The whimsical spirit of Juan Gabriel has touched the lives of so many from the Latin community to the LGBTQ+ community, the Latin pop music industry, and those who call El Paso or Ciudad Juárez home. From his heart-wrenching lyrics to his mesmerizing stage persona, Gabriel carefully sculpted his music into a work of art, passionately taking pride in his artistry throughout his career. The intense adoration for our border city of Juárez, which he called home, only adds to the list of interests to which the famous musician remained unapologetically devoted. It is in Juárez that his creative heart found its beat and there it remains.
Image caption: Juan Gabriel performs at the Pepsi Center on September 2014 (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Gabriel was born on January 6, 1950, in the Mexican city of Michoacán, the youngest child among nine. It may come as a surprise that his birth name is Alberto Aguilera Valadez. Despite being born in the city of Michoacán, Aguilera was ultimately raised in Juárez because his mother worked as a maid there in a mansion. Unable to support him, she sent him to an orphanage at the age of five. Juan Contreras, a music director at the orphanage, became one of the first to musically mentor Aguilera, which ultimately led to the enhancement of Aguilera’s undying love for music. His appreciation for music grew while at the orphanage, perhaps an act of fate.
Like a dove set free from a cage, Aguilera left the orphanage eight years later when his professional musical beginnings took flight on the streets of Juárez. By the age of 13, writing music came naturally to him, with melodies and lyrics racing through his mind. He took songwriting seriously, eternally applying his talents as an outlet for artistic self-expression. Aguilera first performed in front of audiences at the El Noa Noa nightclub in Juárez. The club, established in 1964, neighbored the Santa Fe Street border entry to El Paso. A 16-year-old Aguilera sang to a crowd of people for the very first time under his first stage name, Adan Luna. Mercedes Alvarez, a Noa Noa patron and friend of Aguilera, is said to have introduced the singer to the nightclub’s stage. The club risked letting Aguilera step foot into the nightclub, for he was still a minor at the time of his performances. Regardless, Aguilera earned five dollars a day performing at El Noa Noa, his stage home for the next year and a half. This was Aguilera’s first taste of earning a paycheck for entertaining, a practice he would follow for the rest of his life.
After performing in front of club audiences in Juárez during his adolescent years, Aguilera relocated to Mexico City shortly thereafter. It was there that he booked a performance that would change his life. One day, an actress named Claudia Islas allegedly invited Aguilera to showcase a performance at her house, then accused him of theft upon noticing missing jewelry. Despite Aguilera’s claims of innocence, the courts sentenced him in 1969 to three years in prison at the infamous Lecumberri Palace, once a prison in the northeast of Mexico City, now housing the General National Archive. Referenced in pop culture as The Black Palace of Lecumberri, it served as a prison from 1900 to 1976. The prison, well-known for its hostile environment, often placed inmates in dangerous situations. Aguilera, unfortunately, fell victim to violent treatment. He spent a year and a half in confinement, facing abuse and mistreatment from within the prison walls. Aguilera, always endearing, utilized his talents singing for the guards, who, in turn, developed a soft spot for him and kept him safe from the abuse he had experienced. Thanks to fellow musician Enriqueta Jiménez (also known as La Prieta Linda) and General Andrés Puentes Vargas, Aguilera was soon emancipated from prison. They helped argue no solid proof existed of Aguilera having committed the alleged robbery. Jimenez became Aguilera’s lifelong friend and helped him work his way back into the music industry. This story sounds like something right out of a fairytale, but, then again, Aguilera’s life naturally carried a magical quality despite his trials and tribulations.
Image caption: Juan Gabriel Hollywood Star (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
In 1971, now 21, Aguilera scored his first record deal with RCA Records, deciding to officially take the stage name of Juan Gabriel. The name “Juan” stemmed from his orphanage’s music director, Juan Contreras, and “Gabriel” rooting from the singer’s late father, Gabriel Aguilera. With his new name, the newly-signed contract led to the release of Gabriel’s debut studio album, El Alma Joven, that same year. The record spawned Gabriel’s first hit single “No Tengo Dinero.” The success of the singer’s debut album set the course for what would be a fruitful, long and legendary musical career.
Throughout his career, Gabriel often married the concepts of romance and heartbreak in his songwriting. A prolific artist, he wrote over 1,800 songs. In the 1984 single “Querida,” the singer basks in his loneliness, yearning for the return of a lost lover while feeling the effects of heartbreak.
