Isabel
Isabella the Catholic of Castile (1451–1504) the first Spanish queen regnant and a key character in the Reconquista, the Spanish Inquisition, and Christopher Columbus' discovery of America
Gender	Female
Origin
Word/Name	Hebrew via Greek and Latin.
Meaning	"God's Promise" (from the Hebrew "Elisheba")
Other names
Related names	"Elisheba" & "Elisheva", (Hebrew) " Elisabel", (Medieval Latin) Isabell & "'Ysabel"' (Spanish) Isabella (Italian), Isabelle, (French, Dutch, Germal) Izabela, Isobel & "Ishbel" (Scots Gaelic) Ysabeau, Elizabeth (English)

Look up Isabel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Isabel ( /ˈɪz.ə.bɛl/^[1]) is a Romance-language given name. It is related to Isabelle (French, Dutch, German, Catalan, Provençal), Isabella (Italian), and the English Elizabeth.

Etymology[link]

This set of names is a southwestern European variant of the Hebrew name Elisheva. It also comes from the Latin "Helizabeth". It first appeared in medieval Provençal as Elisabel. It is clear both etymologically and contextually (the use of Isabel as a translation of the name of the mother of John the Baptist) that these names are derived from the Latin and Greek renderings of the Hebrew name.^[2]

According to Hanks/Hodges (166), the name is simply the Spanish and Portuguese form of Elizabeth, with loss of the first syllable and /l/ instead of /t/ (the latter sound does not appear word-finally in standard Spanish).Some people believed that this form of her name was first established sometime around 400 B.C. Some Romance languages now have both forms of the name concurrently. For example, Isabella and Elisabetta exist in Italian; Isabelle and Élisabeth exist in French.

An alternative etymology would suggest the ending -bel(la) comes from the Latin word bella "beautiful" (though it may be noted that it may also be translated as "wars"), while the origin of Isa- is somewhat uncertain, it may derive from a name, such as Isis.

Still another suggests that it comes from the Phoenician name 'Iyzebel by a different route than that of the latter's most famous possessor; perhaps most likely is that "Isabel" is the result of a Hebrew, Phoenician, or Latinate name mutating under the influence of one of the other languages or of a similar name from one of the other sources, much like "Katharine."

Variants in other languages include the Scottish Isobel, the Scottish Gaelic Ishbel, the Danish Elsebeth and the Polish Izabela.

Isabella, Isabel, Bella and other variants of the name have been popular in English-speaking countries in the past five years. When Isabella became the most popular name used for girls born in the United States in 2009, many newspaper articles attributed its rise in popularity to the character Isabella Swan in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. The name's popularity had been rising prior to the publication of the series, but the books increased its usage. Meyer indicated in interviews that she chose the name for her main character that she would have used for a daughter if she had had one.

Royalty[link]

Queens[link]

Other royalty[link]

• Isabella d'Anjou (c. 1101/1107–1154), Abbess of Fontevrault, wife of William Adelin.
• Isabella of England (1214 – December 1, 1241) daughter of King John of England and Isabella of Angoulême, wife of Frederick II Hohenstaufen 'Stupor Mundi', Holy Roman Emperor.
• Isabella of Antioch (13th century), regent of Jerusalem.
• Isabella of Mar (c. 1277–1296), first wife of Robert I of Scotland.
• Princess Isabella of Armenia (died c. 1321).
• Princess Isabella of Portugal (1397–1471), wife and political advisor of Philip III, Duke of Burgundy.
• Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine (1400–1453).
• Isabella of Bourbon (1436–1465), wife of Charles, Duke of Burgundy.
• Marchioness Isabella d'Este (1474–1539), wife of Francesco II of Gonzaga.
• Isabella of Portugal (1503–1539), also known as Isabel of Aviz, consort of emperor Charles V
• Isabella Jagiellon (1519–1559), wife of John Szapolyai.
• Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (1566–1633), wife of Archduke Albert of Austria.
• Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846–1921) — Princess Imperial of Brazil, daughter of Pedro II of Brazil, abolished slavery in Brazil.
• Isabelle, Comtesse de Paris (1911–2003).
• Princess Isabella of Denmark (born 2007)
• Isabel of Portugal (disambiguation)

Saints[link]

• Saint Isabelle of France (1225–1270)
• Elizabeth of Portugal

Other famous people[link]

• Isabel Allende, Chilean author and niece of Salvador Allende.
• Isabel Bayrakdarian, Canadian-Armenian lyric soprano
• Isabella Clark, wife of Prime Minister of Canada Sir John A. Macdonald.
• Isabel Godin des Odonais, traveler in the Amazon Basin.
• Isabel Martínez de Perón, President of Argentina (1974–1976) and third wife of Juan Perón.
• Ishbel Hamilton-Gordon, Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, authour.

