Age, Biography, and Wiki
Gloria Estefan was born on September 1, 1957, in Havana, Cuba, to José Fajardo and Gloria García. She is known for her iconic music career, both as a solo artist and as part of the Miami Sound Machine. Estefan's family moved to Miami when she was a child, and she grew up in a musical environment that influenced her career path. She is considered the most successful crossover artist in music history, with over 90 million records sold worldwide.
| Occupation | Telecommunication |
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| Date of Birth | 1 September 1957 |
| Age | 67 Years |
| Birth Place | Havana, Cuba |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | Cuba |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Gloria Estefan's height and weight are not extensively documented in the provided sources, her physical appearance has been consistent with her energetic stage presence and performances throughout her career.
Estefan has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Las Vegas Walk of Fame and was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2017 for her contributions to American cultural life. Estefan won an MTV Video Music Award, was honored with the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement and has been named BMI Songwriter of the Year. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has received multiple Billboard Music Awards. She is also a recipient of the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Estefan received the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year award at the Latin Grammy Awards in November 2008 in recognition of her twenty-five-year singing career. She is the first female singer to receive this award. She also received the Latin Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Album for 90 Millas, and the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song for her single "Píntame De Colores". This established the first occasion for Estefan to ever win the Grammy Award for a song (either Latin or non-Latin). On 12 March 2009, Estefan was honored as a BMI Icon at the 16th annual BMI Latin Awards. Her catalog includes 22 BMI Latin and Pop Awards, along with 11 BMI Million-Air Awards.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Gloria Estefan is married to Emilio Estefan, a well-known music producer and businessman. The couple has been together since 1976 and has two children, Nayib Estefan and Emily Estefan. Emilio Estefan also has a notable net worth of approximately $500 million.
Estefan's maternal grandparents were Spanish immigrants. Her maternal grandfather, Leonardo García, emigrated to Cuba from Pola de Siero, Asturias, Spain, where he married Gloria's grandmother, Consuelo Pérez, who was originally from Logroño, Spain. Consuelo's father Pantaleón Pérez served as the head chef to two Cuban presidents. Estefan's paternal side also had musical sensibilities, as the lineage had a famous flautist and a classical pianist.
Estefan's mother Gloria Fajardo, nicknamed "Big Gloria", won an international contest during her childhood and received a Hollywood offer to dub Shirley Temple's films in Spanish. However, Leonardo García did not permit his daughter to pursue the offer. Gloria Fajardo earned a Ph.D. in education in Cuba, but her diploma and other papers were destroyed by Cuban officials when she left for the United States.
Estefan's paternal grandparents were José Manuel Fajardo González and Amelia Montano. José Manuel was a Cuban soldier and a motor escort for the wife of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, and Amelia Montano was a poet. As a result of the Cuban Revolution, the Fajardo family fled and settled in Miami, in 1959, and ran one of the first Cuban restaurants in the city. In 1961, Estefan's father José participated in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. He was captured by his cousin, who was a member of Fidel Castro's army, and imprisoned in Cuba for nearly two years. On his return, he joined the United States military and fought in the Vietnam War.
After returning from the Vietnam War in 1968, Estefan's father became ill with multiple sclerosis, attributed to Agent Orange exposure that he suffered in Vietnam. Estefan helped her mother care for him and her younger sister Rebecca, nicknamed "Becky" (b. 1963), while her mother worked to support them. Gloria Fajardo first had to regain her teaching credentials, then worked as a schoolteacher for the Dade County Public School system. When Estefan was nine, she alleged that a music teacher hired to teach her guitar lessons sexually abused her. She alleged that the man told her that he would kill her mother if she told anyone about the abuse. Estefan told her mother who alerted the police of the allegation; charges were not pressed because of the additional trauma she felt Estefan would undergo as a result of testifying against the perpetrator. When Estefan was 16, her father's illness led him to be hospitalized at a Veterans Administration medical facility.
In 1977, Miami Sound Machine began recording and releasing various albums and 45s on the Audiofon Records label in Miami. Their first album was titled Live Again/Renacer (1977). After several more releases on the Audiofon, RCA Victor, and MSM Records labels, the band was signed to Discos CBS International and released several albums beginning with the 1978 self-titled album Miami Sound Machine. In 1978, Gloria married Emilio Estefan Jr. after two years of dating. Growing in popularity in both the U.S. and around the world, the group continued recording and issuing various works for Discos CBS International through 1985.
In September 1993, Estefan released her first Christmas album, Christmas Through Your Eyes. It was also notable as being the first album from Estefan that was not produced by her husband. The album included the singles "This Christmas" and "Silent Night" and went Platinum in the US.
