What was Juan Gabriel's Net Worth?
Juan Gabriel was a Mexican singer-songwriter and actor who had a net worth of $30 million at the time of his death. Juan Gabriel was known for his flamboyant style and his hugely prolific, commercially successful career. With over 60 million records sold worldwide, he is among the best-selling singer-songwriters in Latin American history, and the best-selling in Mexican history. Gabriel's hit songs include "Querida," "Hasta Que Te Conocí," "Abrázame Muy Fuerte," and "De Mí Enamórate." Unfortunately Juan Gabriel died on August 28, 2016 at the age of 66 after suffering from a heart attack.
Early Life
Juan Gabriel was born as Alberto Aguilera Valadez on January 7, 1950 in Parácuaro, Michoacán, Mexico to farmers Victoria Valadez Rojas and Gabriel Aguilera Rodríguez. He was the youngest of ten siblings. After his father entered a psychiatric hospital, Aguilera moved with his mother to Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua. There, he attended the El Tribunal boarding school for eight years. Upon returning home, Aguilera became involved with a local Methodist church, where he sang in the choir.
Career Beginnings and Imprisonment
In 1965, Aguilera appeared on the television show "Noches Rancheras" singing the song "María la Bandida." This led to a singing gig at the Noa-Noa bar from 1966 to 1968. Aguilera also performed at other bars around Juárez. Although he was eventually hired to work as a backing vocalist for RCA Víctor, he left in 1970 due to inadequate payment. Aguilera returned to Mexico City homeless, forcing him to sleep in bus and train stations. At one point, he was falsely accused of robbery, leading to his imprisonment for over a year. However, this ended up being fortuitous for Aguilera, as he wrote songs during his incarceration and was introduced by the prison warden to Mexican singer and actress La Prieta Linda. He was eventually released due to lack of evidence, and lived with the prison warden and his wife for a couple years before getting back on his feet.
Music Career
Thanks to the help of La Prieta Linda, Aguilera secured a recording contract with RCA Víctor. Under the pseudonym Juan Gabriel, he released his debut studio album, "El Alma Joven…," in 1971. The album was a commercial success, spawning Gabriel's first hit single, "No Tengo Dinero." His second, self-titled studio album was subsequently released in 1972. That was followed in 1973 by "El Alma Joven Vol. III." For his fourth studio album, "Juan Gabriel con el Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán," he introduced mariachi to his repertoire. Gabriel went on to release dozens of further albums over the ensuing decades, selling millions of units and becoming the best-selling singer-songwriter in Mexican history. His 19th studio album, "Recuerdos, Vol. II," became the best-selling album of all time in Mexico after its release in 1984. Gabriel wrote and recorded upwards of 1,000 songs during his career, spanning an array of musical genres including rock, pop, disco, and mariachi. His biggest hits include "Querida," "Hasta Que Te Conocí," "Abrázame Muy Fuerte," "Te Sigo Amando," and "De Mí Enamórate."
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In addition to performing his own songs, Gabriel wrote numerous hits for other Latin artists, including Lucha Villa, Luis Miguel, Isabel Pantoja, and Rocío Dúrcal. In 1978, he had a major hit with the song "Lo Pasado, Pasado," recorded by fellow Mexican singer José José. Gabriel also produced albums for Villa, Dúrcal, and Lola Beltrán, among others. In 1990, he became the first non-classical act to perform at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, with the proceeds from his three sold-out concerts going to the National Symphony Orchestra. Gabriel continued to hold wildly popular concerts over the subsequent years, during which time he refused to record any new material due to a copyright dispute with the label BMG. He broke attendance records throughout Latin America with his concerts. Gabriel also toured the United States on occasion, and was scheduled to perform in El Paso, Texas on the day of his passing in 2016. One week earlier, his album "Vestido de Etiqueta por Eduardo Magallanes" hit number one on the Top Latin Albums chart.
Acting Career
Gabriel had his first significant acting role in the 1975 film "Nobleza Ranchera," costarring Sara García and Verónica Castro. He next starred in the 1980 musical film "Del Otro Lado del Puente," playing a Mexican student studying at UCLA. Gabriel's other credits include "En Esta Primavera," "Es Mi Vida," and "¿Qué le Dijiste a Dios?"
Personal Life and Death
Gabriel never married, but had six children. Four of them were with Laura Salas: Iván, Joan, Hans, and Jean. After Gabriel passed away, it was revealed that he had a fifth child named Luis, who was living in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was later revealed that he had yet another child, Joao, who was living in Los Angeles. Despite his children and the heterosexual relationships they came from, Gabriel was widely assumed to be gay.
In late August in 2016, Gabriel passed away from a heart attack in Santa Monica, California. He was 66 years of age. Gabriel's body was cremated and his ashes were sent to a home he owned in Ciudad Juárez. Many tributes poured in from fans and world leaders alike, including Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and US president Barack Obama.
Real Estate
At the time of his death Juan owned a number of properties in California. Just a year before his death he paid $1.55 million for a vacation property in Palm Springs. His estate sold this home in February 2017 for $1.637 million. He also owned a townhouse in Santa Monica.