Ships[link]

• Isabella, a ship sunk in the Falkland Islands in 1813.

Places[link]

• Mount Ishbel, Alberta, Canada.
• Ishbel Group, Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
• Sanibel Island, Florida, United States (derived from Spanish San Ybel<<Spanish Santa Isybella, variant of English "Saint Isabel").

Hurricanes[link]

• Hurricane Isabel

Bibliography[link]

• Hanks, Patrick und Flavia Hodges. 1996. Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press.

See also[link]

• Isabel (disambiguation)
• A comprehensive list of article names that begin with Isabel
• A comprehensive list of article names that begin with Isabella
• A comprehensive list of article names that begin with Isabelle

References[link]

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

Il Divo
From left to right, Sébastien Izambard, Carlos Marín, David Miller and Urs Bühler.
Background information
Genres	Operatic pop, vocal
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Syco Music, Columbia
Associated acts	Celine Dion
Website	ildivo.com
Members
Urs Bühler Sébastien Izambard David Miller Carlos Marín

Il Divo ("divine male performer" in Italian) is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music.^[1] Il Divo is a group of four male singers: French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, American tenor David Miller, and Swiss tenor Urs Bühler. To date, they have sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.^[2]

Band history[link]

Concert in Tokyo, January 2007

The idea behind Il Divo's creation came to Cowell after hearing Andrea Bocelli singing Con te partirò while watching The Sopranos. In 2004, G4, a quartet of operatic male singers, also appeared in the UK on the Simon Cowell TV show X-factor. They finished runners-up, but were signed by Sony records. Aware of this new appreciation for lyrical voices and classical music, he decided to form a multinational quartet (the members hail from Spain, Switzerland, France, and the United States, the name being in Italian) that tried to recreate the style of The Three Tenors.

Simon Cowell conducted a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project, which lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish baritone, Carlos Marín; two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller; and a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard.

Il Divo sings in Spanish, English, Italian, and French. Il Divo was named the Most Multinational UK No.1 Album Group in the 2006 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.

On 25 April 2007, Il Divo performed on American Idol in one of the "Idol Gives Back" episodes, which raised money for children in the U.S. and Africa. For every vote cast during that show, Idol sponsors Coca-Cola, AT&T, and others donated money to Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) and other groups such as Save the Children and America's Second Harvest.^[3]

On 12 December 2008, Il Divo performed their new song at the Swedish Idol 2008 finale in the Globen Arena in Stockholm.^[4]

As Barbra Streisand's guests[link]

Having just completed a six-month tour of America, Australia, and Europe, Il Divo then participated in all 20 concerts by Barbra Streisand in her North American tour as her special guests. "Streisand: The Tour" with Il Divo was ranked second for all tours for 2006, generating $92.5 million in gross sales.

2006 World Cup[link]

On 9 June 2006, Il Divo performed the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song, "The Time of Our Lives," with R&B singer Toni Braxton live, at half-time, during the opening match between Germany and Costa Rica, and again a month later at the 9 July closing ceremony.^[5][6] The song is available exclusively on the Voices from the FIFA World Cup compilation album, and on the European reissue of Braxton's album Libra, but not on any Il Divo album. A shortened version of the song is featured on the second disc of Braxton's greatest hits album.

2011 Paraguay[link]

The Paraguay show was Il Divo's biggest capacity performance ever and took place on 20 December 2011, at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, for 33.900 people.^{[7] [8]}

Discography[link]

[edit] Il Divo (2004)

	"Regresa A Mi" (2004) noicon
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Recording started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden, with producers Quiz & Larossi, Per Magnusson & David Kreuger and in the UK with producer Steve Mac. This self-titled album contained the Spanish rendition of Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart" (Regresa a Mí), (Braxton had originally released "Regresa a Mi" as a b-side to her 1996 single, "Unbreak My Heart"); their second single and first original song "Mama"; Sinatra's "My Way" (A mi manera); "Nella Fantasia," and 1994's San Remo Festival winner "Passerà."

The album hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 5 April 2005, where they performed "Regresa a Mi".

In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album knocked Robbie Williams out of the number 1 spot in the UK charts, Williams allegedly said to them at the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, “So you are the four idiots who have forced me off my number one spot!”.^[9]

This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.

[edit] Ancora (2005)

This was recorded in both Sweden and London with producers Per Magnusson, David Kreuger and Steve Mac, who were also the producers of their first album. Released on 7 November 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on 24 January 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.