Estefan began 2010 with a charity single: she and her husband, producer Emilio Estefan Jr., invited artists to record "Somos El Mundo", a Spanish-language version of Michael Jackson's song "We Are the World". The song, written by Estefan and approved by Quincy Jones, was recorded and premiered during El Show de Cristina on 1 March 2010. All of the proceeds went to Haitian relief. On 24 March 2010, Estefan led a march down Miami's Calle Ocho in support of Cuba's Las Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White). Later that year, Estefan took part in Broadway's "24 Hour Plays", performing alongside actors Elijah Wood, Diane Neal, and Alicia Witt in the play I Think You'll Love This One, written by Elizabeth Cruz Cortes.
In April 2014, Estefan and her husband were honored at the 2014 "Power of Love Event for Keep Memory Alive" in Las Vegas, where other musicians, including Ricky Martin and Rita Moreno offered the couple a tribute to their music. Estefan joined Carlos Santana on his new album Corazon in a song called "Besos de lejos". Estefan released the compilation Soy Mujer on 23 June 2015, which consists of Estefan's Spanish-language hits.
Estefan has appeared in two live-action films, Music of the Heart (1999) and For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000). Estefan made a cameo appearance with her husband in Marley & Me (2008). Estefan starred in a made-for-TV movie on HBO in the remake of "Father of the Bride" with Andy Garcia. The film had a Latin/Cuban America twist, which premiered on 16 June 2022 on HBO Max.
After campaigning heavily for the part on her social media accounts, Estefan was invited to guest star on the Fox television series Glee as the mother of cheerleader Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera). She also appeared as a mentor for the CW Network reality series The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep.
Estefan became romantically involved with the Miami Sound Machine's band leader, Emilio Estefan, in 1976. She later revealed, "he was my first and only boyfriend". They married on 2 September 1978, and have a son, Nayib (born 2 September 1980), and a daughter, Emily (born 5 December 1994). Emily was conceived after Gloria's tour bus crash in 1990; doctors had told her she would not be able to have any more children. The family lives on Star Island in the city of Miami Beach.
Estefan's daughter, Emily, is a recording artist and her son, Nayib, is a filmmaker and owner of the Nite Owl Theater in Miami. In June 2012, Nayib's wife gave birth to a son, making Estefan a grandmother.
She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her husband, Emilio, a world-renowned music impresario, received a star which is adjacent to his wife's on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005.
Estefan was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in music from the University of Miami in 1993. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami. In April 2014, Estefan was tapped into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the University of Miami's highest honor society. In 2002, Barry University in Miami bestowed upon her an honorary law degree. She and her husband received honorary doctoral degrees in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2007. She delivered the commencement address to the 2007 graduating class.
In April 2010, Estefan and her husband received a star in the "Walk of Stars" in Las Vegas for their contribution to music industry. On 28 April 2011, at the Latin Billboard Awards, Estefan was honored with the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award for her philanthropic work for the second time, the first being in 1996.
In 2014, Estefan and her husband received a Caribbean American Mover and Shakers Lifetime Achievement Award, for their contributions to the Hispanic, and multicultural community. In November 2015, it was announced Estefan, along with her husband, would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama for her contributions to American music.
In 2017, Estefan became the first Cuban American to be named as one of the Kennedy Center Honors. On 14 March 2019, Estefan and her husband were awarded with the 2019 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. They are the first married couple and first of Hispanic descent to receive the Gershwin Prize.
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| Husband | Emilio Estefan (m. 1978) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Gloria Estefan's net worth is estimated to be between $500 million and $530 million, primarily due to her successful music career, including numerous hit albums and sold-out tours. Her earnings also come from acting roles and various business ventures.
Estefan was appointed to the board of directors for Univision Communications Inc. in 2007. The Estefans' estimated net worth has been reported variously as between $500 and $700 million.
Career, Business, and Investments
- Music Career: Gloria Estefan's music career spans decades, with hits like "Conga," "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," and "Anything for You." She has been a member of the Miami Sound Machine and has had a successful solo career.
- Acting Career: Estefan has appeared in films and television shows, showcasing her versatility as an actress.
- Business Ventures: She and her husband, Emilio, have been involved in several business ventures, including restaurants and real estate. They own multiple properties, including a waterfront estate on Star Island in Miami, which they sold for $35 million in 2021.
- Real Estate Investments: The Estefans have invested in luxury real estate, with a second mansion on Star Island valued at least $30 million.
A contralto, Estefan started her career as lead singer of Miami Latin Boys, which was later renamed Miami Sound Machine. She and Miami Sound Machine earned worldwide success with their 1985 single "Conga", which became Estefan's signature song. The group followed this with a number of hit singles throughout the decade, including "Anything for You", "1-2-3", "Bad Boy", and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You". The group was redubbed as Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine with the release of their 1987 album Let It Loose, and in 1989, Estefan rose to solo stardom with her debut solo album Cuts Both Ways.
Estefan appeared in the ABC television special Elmopalooza (which aired on 20 February 1998), in which she sang the song "Mambo, I, I, I". In April 2004, Estefan appeared on the Fox Broadcasting Company's program American Idol as a guest mentor for the contestants during Latin Week.
