Biography
Giggles was born Maria Respeto in Santurce, Puerto Rico, and moved to New York at eleven. She studied performing arts at Lehman College in the Bronx, and Cutting Records released “Love Letter” in the late 1980s, the single that made her a fixture of the New York club scene.
“What Goes Around Comes Around,” produced by Charlie “Rock” Jimenez, brought her a second act, winning best dance song at the 1992 New York Music Awards. Her album He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not collected the singles along with club favorites like “He Said, She Said.”
Respeto performed on the freestyle reunion circuit for decades and passed away on March 18, 2024, at age 60. The freestyle community mourned her as one of its own, a singer whose two signature records both appear on this site.
Songs
- Love Letter, #53 on the Top 100
- What Comes Around Goes Around, #71 on the Top 100