Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri, known globally as Luis Miguel, was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 19, 1970. His parents, Spanish vocalist Luisito Rey and Italian actress Marcela Basteri instilled him with artistic genes from birth. Growing up in Mexico, his prodigious talent manifested itself at an early age. By the age of 11, he had already recorded his debut album, laying the groundwork for a meteoric ascension that would revolutionize the Latin music scene.
How Old Is Miguel Luis?
The renowned Mexican singer Luis Miguel is presently 53 years old. He has captivated audiences all over the world for decades with his powerful tenor and captivating performances. From his early prominence as a child prodigy to his ongoing success, Luis Miguel has remained a musical icon.
Early Life
Luis Miguel was born on April 19, 1970, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Luis Gallego Sanchez, a Spanish vocalist and musician, and Marcela Basteri, an Italian actress. He grew up with Alejandro and Sergio, his siblings.
Named after the Spanish bullfighter Luis Miguel Domingun, he commemorates his birthday on April 19 rather than April 18 because his father registered him in Puerto Rico’s Civil Registry the day after his birth.
Luis Miguel was reared in a Catholic family, which is one of the reasons he identifies as a Catholic. He continues to attend church whenever his hectic schedule permits.
His complicated upbringing was largely a result of his early fame. Not optimal was his relationship with his father. Sanchez was Luis Miguel’s manager, and he was a strict man who pushed his son to his limits during the endless rehearsals. Nonetheless, this attitude contributed significantly to Luis Miguel’s success. His mother vanished abruptly in 1986, and she remains missing.
Luis Miguel told his father he no longer wanted him as his manager in the late 1980s when he was experiencing financial difficulties due to low sales. Sanchez suffered from severe depression and inebriated himself to death in 1992, as a result of his estrangement from his father.
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A Profession
As a youth, Luis Miguel began analyzing the King of Rock and Roll’s every film, recording, and concert performance after his father advised him to do so. In 1982, he released his debut album, entitled ‘Un Sol’. He was only 11 years of age at the time. The album, which was released by the Mexican subdivision of EMI Records, earned him his first gold disc.
He released five more studio albums in the 1980s: ‘Directo al corazón‘ (1982), ‘Decdete’ (1983), ‘Palabra de honor’ (1984), ‘Soy Como Quiero Ser’ (1987), and ‘Busca una Mujer’ (1988).
About 180,000 copies of ‘Soy Como Quiero Ser’ were sold in Argentina, while 1,250,000 copies were sold in Mexico. It was also the first album published by Warner Music and the first collaboration between Luis Miguel and producer Juan Carlos Calderón.
The composition ‘Me Gustas Tal Como Eres’ by Luis Miguel earned him his first Grammy Award. This composition appeared on the studio album ‘Todo Me Recuerda a Ti’ as a duet with the Scottish singer Sheena Easton.
In 1990, with the release of his seventh studio album, ’20 Aos,’ Luis Miguel proved that he had truly reached his full potential as a performer. With this album, he also established himself as a popular performer. In 1990, two of its tracks, ‘Tengo Todo Excepto Ti’ and ‘Entrégate,’ topped the Hot Latin Tracks chart on Billboard.
In 1994 and 1995, he won consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Latin Pop Album for ‘Aries’ and ‘Segundo Romance’. In 1998, he would receive the award again for ‘Romances’.
In 1997, he was the first Latin singer to obtain a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the youngest male singer to do so. ‘Amarte Es Un Placer’ garnered the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2000.
In 2004, he released “Mexico En La Piel,” a collection of traditional Mexican mariachi melodies. It earned him a diamond disc, the Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero Album at the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards, and the Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album.
Two previously unreleased recordings, ‘Misterios Del Amor’ and ‘Si Te Perdiera’, were included on his debut greatest hits album, ‘Grandes éxitos’, which was released in 2005. The 2008 publication of his eighteenth studio album, ‘Cómplices’, was a collaboration with the Spanish composer Manuel Alejandro. His latest studio album, “México Forever!,” was published in November of 2017.
Following the publication of his debut album, ‘Un Sol’, in 1982, Luis Miguel embarked on the first tour of his career. He has performed in Europe, North America, and South America over the years. During the 2010 Luis Miguel Tour, he performed 223 concerts across the globe over the course of three years. This made the tour the longest and most lucrative ever undertaken by a Latin artist.
Luis Miguel holds the record for the most consecutive performances (30) at the National Auditorium (Auditorio Nacional). He also holds the mark for the most performances in the same venue, with 240 concerts.
On May 4, 2017, Telemundo and Luis Miguel reached an agreement granting Telemundo the right to create an “officially authorized TV series” based on Luis Miguel’s life narrative. Netflix announced on the same day that it had acquired the rights to stream the program in Latin America and Spain. On April 22, 2018, the self-titled series ‘Luis Miguel’ began broadcasting.
In 1983, Luis Miguel debuted as an actor in an episode of the first season of the comedy television series “Mesa de Noticias.” The following year, he made his debut as an actor in the drama film “Ya nunca más” (Never Again).
Throughout his career, he has contributed to the soundtracks of numerous television programs and films, including ‘Speechless’ (1994), ‘Six Feet Under‘ (2004), and ‘Spanglish’ (2007).
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Family and Private Life
Luis Miguel prefers to keep his personal life private. His relationships, however, have been the subject of much speculation in Latino media. He dated, to name a few, actress Luca Méndez, singer Stephanie Salas, photographer Mariana Uzbek, actress Issabela Camil, actress Sofa Vergara, television host Daisy Fuentes, singer Mariah Carey, journalist Myrka Dellanos, actress Aracely Arámbula, model Kenita Larran, and actress Genoveva Casanova.
Michelle Gallego, his daughter with Stephanie Salas, was born on June 13, 1989. Together, he and Aracely Arámbula have two sons: Miguel (1 January 2007) and Daniel (18 December 2008).