Juan Gabriel

Bio:
Juan Gabriel (born Alberto Aguilera Valadez in Paracuaro, Michoacan, Mexico on January 7, 1950) was a Mexican recording artist and songwriter. After he signed with RCA Records in 1971 at the age of twenty-one, he changed his name from Alberto Aguilera Valadez to Juan Gabriel in honor of Juan Contreras, his schoolmaster whom he had great admiration for and his deceased father, Gabriel Aguilera. Following his record deal, Juan quickly became a world-renowned artist, recording 15 albums and selling over 20 millions copies over his 15-year career. While he had already established himself as one of Mexico’s leading, ranchera talents, he continued to crossover into the pop, disco, and rock genres. Juan sadly died from a suspected heart attack on Aug. 28, 2016.

Best Known For:
Juan Gabriel was best known for is 1984 album, Recuerdos, Vol. II, which quickly became the best-selling album of all time in Mexico, with sales of over 8 million copies. He was also recognized for a copyright dispute during his career in 1986 until 1994. Juan refused to record any material with BMG Music Publishing over copyrights to his songs. In 1994, Juan and BMG reached an agreement, granting him copyright and management responsibilities of over 500 songs.

Personal Life:
Juan Gabriel was never married, but had four children. While the mother of his children is unknown, he often stated that she was the best friend of his life, “la major amiga de mi vida.” Juan lived in El Paso Texas, but passed away in Santa Monica, California.