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Jon Secada (he legally changed his first name from Juan in 1990) immigrated to the U.S. at the age of nine in 1971, settling in Miami where his parents opened a coffee shop. He earned both a B.A. and a M.A. in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami. Becoming involved with Gloria Estefan's career, he co-wrote six songs on her multi-platinum 1991 album Into the Light, among them the number one hit "Coming out of the Dark," and sang backup vocals on her subsequent tour. Then he signed to SBK Records and launched his own career with a self-titled debut record in 1992. With only one album, he became one of the biggest adult contemporary artist of the '90s, selling over six million albums worldwide. His smooth mix of R&B, pop, and Latin music appealed to a number of different audiences. As well as becoming a huge English-language pop star, he became one of the hottest Latin artists recording in the '90s; Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte (a Spanish-language version of Jon Secada) was Billboard's number one Latin album in 1992 and won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. His second English-language album, Heart, Soul & a Voice (1994), sold over a million copies. Amor (1995), his second Spanish-language album, won him another Grammy. Secada (1997) was a commercial disappointment, and the singer moved to Sony Music's Epic Records where his first duties including writing songs for labelmates Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez. In July of 2000, Epic released his label debut, Better Part of Me. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide |
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