Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican musician noted for his impressive vocal skills and powerful live renditions.
Miguel is widely regarded as the most popular music performer in Latin America. His music blends multiple genres and styles, ranging from pop to ballads, tangos, jazz, boleros, mariachi, and big band.
Luis Miguel Quick Facts
| Full Name: | Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri |
| Popular Name: | Luis Miguel |
| Nicknames: | El Sol de México, Luismi, and Mickey |
| Birth Date: | April 18, 1970 |
| Age: | 53 years |
| Parents: | Luis Gallego Sanchez and Marcela Basteri |
| Siblings: | Sergio Basteri and Alejandro Basteri |
| Birth Place: | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Nationality: | Mexican |
| Ethnicity: | Mixed (Spanish and Italian) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Education: | Unknown |
| Marital Status: | Unmarried but has maintained a string of celebrity girlfriends, including singer Mariah Carey |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Children: | Michelle Salas (from his relationship with Stephanie Salas) and Miguel Gallego Arámbula and Danie Gallego Arámbula (from his relationship with actress Aracely Arámbula) |
| Net Worth: | USD 180 million |
| Source of Wealth: | Singing, Record Producing, Touring, and Other Ventures |
| Height: | 5′ 10″ (1.78 m) |
| Weight: | In kilograms: 75 kg; In pounds: 165 lbs. |
Early Life and Career Information
Early Life
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri was born on April 18, 1970, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Luis Gallego Sanchez alias Luisito Rey and Marcela Basteri. His father was a Spanish singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, whereas his mother was an actress.
Miguel was introduced to music by his musician father Luis Gallego Sanchez. His father subjected him to rigorous music training and by the age of 12, Luis had already recorded his first album as a vocalist.
Career Information
Luis Miguel kicked off his professional music career by signing a recording deal with EMI Records. Through the deal, he was able to release his debut album, ‘Un Sol,’ in 1982. The album was a tremendous success. It won Miguel his first gold disc at the tender age of 11 years.
Banking on the success of his debut album, Luis Miguel released a number of albums throughout the rest of the ’80s. They include Directo al corazón (1982), Ya nunca más (1983), Decídete (1983), Palabra de Honor (1984), Fiebre De Amor (1985), Soy como quiero ser (1987), and Busca Una Mujer (1988).
In 1990, Miguel released his 9th album, ‘20 Años.’ This album also marked his transition from a child to an adult musician. Several albums soon followed, including Romance (1991), Aries (1993), Segundo Romance (1994), Nada Es Igual (1996), Romances (1997), and Amarte Es Un Placer (1999).
Miguel ushered in the new millennium by releasing the album ‘Mis Romances’ in 2001. He then followed with ’33’ and México En La Piel,’ in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
Luis Miguel’s next album was ‘Navidades,’ released in 2006. He has since followed with three more albums, namely Cómplices (2008), Luis Miguel (2010), and ¡México Por Siempre! (2017).
Other Ventures
Like many accomplished musicians, Luis Miguel has had some film and television roles.
Miguel made his acting debut in the film Ya Nunca Mas (1984). The following year, he starred in the movie ‘Fiebre de Amor.’
Awards and Recognitions
Luis Miguel has received multiple awards over the years. Noteworthy ones include; six Grammy Awards and six Latin Grammy Awards.
Luis Miguel’s Net Worth
Luis Miguel was the best-selling Latin musician throughout the 1990s. He remains one of the world’s best-selling Latin music artists of all time, with over 60 million in worldwide record sales. As at November 1, 2022, Miguel had a net worth of $180 million.
Besides record and album sales, Luis Miguel’s music-related earnings also come from touring and live performances. Miguel is well-known for his high-grossing tours and performances.
Lessons from Luis Miguel
1. Strive to leave a lasting legacy
Luis Miguel didn’t just go into the music industry to chase clout and paper. He has always been keen on leaving a lasting legacy. Part of that legacy is mainstreaming the bolero music genre in the early ‘90s.
2. Every career calls for flexibility
Flexibility can make a huge difference in terms of improving your brand and career. It appears Miguel understands this golden success rule, which explains why his music is usually a fusion of multiple genres and styles.
3. The idea is to stand out, not fit in
Luis Miguel’s songs are predominantly in Spanish. The artist has continually fought off the urge to branch off into an English singer. However, Miguel’s primary recording language hasn’t prevented his songs from becoming popular across wider cultural audiences, particularly English-speaking America.
Famous Quotes by Luis Miguel
• I am very adamant about keeping my private life private. I don’t prefer to talk about my family.
• I don’t like rock. Honestly, I like to listen to it, but it’s not for me. There’s a lot of musical genres that I find interesting, but they don’t suit me. It’s one thing to listen to different genres, but to perform a genre that isn’t yours is counterproductive.
• I feel that destiny is a mixture of preparation and luck.
• I think we all wish we could erase some dark times in our lives. But all of life’s experiences, bad and good make you who you are. Erasing any of life’s experiences would be a great mistake.
• The most enjoyable part of my career is singing live.
Wrap Up
Luis Miguel is a Mexican singer and record producer noted for his skills in fusing multiple music genres. Miguel’s songs also transcend numerous cultural barriers, which explains his jaw-dropping $180 million net worth.