Querida, no me ha sanado bien la herida
Te extraño y lloro todavía
Mira mi soledad
Que no me sienta nada bien, oh, ven ya
The lyrical content of “No Tengo Dinero” captures the romantic side of Gabriel’s musicality as he professes the value his love holds despite not having a lifestyle that is rich in material.
No tengo dinero ni nada que dar
Lo único que tengo es amor para amar
Si así tú me quieres te puedo querer
Pero si no puedes, ni modo, ¿qué hacer?
In the iconic ballad “Amor Eterno,” Gabriel sings mournfully about the grief of a lost loved one. This song in particular held a strong sentimental value to the singer, for its lyrics were penned with the death of his mother in mind, who passed away during the early stages of Gabriel’s professional music career. The song slowly became a staple for Latin music listeners who grieve the loss of someone special, often being played at funerals and memorial services. In the wake of the devastating Walmart August 3, 2019, mass shooting in El Paso, “Amor Eterno” found a place in the hearts of a grieving community. Mariachi bands performed the song across the city in honor of the victims, families and all affected by the senseless tragedy.
Amor eterno e inolvidable
Tarde o temprano estaré contigo
Para seguir amándonos
Gabriel’s lyrics have always sent messages of healing and comfort to the public, earning him the honor of receiving the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Songwriter of The Year Award in 1995.
The love for Juárez that Gabriel carried in his soul never failed to shine through in his songwriting and personal life. Several songs in the singer’s catalog document his appreciation for the city that helped him find his voice. In “El Noa Noa,” Gabriel pays tribute to the Juárez nightclub where he began his career. He tributes his early musical mentor, Juan Contreras, with the song “Eternamente Agradecido,” where Gabriel expresses his gratitude for the man who pointed him toward his musical destiny while at the orphanage. “La Frontera,” an exciting cultural song, pays tribute to the El Paso/Juárez border. The music video for this song was shot in several places throughout El Paso and Juárez, including the Chamizal National Memorial Park and the Santa Fe Street International Bridge that serves as a gateway between the U.S and Mexico. “Juárez Es El Número Uno” is an appreciation anthem for Juárez itself, while “Arriba Juárez” is a true proclamation of the land Gabriel calls his hometown. His love for our sister city Juárez remained as eternal as his love for art and music.
To say that Gabriel’s impact remained only within his musical abilities would be false. There is a reason he was nicknamed Juanga and El Divo de Juárez. Gabriel electrified audiences with his flamboyant onstage persona, which became a staple of his performances. On stage, the singer wore hints of eye makeup and vibrantly colorful stage outfits that shone as bright as a strobe emitting flashes of brilliant light. His performances maintained an over-the-top spectacular energy compared to other artists who gave low-key stage performances.
Image caption: Juan Gabriel (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
This persona stirred fans to question his sexuality, however, Gabriel refrained from giving a clear answer on his sexual orientation. Never having married, he rejected the idea of marriage on occasion. The father of six children, two who were made public after his passing, only added to the public’s confusion and speculation. It did not work against Gabriel like some might have thought. Quite the contrary, it took him to greater heights of appreciation from Latin music listeners. Despite never having clarified his sexual orientation, members of the Latin LGBTQ+ have taken refuge in his deeply emotional lyrics and flamboyancy. The vulnerability within Gabriel’s music sets him apart from his male peers. He was a male artist who showcased emotions that men were afraid of expressing for fear of being seen as “weak.” His appeal to the LGBTQ+ community only grew as he maintained an admirable character as the kind of artist who stood unapologetically vivacious in a Latin culture where hypermasculinity is deemed the default.
In the late summer of 2016, Gabriel reached the final chorus of his glorious life at 66. On August 28, 2016, Gabriel passed away in his Santa Monica home from a heart attack. On the day of his passing, he was scheduled to perform a sold-out show at the Don Haskins Center. The singer was survived by his six children, a troop of dedicated friends and a swarm of fiercely loyal fans.
The Gabriel legacy showcases hard work, dedication and a burning adoration for music. These three factors helped him reach high levels of success in a legendary musical career. Although Gabriel is no longer with us, we can still find his tender voice sifting through speakers in many households throughout El Paso, Juárez and the world, for that matter. The enigmatic Latin superstar experienced a glorious musical career, and he will live on through his endearing lyrics expressed throughout his catalog.
Worry not, for when it’s time to dance or when hearts break, the unforgettable Juan Gabriel will forever be there to lyrically express the very emotions you feel. Amor eterno e inolvidable.
tags: Biography
Only in El Paso: Juan Gabriel (Youtube video)