Highlights include "Isabel," "I Believe In You (Je crois en toi)," a duet with Céline Dion, a Spanish version of Secret Garden's "You Raise Me Up" (Por ti seré), and a Spanish cover of Eric Carmen's "All by Myself." Two of the tracks on the non-American release of this CD, "O Holy Night" and a version of Schubert's "Ave Maria," also appear on 2005's The Christmas Collection.

[edit] The Christmas Collection (2005)

Recorded in 2005, the album is a collection of Christmas and holiday-inspired songs.

[edit] Voices (2006)

Is a collection of songs released at the time of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

[edit] Siempre (2006)

Released on 21 November 2006 in the United States and one week later in the rest of the world.

[edit] The Promise (2008)

The album was released globally on 10 November 2008, except in the US and Canada, where it was released on 18 November 2008, Ireland where it was released on 7 November 2008, and Japan, on 26 November 2008. ^[10] The album reached the No.1 spot in the UK on 16 November 2008. The album was produced by Steve Mac. According to the credits on the DVDs, the bagpipes in Amazing Grace, both on this album and in the performance in the In the Coliseum DVD, are played by Robert White.^[11]

[edit] Wicked Game (2011)

According to Sony Music International the upcoming album is scheduled for release on 28 November 2011. Il Divo premiered the first song from the album, "Dove L'Amore", in a live performance at the Classical Brit Awards on Sunday 12 May 2011. At the same event Il Divo received the award for 'Artist of the Decade'. Recently, IL Divo have been on a worldwide promotional tour with Wicked Game in readiness for their fourth world tour which starts next year.

DVDs[link]

[edit] Mama (2005)

The Il Divo released Mama – The Video, which included exclusive footage of the "Making of the Video," a live recording of "Mama – Live In New York," plus a photo gallery.

[edit] Encore (2005)

An open air "live" concert filmed at the Teatro Romano, which is part of the "Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida" World Heritage site in Mérida, Spain, 2005 and was released as DVD on 24 January 2006. The DVD features 8 tracks, including:

Concert

• "Si Tu Me Amas"
• "Isabel"
• "O Holy Night"
• "Heroe"
• "All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)"

Extras

• Il Divo Revealed (documentary interspersed with concert songs)
• "Regresa A Mi (Unbreak My Heart)" (Music video)
• "Mama" (Music video)

[edit] Live at the Greek Theater (2006)

The second official DVD release of Il Divo, this contains the full live concert performed on 27 June 2006 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California as part of their World Tour 2006. This recording captures all the songs that have established the group's popularity, such as their breakthrough hit "Regresa A Mi" through to their original songs such as "Mama," "Si Tu Me Amas," and the only song taken from their Christmas album, "Rejoice." They also performed a previously unreleased rendition of the iconic song "Somewhere" as featured in the musical West Side Story. Most releases in the United States of America do not have "Everytime I Look At You" on it as a major music distributor bought the rights to it in order to promote this song as a bonus track on their release of the DVD, despite the tracklisting on the back-covers still listing the track.

Setlist (in order)

• Regresa a mi
• All by myself (Solo otra vez)
• Passerà
• Isabel
• Nella fantasia
• Rejoice
• Pour que tu m'aimes encore
• I Believe In You (Je crois en toi)
• Unchained Melody (Senza catene)
• Every Time I Look At You
• Si tú me amas
• Feelings
• Mama
• Somewhere
• Hero
• My Way (A mi manera)

Extras

• The Time of our Lives video - performed with Toni Braxton as the official 2006 FIFA World Cup song. It features three versions in English, German and the International one.
• Up-close and personal interview - focuses on the group's reflections of their success so far.

[edit] Live at the Coliseum (2008)

The DVD was released in the UK on 1 December 2008, but the show was at the Pula Arena in Pula, Croatia.

It features performances of:

• Amazing Grace
• The Power Of Love (La Fuerza Mayor)
• Hallelujah (Alleluia)
• The Winner Takes It All (Va Todo Al Ganador)
• Adagio

With an in-depth 30 minute interview entitled 'The Promise – Il Divo In Conversation.'

