
Raquel began her acting career when she won a scholarship in a drama that helped her learn at San Diego State College. Having kids to take care of, she worked as a weather forecaster at a local San Diego television station. Raquel had to stop attending school since her work demanded more of her time; she also worked as a model for Neiman Marcus as well as a cocktail waitress. She also ventured into singing, where she released “This Girl’s Back In Town.” To add on to that, she has made uncountable guest television appearances.
Awards and Achievements
She is one of the TV personalities that has won a couple of awards; for example, in 1975, Raquel went home with the Golden Globe Award as the best actress in a motion picture. To add on to that in 1983, she won the Western Heritage Awards in a Fictional Television Drama. Raquel Welch also got a second Globe Awards in 1987 due to the role played in the TV film ‘Right to Die’. Other Awards that she received include; a star at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard and Imagen Foundation Lifetime Achievement.
Raquel Welch Networth
Being an actress and a pop culture icon, Raquel is estimated to be worth $30 million. Her acting singing and modeling career all have contributed to her wealth.