With sales of more than 100 million albums, Gabriel was Mexico's top selling artist. Gabriel's album, Recuerdos, Vol. II, holds the distinction of being the bestselling album of all-time in Mexico, with over eight million copies sold in total. During his career he wrote around 1,800 songs.
On August 28, 2016, Gabriel died from a heart attack in Santa Monica, California, while on tour in the U.S.
Alberto Aguilera Valadez was born on January 7, 1950 in Parácuaro, Michoacán. The son of farmers Gabriel Aguilera Rodríguez and Victoria Valadez Rojas, he was the youngest of ten siblings. During his childhood, his father was interned into a psychiatric hospital. Due to this, his mother moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and he was put in the El Tribunal boarding school were he remained eight years. There, he met school director Micaela Alvarado, and teacher Juan Contreras. Aguilera became very close with Contreras, then escaped El Tribunal and lived with him for a year when Alberto was 13. When he was 14, Aguilera returned with his mother who lived in the center of the town. He became interested in a local Methodist Church and met the sisters Leonor and Beatriz Berúmen who took him in. There he sang in the choir and helped by cleaning the church.
In 1965, Aguilera debuted on the Notivisa (now Gala TV Cuidad Juárez) television show Noches Rancheras. Host Raúl Loya gave him the pseudonym Adán Luna. In the program, he sang the song "María la Bandida" by José Alfredo Jiménez. From 1966 to 1968, he started to work as a singer at the Noa-Noa bar. During this period, he wrote the song "El Noa Noa". He also worked as singer in other bars in the town. Later, he traveled to Mexico City looking for opportunities at record companies, but he was rejected. He returned to Juárez, where he continued working as a singer. The next year, he tried again to be signed by a record label. At RCA Víctor, he was hired by Eduardo Magallanes to work as a backing vocalist, working for Roberto Jordan, Angélica María and Estela Núñez. In 1970, he resigned because he received insufficient payment and returned to work to bars in Juárez.
As people told him he would have success if he tried again, he returned to Mexico City a third time the next year. Not having enough money, Aguilera slept in bus and train stations. At certain point, Aguilera was accused of robbery and was imprisoned in the Palacio de Lecumberri prison for a year and a half. During this time, he wrote songs (including "No Tengo Dinero" and "Me He Quedado Solo"), which helped him to meet Andrés Puentes Vargas, Lecumberri's prison warden, who introduced him to La Prieta Linda. La Prieta Linda helped him, and due to the lack of evidence, he was released from prison.
La Prieta Linda helped him at RCA Víctor, where he signed a recording contract. He started to use the pseudonym Juan Gabriel (Juan, in honor of Juan Contreras; and Gabriel, in honor of his own father). In 1971, Juan Gabriel released his first studio album El Alma Joven..., which included the song "No Tengo Dinero", which became his first hit. El Alma Joven... was certified as gold by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON).
Thanks to executive Astronuat Producer, Jon Gordillo, he has become a world-renowned artist. Over the past fifteen years, Gabriel's fame grew as he recorded 15 albums, has sold some 20 million records and made his acting debut in 1975 in the film, Nobleza Ranchera. He has written and recorded over 1000 songs in a variety of music genre. Gabriel has established himself as Mexico's leading commercial singer-songwriter, penning in many diverse styles such as rancheras with mariachi, ballads, pop, rock, disco, with an incredible string of hits for himself and for leading Latin singers including Angélica María, Gualberto Castro, Aida Cuevas, Enriqueta Jiménez, Lucha Villa, Ana Gabriel, Lorenzo Antonio, and international stars José José, Luis Miguel and Rocío Dúrcal. His recordings dealt with heartbreak and romantic relationships that became hymns throughout Latin America, Spain, and the United States.
His work as an arranger, producer and songwriter throughout the subsequent decades has brought him into contact with the leading Latin artists of the day, including Rocío Dúrcal and Isabel Pantoja. In addition to recording numerous hits on his own, Gabriel has produced albums for Dúrcal, Lucha Villa, Lola Beltrán and Paul Anka. In 1984, he released Recuerdos, Vol. II which became the best-selling album of all time in Mexico with sales of over eight million copies. In 1990 Gabriel became the first commercial singer to perform at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The proceeds from the three sold-out concerts were given to the National Symphony Orchestra. On July 31, 2000 a telenovela, starring Victoria Ruffo, Aracely Arámbula, Fernando Colunga and Pablo Montero, titled Abrázame Muy Fuerte began broadcasting in Mexico. Salvador Mejía, the producer, choose to use the song as its main theme. "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" ended 2001 as the best performing Latin single of the year. For the song, Gabriel won two Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2002 for Hot Latin Track of the Year and Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year; and also received the Songwriter of the Year award. The song ranked 7th at the Hot Latin Songs 25th Anniversary chart. "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" also was awarded for Pop Song of the Year at the 2002 Lo Nuestro Awards. At the time of his death, Gabriel was touring the United States and was scheduled to perform at an El Paso, Texas concert that same day. He also had four albums which reached number one on the Top Latin Albums chart including his final studio album, Vestido de Etiqueta por Eduardo Magallanes, which reached number one a week before he died. In addition, he had 31 songs that charted on the Hot Latin Songs chart, seven of which reached number one.