[edit] An Evening With Il Divo - Live In Barcelona (2009)

While partaking in their largest worldwide tour, Il Divo recorded and released An Evening With Il Divo – Live In Barcelona, a live DVD with an accompanying 10-track CD with songs from the concert. It was recorded at Il Divo’s largest capacity performance in Europe and took place at Palau Sant Jordi on 3 April 2009 with attendance of 20 000 people. Added to the setlist are two previously unrecorded songs by the band, Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Impossible Dream. Extras include a "behind the scenes footage/making of the tour" interview with Il Divo.
Disc 1: The CD

• Unbreak My Heart (Regresa A Mi)
• Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
• La Promessa
• Adagio
• Somewhere
• Nights in White Satin (Notte Di Luce)
• Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
• Hallelujah (Aleluya)
• Amazing Grace
• My Way (A Mi Manera)

Disc 2: The DVD

• Somewhere
• Unbreak My Heart (Regresa A Mi)
• La Promessa
• Angelina
• Isabel
• Bridge Over Troubled Water
• She
• Passera
• Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
• Mama
• Nights In White Satin (Notte Di Luce)
• The Winner Takes It All (Va Toda Al Ganador)
• Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
• Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore
• Everytime I Look At You
• Hallelujah (Aleluya)
• Adagio
• La Vida Sin Amor
• Caruso
• The Power Of Love (La Fuerza Mayor)
• My Way (A Mi Manera)
• Amazing Grace
• The Impossible Dream

Extras

• On Tour With Il Divo

[edit] Live in London (2011)

Setlist (in order)

• Come What May (Te Amare)
• Dov'è L'Amore
• Adagio
• Nella Fantasia
• La Vida Sin Amor
• Everytime I Look At You
• Passerà
• Unchained Melody (Senza Catene)
• My Way (A Mi Manera)
• Wicked Game (Melanchonia)
• Si Tú Me Amas
• Mama
• Hallelujah (Aleluya)
• Crying (Llorando)
• Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mí)
• Without You (Desde El Dia Que Te Fuiste)
• Pour Que Tu M'Aimes Encore
• Somewhere
• Time to Say Goodbye (Con Te Partirò)

Bonus Content

• Countdown to the Coliseum
• At The Classic Brits
• At The Photoshoot
• In The Studio
• At The Coliseum
• Wicked Game - Track by Track
• Wicked Game Album Trailer

Bibliography[link]

[edit] Romancing The World (2005)

Author: Allegra Rossi
Format: Hardback 128 pages
Date of publication: 10 November 2005
Publisher: Orion
ISBN 978-0-7528-7519-4

[edit] Our Music, Our Journey, Our Words (2007)

Author: Il Divo
Format: Paperback 192 pages
Data of publication: 6 September 2007
Editor: Headline Book Publishing
ISBN 978-0-7553-1657-1

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Il Divo

• Official website
• LiveJournal Fan Community
• Il Divo Belgium website
• Spanish website
• Il Divo profile on the C Music TV channel
• Il Divo section on ClassicalX
• Belgium Il Divo Fansite
• Belgium Il Divo Forum
• Il Divo Brazilian Fanclub
• Il Divo Kingdom ru
• Il Divo Italian Web Site it
• Il Divo Lithuanian forum

Baxter Dury
Background information
Birth name	Baxter Dury
Born	(1971-12-18) 18 December 1971 (age 40)
Origin	Wingrave, Buckinghamshire, England
Genres	Rock Pop
Occupations	Vocalist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Rough Trade Records, Parlophone
Website	Baxter Dury Official Website

Baxter Dury (born 18 December 1971, Wingrave, Buckinghamshire, England) is an English indie musician, currently signed to Rough Trade Records.^[1] He is the son of Ian Dury,^[1] and as a five-year-old he appeared on the front cover of Ian's LP New Boots and Panties!!.^[2] He left school at the age of fourteen.^[2] He has had a 'Record of the Week' in NME with Oscar Brown EP in 2002.^[1] He has one son, Kosmo Korda Dury (born 2002) whose mother is the granddaughter of Zoltan Korda.^[2]

More recently, Dury has signed a new recording contract with Parlophone.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Len Parrot's Memorial Lift (2002)
• Floor Show (2005)
• Happy Soup (2011) (UK chart peak: #110)^[3]

Singles and EPs[link]

• Oscar Brown EP (2001)
• "Love in the Garden"
• "Claire" (15 August 2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Baxter Dury Official Website
• MySpace

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Isabel Fay (b. Bath, British) is a comedy writer and performer.

Isabel graduated from Royal Holloway University of London in 2001 with a 2:1 BA (Hons) Lon.

