Gloria Estefan

Born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García, she fled Cuba with her family in 1959 after the Cuban Revolution, settling in Miami. Her father participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion and later served in Vietnam, returning with multiple sclerosis. Estefan helped her mother care for him, and at age nine she faced a traumatic experience when a music teacher abused her; she told her mother, who alerted police, though no charges were pressed. She became a naturalized citizen in 1974.

Estefan's music career began in the 1970s as the lead singer of the Miami Latin Boys, which later became the Miami Sound Machine. Their 1985 single "Conga" was a global breakthrough. In 1990, a serious tour bus accident fractured her cervical vertebrae; she underwent emergency surgery and recovered after a year of rehabilitation. In 1993, her album "Mi Tierra" became the first Diamond album in Spain. She has won three Grammys for Best Tropical Latin Album. Estefan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017. She is married to Emilio Estefan, with whom she has two children and a grandchild.

Currently, Estefan continues to be celebrated as the "Queen of Latin Pop." With 38 number one hits on Billboard charts, she holds the distinction of being one of the most successful Latin artists in the United States. Her contributions to music and culture have earned her a lasting legacy.