Gloria María Fajardo García was born September 1, 1957 inSeptember Havana, Cuba, to Jose and Gloria Fajardo.HavanaCuba

The family fled to Miami, Florida, during the Cuban RevolutionMiamiFloridaCuban Revolution Jose, Maria’s father, joined the US military during the Vietnam War. Her father had been a Cuban soldier and bodyguard of President Fulgencio Batista en Cuba.Fulgencio Batista

In the mid-1980s, Gloria Estefan was part of the group Miami Sound Machine.

In 1984, Miami Sound Machine released their first Epic/Columbia album, Eyes Of InnocenceEyes Of Innocence Their more successful follow-up album Primitive Love wasPrimitive Love released in 1985 launching three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100: " Conga”Conga "Words Get In The Way”Words Get In The Way "Bad Boy"Bad Boy

Their next album, 1987’s Let It Loose, went multi-platinum,Let It Loose with six million copies sold in the US. It featured the following hits: "Anything For You" (#1)Anything For You "1, 2, 3" (#3)1, 2, 3 "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" (#5)Rhythm Is Gonna Get You "Can't Stay Away From You" (#6)Can't Stay Away From You

In 1988, Estefan took top billing and the band’s name changed to Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine. In 1989, after the worldwide chart success of single "Anything For You", her Let it Loose album was repackagedAnything For YouLet it Loose as Anything For You. It became the band's first UK #1 album, selling over a million copies The album also took top honors in Australia and Canada, launching Estefan to superstar status.

While touring in support of Cuts Both Ways on March 20,Cuts Both Ways 1990, near Scranton, Pennsylvania, Estefan was criticallyScrantonPennsylvania injured, suffering a fractured spine when a speeding semi-truck crashed into her tour bus. Surgeons at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases permanently implanted two titanium rods to stabilize her spinal column.implantedtitaniumspinal column Her rehabilitation required almost a year of intensive physical therapy, but she achieved a complete recovery

In 1993 Estefan released the album Mi Tierra,Mi Tierra her first Spanish-language album. The album sold over eight million copies worldwide, and went multiplatinum in Spain (15X) and platinum in the United States The platinum-selling album Destiny, released in 1996,Destiny featured "Reach", the official theme of theReach 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Estefan performed in the Summer Olympics closing ceremony,Summer Olympics closing ceremony in front of an audience of two billion people worldwide, during which she performed the songs "Reach" and "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)".You'll Be Mine (Party Time)

Film and television appearances In addition to her singing career, Estefan has appeared in two movies, Music of the Heart (1999) andMusic of the Heart For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval StoryFor Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000). Estefan made a cameo appereance with her husband Emilio Estefan Jr.Emilio Estefan Jr. on the smash-box office hit Marley & MeMarley & Me in 2008, her first movie role since 2000.

Investments: Gloria and Emilio Estefan also own a number of business establishments, including seven Cuban-themed restaurants located in Miami and Miami Beach. P art of the American Airlines Arena Disney World’s Downtown Disney in Orlando; Mexico City; Disney WorldDowntown DisneyOrlando and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.Puerto Vallarta They also own two hotels. The Estefans' estimated net worth as of 2007 was approximately $500 million,

Personal life: Gloria became romantically involved with the Miami Sound Machine's band leader, Emilio Estefan, in 1976.Emilio Estefan She and Emilio married on September 1, They have a son, Nayib (born September 2, 1980) and a daughter, Emily Marie (born December 5, 1995). The family lives in Vero Beach, Florida.Vero Beach, Florida

Awards: Seven Grammys. In May 1993, she received the Ellis Island CongressionalEllis Island Medal of Honor, which is the highest award that can be given to a naturalized U.S. citizen She has won the Hispanic Heritage Award Many more ……………….

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