Isabel is represented by the Independent Talent Group - Samira Higham for performing and Laura Rourke for writing

Comedy actress & writer Isabel Fay

TV and Film[link]

Isabel Fay appeared in the first series of BBC2's How Not to Live Your Life^[1] with Dan Clark and David Armand. She also appeared in the Pilot of BBC Three's How Not to Live Your Life, and co-starred with Dan Clark in Dan Clark's Guide to Dating for Comedy Central^[2]

Comedian Isabel Fay's self penned debut short film "With or Without U2" has just won Best Comedy Short at the LA Comedy Film Festival 2011, despite the controversy surrounding the film's soundtrack. Isabel wrote it to a choral score of U2's With or Without You the band personally declined her the license to use the score. So Isabel arranged for a chorus to sing the score live along to the muted film, at the LA Comedy Film Festival, and subsequently won the Best Comedy Short trophy.

Isabel appeared in the film Clive Hole, adapted from a short story by Alexi Sayle starring David Schneider, Karl Theobald and Susan Vidler. She also appeared in the film Rekindle by Marios Hamboulides starring Tom Conti, Karl Theobald and My Family's Daniela Denby-Ashe, and she voiced short film Man in a Cat with Kevin Eldon and Josie Long

Also alongside Kevin Eldon, Alice Lowe, Steve Furst, David Bussell and Matthew Stott, Isabel appeared in the pilot for a 'sort-of-sketch-show' called "Missing Scene". The pilot was written by David Bussell, Matthew Stott and Ben Ricketts and script edited by Alice Lowe.

She co-owns internet comedy production company Clever Pie with Tom Hopgood. Clever Pie make hit online comedy sketches and films^[3]

For BBC Comedy Online Isabel wrote and performed hit short Common Film Ground^[4] And she co-wrote and starred in Leader's Wives^[5]

Isabel also made an exclusive sketch for Funny Or Die set to Bonnie Tyler's hit Total Eclipse of the Heart called Total Paperclips of the Heart^[6]

For BBC Radio 4 Isabel starred in sitcom pilot 49 Cedar Street, and as a supporting comedy character in Sarah Millican's Support Group.

For CBBC Isabel has appeared in children's comedy shows Little Howard's Big Question and Hacker Time.

Isabel has also shot her own sketch show pilot with Silver River TV^[7]. She has appeared in BBC Three's Comedy Shuffle, she wrote and performed on all three series of ITV2's flagship show Comedy Cuts, and wrote and performed as a roving reporter on Monkey TV's online show Newslog, which also stars Steve Punt.

She was a member of the cast for E4's Dogface, and BBC Three's pilot Toju.

She appeared in Episode 3 of the The Royal Bodyguard for the BBC as the Spa Receptionist.

Live comedy shows[link]

Isabel co-created and starred in sketch show The Works with David Armand at Madame Jojo's in Soho

Isabel's solo live work is usually a collaboration with if.comeddies award winning director Matt Holt (directed Brendan Burns if.comeddies award-winning show 2007) and Perrier award winning producer Tom Hopgood (produced Laura Solon's Perrier award winning show 2005).

At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Isabel's first self penned solo comedy show was Magic Steve's Disappearing Act (2006), featuring her magician's assistant character Annette Cadabra.^[8] Her second solo show at the festival was Isabel Fay: Altar Ego (2007)^[9] Fay performed a third solo Edinburgh show Don't Let A Gift Horse in the House at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, at the Pleasance Courtyard^[10]

References[link]

Luis Miguel
Background information
Birth name	Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri
Also known as	El Sol de México, "Luismi", "Micky"
Born	(1970-04-19) April 19, 1970 (age 42) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Origin	Mexico
Genres	Latin pop, pop music, bolero, mariachi
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocal, piano
Years active	1981–present
Labels	EMI Latin (1981-1986) Warner Music (1987-present)
Associated acts	Frank Sinatra Armando Manzanero Manuel Alejandro Sheena Easton
Website	Official website

Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (April 19, 1970) is a Mexican singer.^[1][2] He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel. An icon in the Spanish-speaking countries, he is often referred to as "El Sol de México" (The Sun of Mexico) or simply "El Sol" (The Sun).^[3][4]

Beginning his musical career in his childhood, Luis Miguel has won five Grammys and four Latin Grammys among other numerous awards.^[5] He is considered as one of the top male pop vocalists in the world nowadays. His contribution to Latin pop music, along with his hermetic personal life, has made him a global figure of Latin music for almost three decades. He debuted on the professional music at 11 years old. At the age of fifteen, Luis Miguel received his first Grammy for his duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" (I Like You Just The Way You Are) with Sheena Easton.^[3] In 1991, the RIAA gave him a recognition for the high sales of the albums Romance and Segundo Romance.^[3] Luis Miguel is the only Latin artist to have two Spanish-language albums (Romance and Segundo Romance) go platinum in the USA. He has achieved a long string of distinctions. Also among those was having his album Luis Miguel achieve gold and platinum certifications in four countries, including the United States, within just three days of its release.

