Beginning her career in 1975 as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine, before crossing over to mainstream pop success with the international hit singles "Dr. Beat" (1984) and "Conga" (1986), Estefan emerged as one of the biggest new stars in the mid-'80s, predating the still nascent Latin pop explosion by a decade, and scoring a series of propulsive dance hits rooted in the rhythms of her native Cuba, before shifting her focus to softer, more ballad-oriented fare.
Born in Havana, Cuba, the young Gloria Fajardo was raised primarily in Miami, FL, after her father, a bodyguard of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, was forced to flee the island following the 1959 coup helmed by Fidel Castro. In the fall of 1975, Fajardo and her cousin Merci Murciano auditioned for the Miami Latin Boys, a local wedding band headed by keyboardist Emilio Estefan. With their addition, the group was rechristened Miami Sound Machine and four years later, Fajardo and Estefan were wed. As Miami Sound Machine began composing their own original material, their fusion of pop, disco, and salsa earned a devoted local following, and in 1979 the group issued their first Spanish-language LP on CBS International. Despite a growing Hispanic fan base, they did not cross over to non-Latin audiences until "Dr. Beat" topped European dance charts in 1984.
With 1985's Primitive Love, Miami Sound Machine recorded their first English-language effort, scoring three Top Ten pop hits in the U.S. alone with the infectious "Conga", "Bad Boy", and "Words Get in the Way". Following 1987's triple-platinum Let It Loose, Estefan took top billing and the group changed its name to Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine in 1988, reeling off four Top Ten hits - "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", "Can't Stay Away from You", the chart-topping "Anything for You", and "1-2-3". 1989's Cuts Both Ways was credited to Estefan alone and generated her second #1 hit, "Don't Wanna Lose You". However, on March 20, 1990, while touring in support of the album, her bus was struck by a tractor trailer. Estefan suffered a broken vertebra that required extensive surgery and kept her off the road for over a year. Her husband Emilio and the couple's son were injured in the crash as well, but all three recovered. Estefan resurfaced in 1991 with Into the Light, again topping the charts with "Coming Out of the Dark", a single inspired by her near-fatal accident. Two more cuts from the album, "Can't Forget You" and "Live for Loving You", secured her foothold on the adult contemporary charts.
With 1993's Mi Tierra, Estefan returned to her roots, recording her first Spanish-language record in nearly a decade and earning a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album; on the follow-up 1994 covers collection, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, she also recalled her dance-pop origins with a rendition of the Vicki Sue Robinson disco classic, "Turn the Beat Around". Another all-Spanish effort, Abriendo Puertas (1995), earned her a Grammy as well, while Destiny featured "Reach", named the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics. As Latin pop made new commercial headway, thanks to the efforts of acts like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, Estefan reigned as the most successful crossover artist in Latin music history, with international record sales close to the 50 million mark. In 1999, she also made her feature film debut alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart, recording the film's title song as a duet with *NSYNC, and scoring both a massive pop hit and an Oscar nomination in the process. A new Spanish-language album, Alma Caribeña, followed in the spring of 2000. Several months later, Estefan was awarded a Grammy for Best Music Video for "No Me Dehes de Querer" at the inaugural annual Latin Grammy Awards. Her husband, Emilio, won for Producer of the Year. - Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Appearances and tours
In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company’s program, American Idol, but declined an offer to be an official judge, saying she did not like to “judge” others.
On July 28, 2004, in a press conference hosted by Donald Trump at the Trump Tower, Estefan announced that her then-upcoming tour would be her final one. The Live and Re-Wrapped Summer/Fall 2004 Tour, her first tour in eight years was produced by Clear Channel Entertainment. The tour featured Estefan’s greatest hits, along with new material from Unwrapped.
In December 2006, Estefan appeared as a special guest singer on the UK talent show The X Factor.
Gloria's 11th studio album,Miss Little Havana. The Miss Little Havana Songfacts says that the first nine tracks tells the tale of a young girl who hooks up with the wrong guy in Miami after moving there from Cuba. All of these tracks were written or co-written by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes. It is described by Estefan as a project in the vein of her 1998 hit album gloria!.
Songfacts reports that "Hotel Nacional" debuted at #1 on Billboard's Latin countdown - the first time a female artist had achieved that feat since the chart was introduced in 1986. Both "Wepa" and "Hotel Nacional" achieved number one on Billboard Latin Songs and on Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.
Estefan started a reality show called The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep opposite Joe Jonas, Nelly and John Rich on the CW Network, where she, and the other three mentors are searched for the next big star, to record an album with Atlantic Records. Unlike other music reality shows, in this program, the mentors selected the "candidates" for the show, and trained them for a live performance, where they'd be voted for the best act of the day. The first season ended in October 2012, with musician Michael Ray, as the big finalist.
This same year, Estefan appeared as a musical guest in Tony Bennett's compilation of duets with Latin-American musicians, Viva Duets with a rendition of the song, "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)". Weeks later, she helped the American version of Teleton, releasing the charity single "Por Un Mundo Mejor" along with Mexican singer Lucero, Dominican rapper El Cata and Mexican pop band, Reik. A video for the song was shot, with them recording the song, which was marked as the official hymn for the foundation.
In May 2013, she appears doing another duet with the song "Think I'm In Love Again" as part of the albums Duets released by Paul Anka.
