Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel (born Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri April 19, 1970 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Mexican singer of Spanish and Italian descent. He has been the most popular singer in Latin America since the Late 1980's. In Latin America, he is nicknamed El Sol ("The Sun") and is also widely known as "El Rey" (The King), Luismi, Micky, "El Idolo" or Luismi rey (in reference to his father's artistic name "Luisito Rey")
Luis Miguel has been the most popular singer in Latin America since the late 80's. He has won some of the most prestigious music awards such as nine Grammys (5 Grammys, 4 Latin Grammys); a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the age of 26 and three World Music Awards. Luis Miguel holds the record as the best-selling live performing Latin artist in history. Luis Miguel has sold over 60 million copies worldwide and is the best selling Spanish-Language artist in the history of the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Luis Miguel holds the record for the artist with the most n#1 singles in the history of Billboard charts Hot Latin Tracks (16).
An Enigma
Despite his heavily publicized illustrious career, Luis Miguel remains an enigma to the public. Little is known of his personal life. He does not grant the press interviews unless he is launching an album, and even then he limits questions only to his music. He only attends award shows if he is receiving a special honor, and even then he does not come in by way of the red carpet, but rather through a private entrance far from cameras and reporters. The details of his personal life are of even greater mystery.
Miguel was thought to have been born in Mexico since he grew up in the state of Veracruz. However, in the early 1990s it was leaked to the press that he had actually been born in Puerto Rico during a brief stay in the island by his parents. "El Sol" claims to have been unaware of this and still proudly considers himself to be a Mexican.
He was the son of the late Spanish singer Luisito Rey (born Luis Gallego Sánchez) and Italian-born actress Marcella Basteri. Miguel's mother disappeared some time in 1987 and her whereabouts have been unknown since. He has two younger brothers, Sergio and Alejandro, whom he supports financially. These are some of the only details known about Luis Miguel's family life. After the Mexican press discovered that he was born in Puerto Rico and not in Veracruz, the Mexican government granted him citizenship.
Career
His career started early. At the age of four, he appeared in public in Costa Rica. For several years, as he grew from a child into a teenager, his father induced him to watch and analyze nearly every movie, recording, and concert performance of Elvis Presley, as a learning process towards the attainment of a high degree of showmanship. His actual recording career started in 1981, when he recorded his first album, 1+1= 2 Enamorados (1+1 = 2 people in love) with the Mexican branch of EMI. Two years later, he started touring Latin American countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina.
In 1985, he took part in the San Remo Music Festival, where he won his first award with his song Noi ragazzi di oggi ("We boys of today"). That same year, he also won the Antorcha de Plata (silver torch) award in the Viña del Mar Music Festival. That led to his recording of a duet with Scottish singer Sheena Easton. The song was called Me Gustas Tal Como Eres ("I like you just as you are").
He had a short acting career in 1984 and 1985. In 1984, Miguel co-starred in the film Ya nunca más and in 1985 in Fiebre de Amor with singer Lucero as a co-star.
In 1987, he signed with WEA, which gave his career a huge push, especially with the backing of producer and composer Juan Carlos Calderón. His relationship with his parents soured soon after, with accusations of mismanagement of his career and bad economic decisions which put his fortune in danger.
In 1988, the album Un Hombre Busca Una Mujer brought Luis Miguel unparalled fame and popularity throughout Latin America. The album's mega-hit single La Incondicional broke all previous airplay records and was a number one hit all throughout Latin America for over five months.
In 1990, he made a successful transition from child singer to adult showman extraordinaire with the album 20 Años and an ensuing string of sold-out shows — first in Mexico, then throughout Latin America and elsewhere in the world, where he established a reputation for hard work and for delivering some of the most extraordinary vocals to be heard in popular music.
In 1991, Luis Miguel's career soared to even greater heights and earned him the respect of a wider audience with the release of Romance, an album of romantic Spanish standards, known as boleros. Romance is the best-selling Spanish-language album of all time and the first Spanish album ever to reach platinum status in the United States (albums selling over one million copies).
In 1993, his album Aries won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. Luis Miguel became the first Latin artist ever to sell out Madison Square Garden and received a special recognition in the middle of his sold-out concert.
In 1994, he released a sequel, Segundo Romance, featuring Miguel as a convincing pop tenor with mastery over timeless Spanish classics such as Solamente Una Vez and Sin Ti. The album went on to earn Miguel a Grammy Award and reached platinum status in the United States.
That same year, Luis Miguel was personally invited by Frank Sinatra to join him on his Duets II album and to perform live in a nationally televised special in his honor along with other stars such as Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole.
In 1996, Luis Miguel was awarded the highest honor in the entertainment business, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Luis Miguel quickly returned to the studios and released Nada es Igual, a pop album featuring Sueña (English title: Someday), the main theme for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
In 1997 Miguel released Romances, the third album of the bolero series. Romances broke all previous records and became the fastest selling Spanish-language album in US history; it rose to #14 on the Billboard chart in its debut week. Romances earned Miguel a World Music Award and another Grammy Award.