Luis Miguel is also known by his high-grossing tours and his outstanding live performances. His Amarte Es Un Placer Tour had a length of 8 months during 1999–2000 and run through 8 countries in two continents. The tour consisted of 105 concerts and was attended by approximately 1.5 million fans. It was the highest-grossing tour ever made by a Latin artist, as well as the most extended. These two records have been broken by his Mexico En La Piel Tour of 2005–2007, with a total of 124 concerts, over 1.4 millions spectators, and grossing over $95 million.

Early life[link]

He was named Luis Miguel in honor of fame Spanish bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín.^[6] Although Luis Miguel has lived almost his entire life in Mexico, he was born in Puerto Rico, where his father performed occasionally as a singer. His parents were Spanish singer Luisito Rey and Italian actress Marcella Basteri.^[7] Luis Miguel has two younger brothers. His father was from Cadiz, a city in southwestern Spain. During his child years, his father, who was also his manager, encouraged him to watch and analyze nearly every movie, recording, and concert performance of Elvis Presley.^[7] Luis Miguel's mother was from Carrara, Italy. She disappeared mysteriously in 1986, when he was a teenager. Luis Miguel spent much of his childhood in Spain and Italy as well.^[7]

Career[link]

In 1981, at the age of 11, Luis Miguel released his first album, Un Sol, by the Mexican branch of EMI Records.^[8] Two years later, he started touring Latin American countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina.

In 1985, at age of 15, he took part at the Sanremo Music Festival, where he won the second place award with his song "Noi Ragazzi Di Oggi".^[7] That same year, he was also presented with the "Antorcha de Plata" Award in the Viña del Mar Music Festival for his duet single "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" ("I Like You Just As You Are") with Scottish singer Sheena Easton.^[3] In 1984, he co-starred in the film Ya Nunca Más and in 1985, Fiebre de Amor with singer Lucero as his co-star.^[7]

In 1986, Luis Miguel gave his career a brief break, as his relationship with his father was souring due to alleged mismanagement, poor financial decisions and risking his earnings of his career. Shortly after signing with Warner Records, in 1987, he fired his father and started to work with Juan Carlos Calderón.^[7] Luis Miguel's album Soy Como Quiero Ser in May 1987 sold well.^[7] The album featured hits such as "Cuando Calienta El Sol", "Ahora Te Puedes Marchar", and "Yo Que No Vivo Sin Ti".

On November 25, 1988, Luis Miguel's second album Busca Una Mujer was released. The first single La Incondicional became a top-ten hit throughout Latin America in the first half of 1989,^[7] thanks in part to the music video. The video was shocking to many fans as he had cut his signature long hair. This cemented his transition from a child star into an adult superstar. By the end of 1989, the second single Fría Como El Viento reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.^[9] He also had a top-ten single Separados in early 1990, peaking at #8.

In 1990, he made a successful transition from a child singer to an adult showman with the album 20 Años and an ensuing string of sold-out shows first in Mexico then throughout Latin America and elsewhere in the world. 20 Años which sold 600,000 copies in its first week of release,^[7] resulted in release of three singles Tengo Todo Excepto A Ti, Entrégate, Amante Del Amor with the two former hitting number 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks in 1990.^[9]

In 1991, Luis Miguel's career went to even greater heights and earned him the respect of a wider audience with the release of Romance, an album of romantic boleros, most of them from the 1940s and 1950s. He has been credited with reinventing the bolero for modern audiences. The album Romance, which became his most successful material ever eventually sold 15 million units worldwide.^[7]

In 1993, Luis Miguel's fifth studio album, Aries, was released, which won him that year's Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album.^[3] That same year, Luis Miguel was personally invited by Frank Sinatra to join him on his Duets II album and to perform live in a nationally televised special in honor of Sinatra's 80th birthday; along with other stars such as Stevie Wonder and Natalie Cole.^[7]

In 1994, he released a sequel to Romance, Segundo Romance, featuring Luis Miguel as a convincing pop singer with mastery over timeless Latin classics such as "Solamente Una Vez" and "Sin Ti". The album went on to earn a Grammy Award^[3] as well as reaching a Platinum status in the United States.^[10]

In 1996, Luis received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[3] Soon after, Luis Miguel quickly returned to the studios and released Nada Es Igual, a pop album featuring "Sueña", the main theme for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.^[3] In 1997, Luis Miguel released his third album of the bolero series Romances, which earned him a World Music Award and another Grammy Award.^[7]

In 1999, Luis Miguel released his ninth studio album Amarte Es Un Placer which, in 2000, earned him two Latin Grammys for being Best Album of the Year and Best Pop Album of the Year.^[3] The single "O Tú, O Ninguna" of Amarte Es Un Placer became number 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and perched at the top position for eight consecutive weeks.^[9] Following the success of Amarte Es Un Placer, Luis Miguel released Mis Romances in 2001, his fourth album in the bolero series. The album, which sold over two million copies worldwide was followed by the launch of Mis Romances Tour which took place throughout the U.S., Europe, and Latin America.