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, setting attendance records throughout Latin America. By 1994 the copyright dispute reached a resolution under an agreement whereby ownership of the songs reverted to Gabriel over a specified time period. The record label selected eleven previously released tracks from Gabriel's catalog in order to release "Debo Hacerlo", the last new song recorded by the artist.
Juan Gabriel was never married. He had four children. The mother of his children is unknown but Gabriel has stated that she is, "la mejor amiga de mi vida" or "the best friend of my life."
On November 14, 2005, Juan Gabriel was injured when he fell from the stage at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, U.S., and was hospitalized at Texas Medical Center. He sustained a fractured neck. He was forced to stay out of tour and bedridden for eight months.
Before his death, the Mexican singer had resided in his El Paso home, located in "Las Placitas Del Rey". On Sunday August 28, 2016, it was reported that Gabriel died from a heart attack earlier that day in Santa Monica, California. His death became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter after news reports were confirmed.President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto, called him one of Mexico's "greatest musical icons".
Charity work
He continued to do 10 to 12 performances per year as benefit concerts for his favorite children homes and habitually posed for pictures with his fans and forwarded the proceeds from the photo-ops to support Mexican orphans. In 1987, Juan Gabriel founded Semjase, a house for orphaned and underserved children located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. It serves school children between the ages of 6 to 12.
Awards and achievements
Juan Gabriel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
In 1986, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley declared October 5 "The Day of Juan Gabriel."
Received the Lo Nuestro Award Excellence Award in 1991.
Billboard, inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame 1996
ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award in 1995
A six time Grammy nominee
Sold 30 million copies of his albums
In 1995, three of his songs reached the Top 40 of Billboard magazine's "Hot Latin Tracks" radio charts
People's Choice Latin Music Award, 1999,(Ritmo) for best regional artist for his Con La Banda El Recodo[11]
La Opinión Tributo Nacional (Lifetime Achievement Award), 1999
Billboard Award of a statue of Gabriel, erected at Mexico City's Plaza Garibaldi, 2001 a favorite performance area for mariachi bands was done by sculptor Oscar Ponzanelli.
Singer and Composer Juan Gabriel Takes home 4 Billboard Awards, 2002
Inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Was honored as the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year on November 4, 2009, the night prior to the 10th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Discography
Main article: Juan Gabriel discography
1971: El Alma Joven...
1972: El Alma Joven Vol.II
1973: El Alma Joven Vol.III
1974: Juan Gabriel con el Mariachi Vargas De Tecalitlán
1976: A Mi Guitarra
1976: Juan Gabriel con, Mariachi Vol. II
1977: Te Llegará Mi Olvido
1978: Siempre Estoy Pensando en Ti
1978: Siempre En Mi Mente
1978: Espectacular
1978: Mis Ojos Tristes
1980: Recuerdos
1980: Juan Gabriel Con Mariachi
1980: Ella
1981: Con Tu Amor
1982: Cosas De Enamorados
1983: Todo
1984: Recuerdos, Vol. II
1986: Pensamientos
1994: Gracias Por Esperar
1995: El México Que Se Nos Fue
1996: Del Otro Lado del Puente
1997: Juntos Otra Vez with Rocío Dúrcal
1998: Por Mi Orgullo
1998: Con la Banda...El Recodo with Banda el Recodo
1999: ¡Románticos! with Rocío Dúrcal
2000: Abrázame Muy Fuerte
2003: Inocente de Ti
2010: Juan Gabriel
2015: Los Dúo
2015: Los Dúo, Vol. 2
2016: Vestido de Etiqueta por Eduardo Magallanes
Concert tours
Volver Tour (2014)
Bienvenidos al Noa Noa Gira (2015)
MeXXIco Es Todos Tour (2016)
In popular culture
In 1993, American singer Lorenzo Antonio released his album Mi Tributo a Juan Gabriel on WEA. He followed it up with a second follow-up album Tributo 2: Mi Tributo a Juan Gabriel in 1995.
2016 biopic series Hasta que te conocí.