Gloria and Emilio Estefan have owned several business establishments, including several Cuban-themed restaurants (Bongos Cuban Café; Larios on the Beach). The restaurants are located in Miami Beach, downtown Miami (part of the American Airlines Arena), at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Walt Disney World's Disney Springs in Orlando, Florida, and in Miami International Airport. They also own two hotels, Costa d'Este in Vero Beach, which opened in 2008, and The Cardozo in Miami Beach.
In August 2019, the Estefans closed their restaurant Bongos Cuban Cafe that had been located at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World for 22 years. The business was re-imagined as Estefan's Kitchen which opened at the Sunset Walk at Margaritaville Resort Orlando in February 2020.
Social Network
Gloria Estefan is active on social media platforms, where she engages with her fans and shares updates about her life and career. However, specific details about her social media presence are not included in the provided sources.
Estefan's dance-oriented album Miss Little Havana was released in the U.S. on 27 September 2011, with the physical CD available exclusively at Target. Estefan described the album as resembling her 1998 hit album gloria!; For the album, she collaborated with producers Pharrell Williams, Motiff, Emilio Estefan, and Drop Dead Beats. The first single from the album, "Wepa", premiered on 31 May 2011, at AmericanAirlines Arena in a special music video of the song for the Miami Heat. The Heat video was released on YouTube on 1 June. The song went on sale for digital download on 24 July. Both "Wepa" and the album's second single "Hotel Nacional" peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Songs and Dance/Club charts. In the fall of 2011, Estefan expressed her views on gay rights and gay marriage and said that she was a strong supporter of both. She said: "I think everyone should be able to marry who they love, and it should just be." Estefan also recorded a video for the It Gets Better campaign. In November 2011, Estefan began hosting Gloria Estefan's Latin Beat, a seven-part series for BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom that explores the history of Latin music.
In 2020, Estefan began co-hosting Red Table Talk: The Estefans, a spin-off of the Facebook Watch talk show Red Table Talk alonge her daughter Emily Estefan and niece Lili Estefan.
Education
Gloria Estefan attended St. Michel-Archangel School and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami. She later graduated from the University of Miami with a BA in psychology and a minor in French. During her time at the university, she worked as a translator at the Miami International Airport.
Estefan attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where she graduated in 1979 with a B.A. in psychology and a minor in French. While attending the University of Miami, Estefan also worked as an English, Spanish, and French translator at Miami International Airport's Customs Department and, because of her language abilities, says she was once approached by the CIA as a possible employee. In 1984, she was inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami.
In 1975, Estefan and her cousin Mercedes "Merci" Navarro (1957–2007) met Emilio Estefan, Jr. while performing at a church ensemble rehearsal. Emilio, who had formed the band the Miami Latin Boys earlier in that year, learned about Estefan through a mutual acquaintance. While the Miami Latin Boys were performing at a Cuban wedding at the Dupont Plaza Hotel, Estefan and Navarro, who were wedding guests, performed two Cuban standards impromptu. They impressed the Miami Latin Boys so much that they were invited to join the band permanently with the band's name changing to Miami Sound Machine. Estefan, who was attending the University of Miami at the time, only agreed to perform during the weekends so that her studies would not be interrupted.
In 2008, Estefan appeared during the seventh season of American Idol for the special charity episode "Idol Gives Back". She performed "Get on Your Feet" along with Sheila E. Estefan became the headliner of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino's new venue. She then headed to Canada to perform at the Casino Rama. In August, she started her 90 Millas World Tour. Estefan played concerts in London, Rotterdam, Belfast and Aruba. Estefan performed several concerts in Spain, specifically Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza and Tenerife. Two of these concerts, in Las Ventas, Spain, and in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, were free to the public. Back in the States, Estefan performed a special concert at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to raise funds for the Education of South Florida. Estefan was a headliner for Bette Midler's "Annual Hulaween Gala". The event benefited the New York Restoration Project. During the Thanksgiving season, Estefan appeared on Rosie O'Donnell's television special Rosie Live singing a duet with O'Donnell titled "Gonna Eat for Thanksgiving", an alternate version of "Gonna Eat for Christmas" from on O'Donnell's album A Rosie Christmas.
On 7 April 2011, Estefan made an unannounced appearance at the auditions for The X Factor in Miami, and gave encouragement to the 7,500 participants gathered outside the Bank United Center. That year, Estefan was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. She performed at a special concert on 17 June 2011; proceeds from the event went to benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute's education programs.
In 2002, she received the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Medallion of Excellence for Community Service. The singer was Musicares Person of the Year in 1994. She founded the Gloria Estefan Foundation, which promotes education, health and cultural development. In 1997, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
In 2017, Estefan was made an honorary member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, a music Greek organization for women with over 115 years of supporting music in their universities, organization and the world. She was initiated at the Sigma Chi Chapter at University of Miami.
