Alberto González Rubio(1923-1981)

Cuban actor of radio and television, one of the most popular before the 1959 Cuban revolution. Born in Havana on November 21, 1923, he first became prominent in radio soap operas where his deep, well-modulated voice was an instant hit especially among the female audience. At the arrival of television, Alberto's good looks made an easy transition to the new media. He signed an exclusive contract with Crusellas, the Cuban representative of Colgate-Palmolive products, which sponsored the top telenovelas (soap operas) at the powerful CMQ TV network. Alberto's enormous popularity attracted film producers, and he was featured in several movies that carried his image and voice to the Spanish and Portuguese speaking public of the world. He was also very successful recording several albums of the best Latin American poetry. After the communist take over in Cuba, all media was confiscated by the government and the actor saw himself relegated to propaganda programs. He fled his homeland in 1962 settling with his family in Miami, Florida where his career continued thanks to his popularity among the Cuban exile community. However, due to the limited projection of Spanish broadcasts in Southern Florida in the 1960s, Alberto's career never regained the glory he had known in Cuba before the revolution. In spite of that, he recorded several radio serials and was featured in commercials. Some of his radio work in the United States was broadcast to Latin America through The Voice of America. In interviews, he was quoted saying "I rather be a free man than work in slavery" adding that "he was grateful for raising his three daughters in freedom". Alberto died at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital on October 28, 1981 after surgery from lung cancer.