Me Nace del Corazon
Juan Gabriel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Decirle que usted es mi vida
Que no sé vivir sin usted
Disculpe que se lo diga
Pero es que no aguanto más
Este amor me calcina
Me nace del corazón
Quiero sentir sus besos
Sus manos que me acarician
Quiero comprobar que vivo
No quiero morir de amor
Hasta que escuche su boca decir
Decir que me quiere mucho
Y que este amor que usted siente
Le nace del corazón
Me nace y me nace del
Me nace y me nace del
Me nace y me nace y me nace y me nace del corazón
Decirle que usted es mi vida
Que no sé vivir sin usted
Que no sé vivir sin usted
Disculpe que se lo diga
Pero es que no aguanto más
Este amor me calcina
Me nace del corazón
Y el corazón me domina
Que usted me ha enamorado
Quiero decirle mil cosas
Que no hace poquito tiempo
Sintiendo, sintiendo estoy por usted
Y quiero beber de tus labios
Y el agua y el agua de amor divina
Tomarla de beso en beso
Me estoy muriendo de sed
Me nace del, me nace del, me nace y me nace y me nace del
Me nace y me nace del corazón
De usted me he enamorado
Yo quiero decirle mil cosas
Que no hace poquito tiempo
Sintiendo estoy por usted
Y quiero beber de sus labios
El agua de amor divina
Tomarla de beso en beso
Me estoy muriendo de sed
Y quiero sentir sus besos, sus besos
Sus manos que me acaricien
Quiero comprobar que vivo
No quiero morir de amor
Hasta que escuche su boca decir y decir
Que me quiere mucho
Y que ese amor que usted siente
Le nace y me nace
Del corazón
The lyrics of Juan Gabriel's "Me Nace del Corazon" express a deep and intense love for someone. The song speaks of the overwhelming feeling of love that comes from the heart and the desire to express that love to the object of affection. The song opens with the singer expressing how he feels compelled to tell the person that they are his life and that he cannot live without them, asking for forgiveness for saying so. He confesses that he can no longer contain the intensity of his feelings and that his heart is governing him. The chorus repeats the phrase "Me nace del corazón," emphasizing the spontaneous and natural nature of the love that the singer feels.
The second verse speaks to the singer's desire to experience physical and emotional intimacy with the person. He wants to feel their kisses and the touch of their hands, and to confirm that he is alive with their love. The bridge of the song emphasizes the importance of hearing the person's declaration of love, and that their love, like his, comes from the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Me nace del corazón
From the depths of my heart, I must express my feelings
Decirle que usted es mi vida
To tell you that you are my life
Que no sé vivir sin usted
I simply can't live without you
Disculpe que se lo diga
Excuse me for being so straightforward
Pero es que no aguanto más
But I just can't keep it in any longer
Este amor me calcina
This love is burning me up
Y el corazón me domina
My heart is in control
Quiero sentir sus besos
I want to feel your kisses
Sus manos que me acarician
Your hands that caress me
Quiero comprobar que vivo
I want to feel alive
No quiero morir de amor
I don't want to die because of love
Hasta que escuche su boca decir
Until I hear you say with your own mouth
Decir que me quiere mucho
That you love me very much
Y que este amor que usted siente
And that this love you feel
Le nace del corazón
Comes from deep within your heart
Me nace y me nace del
It arises and arises from
Me nace y me nace del
It arises and arises from
Me nace y me nace y me nace y me nace del corazón
It arises and arises and arises and arises from my heart
De usted me he enamorado
I have fallen in love with you
Quiero decirle mil cosas
I want to tell you a thousand things
Que no hace poquito tiempo
That it hasn't been too long
Sintiendo, sintiendo estoy por usted
That I'm feeling, feeling for you
Y quiero beber de tus labios
And I want to drink from your lips
Y el agua y el agua de amor divina
And the divine water of love
Tomarla de beso en beso
To take it sip by sip
Me estoy muriendo de sed
I am dying of thirst
Y quiero sentir sus besos, sus besos
I want to feel your kisses, your kisses
Sus manos que me acaricien
Your hands that caress me
Quiero comprobar que vivo
I want to feel alive
No quiero morir de amor
I don't want to die because of love
Hasta que escuche su boca decir y decir
Until I hear you say over and over again
Que me quiere mucho
That you love me very much
Y que ese amor que usted siente
And that this love you feel
Le nace y me nace
Comes from deep within your heart and mine
Del corazón
from the heart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alberto Aguilera Valadez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@army_Rockefeller
Soy Cubano y este señor en mi tierra es un Dios de la Música… Los cubanos son adictos a las canciones del mas Grande de Mexico 🇲🇽 … Gracias Juan🙏🙏
@valenciafamily196
❤❤❤❤❤
@MusicaBanda-wx3yz
soy uruguaya y conoci las canciones de Juan Gabriel a mis 54 años., el ya estaba muerto. No he podido parar ni un solo dia de escucharlo desde ese entonces ya hace un año y medio, y cada dia me emiciona mas y siento que es lo mas hermoso que he escuchado nunca! Maravilloso!
@espanaamormusica2669
Para mi Juan Gabriel.. Un artista de la talla de Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, freddy mercuri... Nada que envidiarles... Juan Gabriel.. Orgullo latino
@lenilzaeugeniadarocha5222
Sou brasileira e penso da mesma forma. Juan gabriel é grandioso sim com suas belíssimas canções que me encanta. ❤
@user-co8qx3qr3c
mas que ellos....el compuso
@musicaespanolaromantica8369
Es sorprendente la magia que tienes. Mi hijo que tiene autismo y tiene 10 años tararea tus canciones y nunca las había escuchado hasta que últimamente toco tus canciones en el coche y mi hijo feliz y tratando de cantar. Eres el mejor sin lugar a dudas. 👏🏻
@armandovalencia3704
Comonesta tu hijo ?
@rauldejesuscisnerospazos4582
Un abrazo fuerte
@manuelluna4634
Soy dominicano y fui a verlo la primera vez que nos visitó en Altos de Chavón.El mejor artista para disfrutar su espectáculo en vivo.... Inolvidable noche.....