In 2003, Luis Miguel released his first pop album in over four years entitled 33, indicative of his age. The album, which featured a collection of ballads and uptempo songs climbed to number 1 on Billboard's Latin Charts earning Luis Miguel two Billboard Awards as well as Grammy and Latin Grammy award nominations.^[8] On the 33 Tour, Luis Miguel filled the largest halls in the U.S., toured throughout Latin America and in Chile where his album 33 sold 2.5 million copies (more records than any other artist in the history of Chile).^[8] He also performed at Mexico's sold-out National Auditorium, and various sold-out shows at Buenos Aires, as well as other prestigious international venues such as Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Spain. That same year, Prince Felipe of Spain presented him with a special award for being the best-selling foreign artist in his country's history, and hosted a special party in his honor in Madrid.^[7]

In 2004, Luis Miguel released his Mexico En La Piel. The album, which was a collection of traditional Mexican mariachi songs went on to sell three million copies worldwide.^[11] He launched his Mexico En La Piel Tour in 2005. In 2006, Luis Miguel performed thirty sold out shows between January 18 and February 27 at the National Auditorium in Mexico City.^[7] The 123-date tour started in September 2005 in Mexico which then stretched to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Luis Miguel in 2005

In 2005, Luis Miguel released Grandes Exitos, his first greatest hits album, that featured his greatest songs he recorded during all his career, including two never-released singles: "Misterios Del Amor" and "Si Te Perdiera".

That same year, he released a Christmas album called Navidades. The playlist includes many Christmas standards in Spanish. The album reached number one on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart during the first week of its release.^[12] The album released two singles "Santa Claus Llegó A La Ciudad" ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), and "Mi Humilde Oración" ("My Grown-up Christmas List").

On May 6, 2008, Luis Miguel released Cómplices, produced by him and written by Spanish composer Manuel Alejandro. It sold almost 350,000 copies in the first 24 hours.^[13] The first single, "Si Tú Te Atreves" was released on April 7, 2008, the second single of the album was "Te Desean". His Complices Tour began in Seattle, Washington on September 3, 2008.

Luis Miguel released his self-titled studio album on September 14, 2010. Its first single "Labios de Miel" is a smooth Latin pop song. His current world tour started on November 4, 2010 in the city of Lima, Peru and runs through the United States, South America, Mexico and Spain among other countries.^[14] On February 22, 2012, he sang at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. With one million dollars for his performance, he became the most expensive artist in the history of the festival.

Summary of Distinctions[link]

At the age of fifteen, Luis Miguel received a Grammy Award for his duet "Me Gustas Tal Como Eres" (I Like You Just The Way You Are) with Sheena Easton.^[3] In 1991, the RIAA gave him a recognition for the high sales of the albums Romance and Segundo Romance.^[3] Luis Miguel is the only Latin artist to have two Spanish-language albums (Romance and Segundo Romance) go platinum in the USA.

He was the only Latin artist to perform at the show "SINATRA: 80 Years My Way", along with other pop icons such as Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Cole and Bob Dylan.^[3] His album Romances of 1997, became the first Spanish-language album ever debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard Top 200.^[3] Warner Music recognized Luis Miguel as the best-selling artist in the history of Chile with over 2.5 million records sold.^[3] In 2003, Prince Felipe of Spain presented him with a special award for being the best-selling foreign artist in his country's history. In 2008, Luis Miguel's album Navidades became the first Christmas album ever being nominated to the Grammy in the category of Pop.^[3] His album Cómplices broke records in Mexico, by selling over 320,000 copies in its first day of release.^[3] Just three days after its release, his new album achieved Quadruple Platinum certification in Mexico, Platinum in Argentina and gold records in Chile and the United States.

