Juan Gabriel
1950-2016
Alberto Aguilera Valadez, known professionally as Juan Gabriel, was a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed as Juanga and El Divo de Juárez, Gabriel was known for his flamboyant style, which broke barriers within the Latin music market. Widely considered one of the best and most prolific Mexican composers and singers of all time, he has been called a pop icon. Having sold over 200 million albums worldwide, Juan Gabriel was among Latin America’s best-selling singer-songwriters.
For decades rumors of the singer’s sexuality swirled, even as he filled arenas and his records sold millions of copies worldwide. That is until Univision reporter Fernando del Rincón asked Juan Gabriel point blank if he was gay during a televised interview in the early 2000s. The journalist first quoted a Mexican historian who had commented on how the artist “explored the feminine side” when on stage. Juan Gabriel responded saying, “Art is feminine... Look, if you’re handsome and young and beautiful, well, people are always going to say that you’re gay.”
When del Rincón asked if the singer was gay, Juan Gabriel laughed and questioned why he was so interested. Then he gave a simple answer: “Dicen lo que se ve, no se juzga,” or “They say you should not question that which you can see.”
Juan Gabriel died in Santa Monica, California.