‘The Masked Singer’ didn't just give this celeb a stage to perform — it brought him closer to his late mom
Oscar De La Hoya, known as Fuzzy Peas on ‘The Masked Singer’ 13, was one of the most shocking reveals on the show. Although his journey was brief, being booted early on in episode 2, ‘Shrek Night,’ his performance left a powerful impact on the judges as well as the audience. But the biggest surprise was how deeply this experience resonated with the 52-year-old gold champion.
"Turning into Fuzzy Peas is like, it was a dream come true to me because the faces had, like, three different personalities, right? And I was like, my God, that's me. There's one, like, that's mischievous, one that's always happy and laughing, you know, and the other one's just a little sad. That's me. So, I was like, my gosh, they hit this right on the nail's head. I had such a good time," he told in an interview with TooFab.
He also shared that the show allowed him to be his authentic self, recalling the show’s premiere, where he sang the Mexican song ‘La Lamba’, by Ritchie Valens, he said, “Because I do come from a musical background -- my mother was a professional singer -- and so I would sing with her like all the time. And it was funny because they present you the songs, and you're like, 'Oh my gosh, wait, I sing this karaoke song all the time.' 'La Bamba' was like, it's my forte. So I was extremely, extremely happy and relieved that I could sing that song because I kind of knew it," he explained. "But it makes you proud. It just makes you proud that you can showcase, you can sing, in your language."
He further opened up about how the show helped him connect with his late mother, “My mother passed away from breast cancer when I was like 17 years old. And so I have this special little thing in my heart with my mom, singing with her because I would after school, I would hear her sing at home, like cleaning the house, in our neighborhood, sweeping the floors and all that," De La Hoya recalled. "And she would be singing with that like, she had this angelic voice. I would be like six, seven, eight years old coming home from school and singing with her and practicing, not practicing, but just singing with her. So I think that those moments will always be the most special."
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He continued, "And when she passed away from breast cancer, I went off to the Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 and won the gold medal for her. So obviously, the gold medal and the singing is like dear, dear, the closest to my heart. So when they told me you're going to do the Masked Singer, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is a way to connect with her, to just hold those special memories in my heart forever." La Hoya's journey on ‘The Masked Singer’ only proves why the show is still a hit, not only with the fans but also with the celebrities. Recently, ‘The Masked Singer’ season 13 wrapped with country star Gretchen Wilson, unmasked as Pearl, taking home the crown on May 8.