Luis Miguel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel in 2008
Born	Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (1970-04-19) 19 April 1970 (age 55) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Citizenship	Mexico
Occupation	Singer record producer
Years active	1981–present
Children	3
Parents	Luisito Rey (father) Marcela Basteri (mother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Latin pop bolero mariachi ballads regional Mexican
Instruments	Vocals piano
Labels	EMI Mexico (1982–86) Warner Latina (1987–present)

Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born 19 April 1970) is a famous Mexican singer and music producer. He was born in Puerto Rico to an Italian mother and a Spanish father. People often call him El Sol de Mexico, which means "The Sun of Mexico". This nickname came from his mother, who used to call him "Mi sol" (My sun).

Luis Miguel has sung many different types of music. These include pop songs, romantic ballads, boleros, and mariachi music. He is special because he is one of the few Latin singers of his time who did not switch to singing in English. He became very popular even though he only sang in Spanish.

He sold about 60 million records around the world. This makes him one of the best-selling Latin music artists ever. His exciting live shows and personal story have kept him popular since he started singing in Mexico in 1981.

At just 14 years old, Luis Miguel won his first Grammy Award. He won it for his song "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" with Sheena Easton. This made him one of the youngest Grammy winners in music history. His album Romance from 1991 became one of the best-selling Latin albums of all time. He was the first Latin artist to get two platinum awards in the United States for Spanish albums.

Luis Miguel is also known for his amazing live concerts. He has earned more money from tours than any other Latin artist since 1990. His Luis Miguel Tour in 2010 was huge. He visited 22 countries and performed 223 shows over three years. This was the longest and highest-earning tour by a Latin artist. He also holds the record for the most shows at the National Auditorium in Mexico City.

Early Life and First Songs

Luis Miguel was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents were Luisito Rey and Marcela Basteri. When he was a child, his father, who was also his manager, encouraged him to study performances by Elvis Presley.

In 1982, when he was only 11, he released his first album called Un Sol. This album quickly earned him his first gold record. Two years later, he started touring in countries like Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, and Argentina. His song "1+1=Dos Enamorados" from Un Sol became a big hit.

Becoming a Music Star

Early Career: 1984–1987

In 1984, Luis Miguel changed his music style to Spanish pop-rock. He released his fourth album, Palabra de Honor. In 1985, at age 15, he took part in the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. He won second place with his song "Noi Ragazzi Di Oggi".

That same year, he won an award at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. This was for his duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" with Sheena Easton. He also acted in two movies, Ya Nunca Más (1984) and Fiebre de amor (1985).

In 1986, he took a short break from music. He had some problems with his father, who was managing his career. In 1987, he started working with a new producer, Juan Carlos Calderón. His album Soy Como Quiero Ser sold over 2.5 million copies. This album included Spanish versions of popular English songs.

Growing Up in Music: 1988–1990

On 25 November 1988, Luis Miguel released his album Busca una Mujer. The first song, "La Incondicional", became a top-ten hit across Latin America. Its music video was a surprise to many fans because he had cut his long hair. This showed that he was changing from a child star to an adult superstar.

In 1990, he successfully moved from being a child singer to an adult performer. His album 20 Años sold 600,000 copies in its first week. Two songs from this album, "Tengo Todo Excepto A Ti" and "Entrégate", reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart.

Big Success with Romance and Aries: 1991–1993

Luis Miguel performing live with Mariachi

In 1991, Luis Miguel's career became even bigger with Romance. This album featured classic romantic boleros, which are a type of slow, romantic song. He helped make the bolero style popular again for new audiences. Romance became his most successful album, selling 7 million copies worldwide.

In 1993, he released his fifth album, Aries. This album won him a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album. That same year, the legendary singer Frank Sinatra invited Luis Miguel to sing with him on his album Duets II. Luis Miguel also performed live in a TV special honoring Sinatra's 80th birthday.

More Hits: 1994–1999

In 1994, he released Segundo Romance, a follow-up to his successful Romance album. This album also earned him another Grammy Award and platinum status in the United States.

In 1996, Luis Miguel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was the youngest male singer at that time to get this honor. He then released Nada Es Igual, a pop album. It included "Sueña", the main song for Disney's movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

In 1997, Luis Miguel released his third bolero album, Romances, which sold over 5 million copies. The song "Por Debajo de la Mesa" quickly became number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. He won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance for this album in 1998.

In 1999, Luis Miguel released Amarte Es un Placer. This album won him two Latin Grammys in 2000 for Album of the Year and Pop Album of the Year. The song "O Tú, O Ninguna" from this album was number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks for eight weeks.

New Music and Tours: 2003–2010

In 2003, Luis Miguel released 33, a pop album named after his age. This album reached number one on Billboard's Latin Charts. His 33 Tour filled big venues across the U.S. and Latin America. In Chile, his album 33 sold 2.5 million copies.