Estefan has announced she was working on a new album of covers, The Standards, released in September 2013. The album will feature some collaborations with artists like Laura Pausini, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell, and the selection of songs are mostly songs from the Great American songbook. Estefan released the first single, "How Long Has This Been Going On?", digitally on Amazon and iTunes on July 9, 2013
Official website: http://www.gloriaestefan.com
I Will Always Need Your Love
Gloria Estefan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Till the day that it's through
You know most of the pages belong to you
Every interesting chapter
Every twist, every turn
You're my willing accomplice to the lessons
I've learned
I'll be riveted
And when I write my dedication I'll say
I will always need your love
Wish I could write it in the daily news
I will always need your love
It would be very hard to fill your shoes
I will always need your love
So many ways that I depend on you
I will always need your love
No one else, no one else, could love me like you
You know all of my faults
Every strength, every quirk
You can dictate a handbook on the way that I work
Many towering hurdles
You've helped me climb
What was already great is even better with time
You've discovered each secret
Every fantasy
The only thing I really need you to see
I will always need your love
Wish I could write it in the daily news
I will always need your love
It would be very hard to fill your shoes
I will always need your love
So many ways that I depend on you
I will always need your love
No one else, no one else, could love me like you
I will always need your love
Wish I could write it in the daily news
I will always need your love
It would be very hard to fill your shoes
I will always need your love
So many ways that I depend on you
I will always need your love
No one else, no one else, no one else could love me like you
I will always need your love
I will always need your love
I will always need your love
Always need your love
I will always need your love
So many ways that I depend on you
I will always need your love
No one else, no one else, could love me like you
I will always need your love
The lyrics to Gloria Estefan's song I Will Always Need Your Love speak to the depth of love and dependence the singer has for her partner. The beginning lines reference the book of her life, and how most of the pages belong to the person she is singing to. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it becomes clear that this person has been a constant presence throughout her life, helping her navigate the twists and turns that have come up.
The singer acknowledges that they have had their fair share of "towering hurdles" to overcome, but that with their partner's help, they have been able to climb them all. This highlights the idea that the singer sees their partner as an ally, someone who helps them not only navigate life's obstacles but also discover their deepest secrets and fantasies.
As the song progresses, it is clear that the singer is trying to convey the depth of their love and gratitude for their partner. They sing, "Wish I could write it in the daily news / It would be very hard to fill your shoes", emphasizing that their partner is irreplaceable and that they don't know how they could ever survive without them. It is clear that this person is the singer's rock, and that they will always need their love.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt tribute to the singer's partner, recognizing how much they've been through together and how much they depend on each other. It beautifully captures the depth of love and appreciation that can exist between two people, highlighting how much stronger they are when they're together.
Line by Line Meaning
In the book of my life
This is a reference to the metaphorical story of Gloria Estefan's life, which contains chapters that are both happy and sad.
Till the day that it's through
This line is saying that Gloria will always depend on her loved one until the end of her life.
You know most of the pages belong to you
This line is referring to the fact that Gloria's significant other has been with her for many important moments in her life. They share many memories and experiences together.
Every interesting chapter
This line refers to the fact that Gloria's significant other has been with her during some of the most exciting and memorable moments of her life.
You're my willing accomplice to the lessons
This line means that Gloria's loved one has helped her learn and grow, even during the tough times.
I've learned
This line is a continuation of the previous line and means that Gloria's significant other has helped her learn important lessons throughout her life.
Till the end of the story
This line is a repetition of an earlier line, emphasizing that Gloria's loved one will be there for her until the end of her life.
I'll be riveted
This line means that Gloria loves her loved one so much that she will never lose interest in him/her.
And when I write my dedication I'll say
This line is a reference to the fact that Gloria will dedicate her book to her loved one, acknowledging how important he/she has been to her life.
Wish I could write it in the daily news
This line means that Gloria wishes she could publicly declare her love for her significant other.
It would be very hard to fill your shoes
This line means that it would be difficult to find someone else who could fill the same role as Gloria's loved one.
So many ways that I depend on you
This line means that Gloria is very dependent on her loved one in many different ways.
No one else, no one else, could love me like you
This line means that Gloria believes that no one else could love her in the same way that her loved one does.
You know all of my faults
This line means that Gloria's loved one is aware of all of her weaknesses and flaws, but still loves her.
Every strength, every quirk
This line means that Gloria's loved one is aware of her unique personality traits and loves her for them.
You can dictate a handbook on the way that I work
This line means that Gloria's loved one knows her so well that they could write a guidebook on how she functions day-to-day.
Many towering hurdles
This line means that Gloria has faced many obstacles in her life, but her loved one has helped her to overcome them.
You've helped me climb
This line means that Gloria's significant other has helped her overcome difficult times in her life.
What was already great is even better with time
This line means that Gloria's relationship with her loved one has only grown stronger over time.
You've discovered each secret
This line means that Gloria's loved one knows about all of her secrets and has kept them safe.
Every fantasy
This line means that Gloria's loved one knows her deepest desires and aspirations.
The only thing I really need you to see
This line means that the only thing that Gloria truly needs is for her loved one to understand how much they mean to her.
I will always need your love
This line is a repetition of an earlier line, indicating that Gloria will always need her loved one's love.
No one else, no one else, no one else could love me like you
This is another repetition of an earlier line, emphasizing that Gloria believes that her loved one's love is unique and impossible to replicate.
Always need your love
This line is another repetition of an earlier line, further emphasizing Gloria's dependence on her loved one's love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALBERTO GAITAN, RICARDO ALFREDO GAITAN, EMILIO JR. ESTEFAN, ANTONIO MARDINI, GLORIA M. ESTEFAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind