Juan Gabriel

Songwriter, producer, singer

As a superstar and a legend of by gone traditions, a troubadour and cultural icon, Juan Gabriel stirred the roots of the Mexican people by means of his singing, songwriting, and musical productions. His persona escalated throughout the later decades of the twentieth century and by 2000 Gabriel seemed larger than life. Throughout his rise to stardom as a Mexican folk hero, he endeared himself internationally as well, not only to audiences but also to his musical colleagues. Gabriel remained equally at ease in an old hat and jeans as in a tuxedo and unwittingly assumed a unique stature among his countrymen as a symbol of their culture and spirit. His songs and compositions recorded a range of passion—from ballads rife with Mexican folk imagery, to spirited dance tempos and the dramatic ranchera bria song styles—injected with extravagant bursts of Latin flavor and bravado.

Juan Gabriel was born Alberto Aguilera Valadez on January 7, 1950 in the town of Paracuaro, in the state of Michoacän, Mexico, on the Pacific coast. He was the youngest of ten siblings who lost their father shortly before Gabriel's birth. Gabriel as a result was raised by his mother in Juarez, Chihuahua, where she earned a living as a housekeeper. Because of the difficult family situation, Gabriel from age five through 13 lived at a boarding school, which to him was little more than an orphanage, and he turned to his music to elevate his spirits and to temper his loneliness. When he left the institution as a teenager, Gabriel made his living for a time selling handmade furniture and crafts, a skill that he learned at the school.

Despite the difficult emotional lessons of his youth, Gabriel always enjoyed music and singing. His earliest conscious recollections revolved around singing, even when he was too young to talk. He increasingly embraced music as an escape from the woes of life, and wrote his first song at age 13, unaware that he was destined for international stardom. In retrospect, he likened his musical compositions to an effective method of logging the past, a lyrical diary of the experience of life. As a young performer, he initially took the stage name of Adán (Adam) Luna for a performance on local television in Juarez in 1965, and he was still in his teens when he performed his live debut at an establishment called the Noa Noa in 1966. His performances in the nightclubs around Juarez continued for several years, including frequent performances at club Malibú in Juarez. His experiences served later as the inspiration for his song, "El Noa Noa," wherein he immortalized those early performance venues of his teen years. Ultimately Gabriel moved to the Mexican national capitol, having secured a recording contract with what later became his perennial label, BMG (RCA Records at that time). He changed his name to Juan Gabriel in 1971, to coincide with the move to Mexico City, choosing the name of Juan in honor of a schoolmaster for whom he held great admiration and adopting the stage surname of Gabriel in honor of his own deceased father, Gabriel Aguilera.

In 1971, his song "No Tengo Dinero" ("I Have No Money") became the first hit of a career that erupted into full-blown stardom by the mid 1980s. In less than 15 years Gabriel recorded approximately two dozen albums, and his records by 1985 had sold an estimated 20 million copies, according to All Music Guide. On October 4, 1986, Billboard published the Hot Latin Tracks chart for the first time, and it was Gabriel's single release, "Yo No Se Que Me Paso," that topped the debut edition of the new chart. His nearly continual presence on the Tracks chart since that time has contributed substantial credibility to the Gabriel legend.

Gabriel's fame is founded not only on the strength of his vocal talent, but also on his bent for composing eloquent songs and melodies. The Billboard Music Publishing Spotlight cited Gabriel three times for his original songs during the 1990s. Likewise, two consecutive Billboard Year in Music issues listed Gabriel as the number-two composer of Hot Latin Tracks, citing his hit recordings of "Te Sigo Amando," and "Asi Tu," each of which attained the number-one position on the Tracks chart in 1997 and 1998 respectively. "Te Sigo Amando" in fact appeared on the chart for an unprecedented 34 weeks. That song and another popular piece by Gabriel, called "El Destino," contributed largely to the recognition of BMG Songs as publisher of the year at the Billboard Latin 50 Awards at the Miami Beach Club Tropigala in the spring of 1998. Indeed, Gabriel's popular "Hasta Que Te Conoci" alone was recorded more than two dozen times, including five separate releases by headline singers that placed on the chart, among them Marc Anthony, Ana Gabriel, and Gabriel himself. In total, Gabriel's songs have been sung by a wide assortment of prominent recording artists, such as Rocío Dúrcal and Raul di Blasio.

Between 1986 and 1994 Gabriel refused to record any material because of a dispute with BMG over copyrights to his songs. He continued his career in live stage performances, however, setting attendance records throughout Latin America with his vibrant trademark concerts that lasted characteristically for a grueling three hours. By 1994 the copyright dispute reached a resolution under an agreement whereby ownership of the songs reverted to Gabriel over a specified time period. His first recorded release following the agreement in 1994 was an album comprised largely of ballads and with a decidedly modern twist toward the venue of pop music. The release, called Gracias Por Esperar (Thanks for Waiting), included crossover tunes branching into reggae, rhythm and blues, gospel, and American country music. Gracias Por Esperar also featured the Latin Top 50 hit single, "Pero Que Necesidad," which reached number one on that chart and was released as a video as well. Among his more popular recordings during those years was a collaborative effort with Dúrcal on Jantos Otra Vez in 1997. The album, one of many partnerships between Gabriel and Dürcal, included a duet, called "El Destino," which was released as a best-selling single track. Additionally, Gabriel's "El Palo," from his El Mexico Que Se Nos Fue album and one of his three Hot Latin Tracks releases of 1996, entered the chart at number one. Also included on that album was the popular, "Mi Bendita Tierra," and the album featured other hit singles including "Juan Y Maria," and Cancion '87." Even as Gabriel resumed his recording career in the mid 1990s, his live concerts continued to gross recordsetting revenues into the latter part of the decade. He performed also at the Festival Acapulco in a memorable appearance on May 13, 1997.

In 2000, according to the 1994 agreement between Gabriel and BMG, the performer assumed complete copyright and management responsibilities of more than 500 songs, under the control of his own publishing firm. He continued his songwriting at an expansive home in Malibu, California, and performed regularly in a variety of formats with bands, mariachis, and orchestras. Gabriel, who is surprisingly illiterate in musical notation, worked by memory until the advent of the convenient portable tape recorder. Like many writers, he developed a preference for working in the quiet of the late evening hours. He willingly shares his songs with other singers in the interest of keeping the music industry vibrant and alive.