In 1999, Luis Miguel released Amarte es un Placer which earned him three Latin Grammys. Its hit single O tu O Ninguna placed #1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks list for eight consecutive weeks. The Amarte es un Placer Tour became the best selling tour for a Latin artist in history.
Following the success of Amarte es un Placer, Luis Miguel released Mis Romances in 2001, his fourth installment in a series of Spanish romantic standards. With this album, which sold over two million copies worldwide, he launched an extensive tour throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
In 2003, Luis Miguel released his first pop album in over four years. Entitled 33, it featured a collection of ballads and up-tempo songs. Its first single Te Necesito ascended instantly to #1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks list. 33 was the best-selling Latin pop album of the year. On the 33 Tour, Miguel performed at a sold-out Madison Square Garden, two sold-out nights at Miami's American Airlines Arena, and various sold-out shows at Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheatre, as well as other prestigious international venues such as Plaza de los Toros in Spain.
That same year, Prince Felipe of Spain granted him a special award for being the best-selling foreign artist in his country's history, and hosted a special party in his honor in Madrid.
In 2004, Luis Miguel released Mexico en la Piel, a collection of traditional Mexican rancheras'. This album was widely regarded by both critics and fans as one of Miguel's finest works; it also earned him two Grammy Awards. It sold over 800,000 units in its first week.
In 2006, Luis Miguel`s Mexico en la Piel 30-show engagement Jan. 18-Feb. 27 at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City grossed $19.3 million and drew 267,528 fans. It is believed to be the biggest gross in the history of Mexico and one of the top global indoor grosses of all time. It also broke Miguel`s 25-show run at the venue in 2004. The 101-date tour started last September (2005) in the United States and then played Argentina, Chile and Uruguay through the end of the year before beginning the Mexican run in January. The tour`s total gross was north of $60 million, which broke his own record (Amarte es un Placer in 1999) as the top-grossing tour ever by a Latin artist.
Most recently, Luis Miguel launched his own line of Chilean wine, called "Unico Luis Miguel", and is preparing his upcoming album.
The Ultimate Latin Lover
Luis Miguel is regarded mostly a loner who hates the label of "heartbreaker". He is widely known as a playboy and has dated some of the world's most beautiful women including actress Salma Hayek, Mexican singer Thalia, photographer Mariana Yazbek, singer Sasha Sökol, singer Lucia Mendez, model and television presenter Sofía Vergara, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, tennis superstar Gabriela Sabatini, MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes, singer Mariah Carey, and Cuban-American journalist Myrka Dellanos. Luis Miguel is currently dating Aracely Arámbula, a Mexican soap opera actress.
Rumors of Upcoming Wedding
Several media outlets in Mexico have reported that the singer will finally marry -his current girlfriend Aracely Arambula. Rumors spread like wild fire through the Spanish language media when the popular entertainment magazine TV Notas published an article revealing that the singer is to marry on May 20, 2006 near El Distrito Federal; however, other rumors indicate that the ceremony will take place in the southern state of Oaxaca.
Even though the above has not been confirmed, Aracely Arambula is three months pregnant and the couple is expecting their first child by the end of this year.
Albums
WEA discography:
- (1987) Soy como quiero ser: 1.3 million
- (1988) Un Hombre Busca una Mujer: 3 million
- (1990) 20 años: 4 million
- (1991) Romance: 12 million
- (1992) America y en Vivo: 600,000
- (1993) Aries: 3.5 million
- (1994) Segundo Romance: 5.2 million
- (1995) El Concierto: 1.2 million
- (1996) Nada es Igual: 4.5 million
- (1997) Romances: 8 million
- (1998) Todos los Romances (Compilation): 1.2 million
- (1999) Amarte es Un placer: 3.5 million
- (2000) Vivo: 2.1 million
- (2002) Mis Romances: 2.5 million
- (2002) Mis Boleros Favoritos: 1 million
- (2003) 33: 3 million
- (2004) Mexico en la Piel: 3.7 million
- (2005) Grandes Exitos: 1 million
- Luis Miguel's Sales Figures for EMI Records are Not Known **
However, according to some sources Luis Miguel had sold over 35 million records under EMI alone from 1982 - 1986. The current figure is unknown.
Billboard's N#1 Hot Latin Tracks
Title - (Year,Album)
- Ahora Te Puedes Marchar - (1987, Luis Miguel '87)
- La Incondicional - (1989, Un Hombre Busca Una Mujer)
- Fria Como El Viento - (1989, Un Hombre Busca Una Mujer)
- Tengo Todo Excepto A Ti - (1990, 20 Años)
- Entrégate - (1990, 20 Años)
- No Sé Tu - (1992, Romance)
- Inolvidable - (1992, Romance)
- Ayer - (1993, Aries)
- Hasta Que Me Olvides - (1993, Aries)
- El Dia Que Me Quieras - (1994, Segundo Romance)
- La Media Vuelta - (1994, Segundo Romance)
- Si Nos Dejan - (1995, El Concierto)
- Por Debajo De La Mesa - (1997, Romances)
- O Tú O Ninguna - (1999 - Amarte Es Un Placer)
- Como Duele - (2002 - Mis Romances)
- Te Necesito - (2003 - 33)