Luis Miguel in Mexico City in 2006

In 2004, Luis Miguel released Mexico En La Piel. This album was a collection of traditional Mexican mariachi songs. It sold five million copies worldwide and won him a Latin Grammy and a Grammy Award. His Mexico En La Piel Tour in 2005 was a huge success. It won the Billboard "Tour of the Year" award.

In 2005, Luis Miguel released Grandes Éxitos, his first album of greatest hits. It included two new songs. That same year, he released a Christmas album called Navidades, which quickly reached number one on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart.

On 6 May 2008, Luis Miguel released Cómplices. This album sold almost 350,000 copies in its first 24 hours. It debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, which was the highest position a Latin artist had reached with an all-Spanish album. His Complices Tour started in September 2008.

Luis Miguel released his self-titled album on 14 September 2010. Its first song, "Labios de Miel", was a smooth Latin pop song. The tour for this album began in November 2010 and covered many countries. In 2012, he performed at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. He was the most expensive artist in the festival's history.

Television Series and New Album: 2017–2018

In 2017, it was announced that a TV series about Luis Miguel's life would be made. It started airing in 2018 on Netflix and Telemundo. The series, called Luis Miguel, showed many known and unknown parts of his life.

On 24 November 2017, his album ¡México Por Siempre! was released. It features 14 traditional Mexican music songs. The tour for this album began in February 2018 in Mexico City.

Personal Life

Luis Miguel performing in 2012

Luis Miguel's father was a Spanish singer named Luis Gallego Sánchez, also known as "Luisito Rey". His mother was an Italian actress, Marcela Basteri. He was named Luis Miguel to honor a Spanish bullfighter. Luis Miguel has two younger brothers.

He celebrates his birthday on 19 April, even though he was born on 18 April. This is because his father registered him on the 19th. Luis Miguel had a difficult childhood due to his early fame. He had a challenging relationship with his father. His mother disappeared when he was young.

Luis Miguel enjoys fine food and is a self-taught wine expert. He even released his own wine called "Único. Luis Miguel". He speaks Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese. Luis Miguel has three children. He is a Catholic and believes in God. He prefers not to talk about politics, believing that artists should focus on their music.

Artistry and Image

Luis Miguel rarely gives interviews or goes to award shows. He is known for keeping his distance from the public eye. He believes this helps him stay focused.

Luis Miguel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Many consider Luis Miguel one of the best male pop singers in the world. His voice can reach many different notes. In his career of almost forty years, he has become a top male singer from Latin America. He has successfully performed pop music, boleros, mariachi, and romantic ballads.

Luis Miguel is often called a "crooner" because of his smooth singing style. His wide vocal range and performances are praised by critics and other artists. Producer Gustavo Santaolalla called him "one of the greatest singers of all time." He said Luis Miguel is "not just a singer, he's an artist."

Frank Sinatra personally invited Luis Miguel to sing a duet with him. Because of this, the media has often called Luis Miguel the "Latin Frank Sinatra." His music has even reached continents like Asia and Africa.

Major Achievements

Luis Miguel has received many awards and honors throughout his career.

• At 14, he won a Grammy Award for his duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" with Sheena Easton.
• In 1991, he was recognized for the high sales of his albums Romance and Segundo Romance.
• He was the only Latin artist to perform at the "Sinatra: 80 Years My Way" show. He performed alongside stars like Bruce Springsteen and Natalie Cole.
• His 1997 album Romances was the first Spanish-language album to debut at No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
• In 2003, Prince Felipe of Spain gave him a special award. It was for being the best-selling foreign artist in Spain's history.
• His album Cómplices broke records in Mexico. It sold over 320,000 copies on its first day.
• In 2010, he was named "Artist of the Century" at the "Latino Awards" in New York.
• In 2011, the National Auditorium in Mexico recognized him for having 200 performances there. He is the only artist to achieve this.
• In 2018, he won two Latin Grammy Awards for Best Mariachi Album and Album of the Year for ¡México Por Siempre!. He also won a Grammy Awards for Best Regional Mexican Album for the same album.

His tours have also been very successful. The Luis Miguel Tour is ranked among the highest-earning tours in North America. His Mexico En La Piel Tour in 2005–2007 included 129 concerts and earned around $95 million.

Discography

Concert Tours

Awards and Recognitions

Luis Miguel has won many important awards for his music.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are given out every year in the United States. Luis Miguel has won six Grammy Awards.

Latin Grammy Awards

The Latin Grammy Awards are given out every year by The Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Luis Miguel has won six Latin Grammy Awards.

Filmography

Luis Miguel has also appeared in a few films and a TV series about his life.

Images for kids

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  Miguel performing at the 1985 Sanremo Festival

See also

In Spanish: Luis Miguel para niños

• List of best-selling Latin music artists
• List of Mexicans
• List of Puerto Ricans