Luis Miguel is also known by his high-grossing tours and his outstanding live performances. His Amarte Es Un Placer Tour had a length of 8 months and run through Mexico, USA, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil and Spain between 1999 and 2000. The tour consisted of 105 concerts and was attended by approximately 1.5 million fans. It was the highest-grossing tour ever made by a Latin artist, as well as the most extended. These two records have been broken by his Mexico En La Piel Tour. His 33 Tour peaked at No. 1 in the Billboard World Top Boxscore.^[3] The Mexico En La Piel Tour of 2005–2007, with a total of 124 concerts, peaked at No. 1 in the Billboard World Top Boxscore. The tour spanned two years with a total of 124 concerts attended by over 1.5 millions spectators, and grossed around $950 million.^[3] In 2006, during the Mexico En La Piel Tour, after giving 30 consecutive sold-out concerts at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico, gathering over 260,000 spectators he was awarded with the "Estela de Plata" at the last concert.^[3] His Luis Miguel Tour is ranked at number five of the highest-grossing tours of 2011 in North America.^[15]

Cultural impact[link]

Luis Miguel's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Luis Miguel is considered as one of the top male pop singers worldwide today. In a career that has spanned over twenty-five years, he has become the main singer from Latin America, having performed successfully pop music, bolero, mariachi and romantic ballads.^[16][17] In the late 1980s, Luis Miguel made the transition from child star to consolidated international singer, and since then, he became one of the most revered and popular Latin American artists ever.^[16][17] His wide vocal range and performance has been praised by critics and other artists all over the world.^[16][17]

Frank Sinatra personally invited Luis Miguel to participate on a duet in the album Duets II. Luis Miguel has been dubbed several times by the press and the media as the "Latin Frank Sinatra".^[18]

His music has reached to non-Spanish speaking continents such as Asia and Africa. The press stated that at the time of his capture, the dictator Saddam Hussein, had the album Segundo Romance, among his belongings.^[19]

Awards and recognitions[link]

Personal life[link]

Luis Miguel refuses to speak to the media about his personal life and keeps the matter private. Luis Miguel rarely grants interviews or attends award ceremonies. He is always escorted by a diligent security team and he is transported in several trucks to distract paparazzis and reporters.^[20]

He is recognized for his taste for haute cuisine and for being a self-taught sommelier. He released his own vintage of wine, "Unico. Luis Miguel", a Cabernet Sauvignon.^[21][22] He is a native Spanish speaker and also speaks fluent English, Italian and Portuguese.^[23][24]

Luis Miguel is the father of three children: Michelle Salas, born on June 13, 1989, from his relationship with Stephanie Salas; Miguel, born on January 1, 2007 and Daniel, born on December 18, 2008, both from his relationship with actress Aracely Arámbula. His numerous relationships are widely covered by the Latin media.^[25]

In April 2010, he was briefly hospitalized at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The cause of the hospitalization was not disclosed.^[26]

Discography[link]

Album certifications[link]

• Soy Como Quiero Ser: 5 Platinum Discs, 8 Gold Discs
• Romance: 70 Platinum Discs, 3 Gold Discs
• Aries: 40 Platinum Discs 6 Gold Discs
• Segundo Romance: 50 Platinum Discs
• Nada Es Igual: 30 Platinum Discs
• Romances: 50 Platinum Discs
• Amarte Es Un Placer: 4 Platinum Discs, 4 Gold Discs
• Mis Romances: 8 Platinum Discs, 3 Gold Discs
• 33: 11 Platinum Discs, 2 Gold Discs
• México En La Piel: 1 Diamond Disc, 11 Platinum Discs, 1 Gold Disc
• Grandes Exitos: 5 Platinum Discs, 3 Gold Discs
• Grandes Exitos Videos: 1 Platinum Discs, 1 Gold Disc
• Navidades Luis Miguel: 1 Diamond Discs, 10 Platinum Discs, 2 Gold Disc.
• Cómplices: 1 Diamond Disc, 9 Platinum Discs, 1 Gold Disc

Total career: 3 Diamond Discs, 304 Platinum Discs, 34 Gold Discs

Total career counting singles: 16.7 million discs^{[3][27][28][29][30]}

^[31][32][33]

Tours[link]

• (1990–1991) Gira 20 Años
• (1991–1992) Romance Tour
• (1993–1994) Aries Tour
• (1994–1995) Segundo Romance Tour
• (1995) El Concierto Tour
• (1996) America Tour
• (1997–1998) Romances Tour
• (1999–2000) Amarte Es Un Placer Tour
• (2002) Mis Romances Tour
• (2003–2004) 33 Tour
• (2005–2007) Mexico En La Piel Tour
• (2008–2009) Complices Tour
• (2010–2011) Luis Miguel Tour

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Luis Miguel

• Official Site
• Official Facebook
• Luis Miguel at Allmusic
• Mundo Luis Miguel