Jon Secada

Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. His music fuses funk, soul music, pop, and Latin percussion. Secada has written songs for Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. He has toured with Luciano Pavarotti and recorded duets with Jim Brickman, Olivia Newton-John, and Frank Sinatra. Secada has performed several times at A Capitol Fourth, an annual Independence Day concert from the United States Capitol televised by PBS. Secada was born in 1961 in Havana, Cuba. Secada's father, José, was incarcerated for 3 years as a political prisoner by the communist Cuban government. In 1971, the Secadas received permission to emigrate and moved to Miami. His parents opened a coffee shop. Secada was raised in Hialeah, Florida. In 1979, Secada graduated from Hialeah Senior High School in Hialeah, Florida. During his performance of A Christmas Carol in 11th grade, he says he realized his musical potential and was encouraged by teachers to pursue music as a career. After graduating from high school, Secada attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he received a Bachelor of Music in 1983 and a Master of Music in jazz vocal performance in 1986. He graduated cum-laude and was later inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami. From 1986 to 1991, Secada was a teacher at Miami Dade College. In 1986, Secada's University of Miami acquaintances introduced him to Emilio Estefan, a musician in Miami Sound Machine and husband of Gloria Estefan. Estefan listened to one of Secada's demos and then became Secada's mentor and manager. This led to Secada becoming a backup singer for Miami Sound Machine. In 1991, Secada co-wrote and was a backup singer for "Coming Out of the Dark," a number-one…

Known for

Acting

Born

1961-10-04 · Havana, Cuba