Gloria Estefan, The #68 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 (Continued from Part One above...)

 

She received a standing ovation when she performed "Coming Out Of The Dark" at the American Music Awards in January of 1991.  It was the first single from her album Into the Light, which landed at #1 on both the AC and Popular charts.  Into the Light has now sold over two million copies.

 

"Can't Forget You" gave Gloria a #2 AC hit.

 

"Live For Loving You" also peaked at #2 on the Adult chart and, with a peak of #20 overall, is one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

Gloria released her Greatest Hits package in 1992, which included three new songs.  "Always Tomorrow" jumped to #5 on the AC chart.

 

The compilation has now exceeded four million in sales in the U.S. alone.  "I See Your Smile" vaulted to #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Estefan also sang backing vocals on "Just Another Day" to help launch the solo career of her former backup singer, Jon Secada.

 

In 1993, Gloria released the album Mi Tierra, her first Spanish-language album.  The album has now sold over eight million copies.  Estefan also released the album Christmas Through Your Eyes, which has sold over one million units, and sang "Come Rain Or Shine" with Frank Sinatra for his album Duets.

Gloria and Emilio received the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be given to a naturalized U.S. citizen.  She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an honorary doctoral degree in music from her alma mater, the University of Miami, in 1993.

 Estefan released Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, a cover album of songs from the 1960's and '70s that has sold over two million copies. Her remake of the Vicki Sue Robinson smash "Turn The Beat Around" went Gold and gave her a #4 Adult hit that also reached #8 in Australia.

 

"Turn The Beat Around" sold over one million singles, a feat  matched by Gloria's remake of "Everlasting Love".  The #1 Dance hit also landed in the Top Five on the AC chart and earned a Billboard Music Award for Video of the Year.

Estefan earned Musicares Person of the Year in 1994 and performed at halftime of Super Boxl XXIX.

 

In 1995, Gloria released the album Abriendo Puertas, which won a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album.  She followed that up with the Platinum album Destiny.  "Reach" was the official theme of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, climbing to #5 on the Adult chart.

 "Reach" earned Estefan another Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  Estefan's world tour took her to the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia and Latin America.  The single "I'm Not Giving You Up" also reached the Top 10 on the AC chart.

In 1997, Estefan won the BMI Prestigious President's Award.  In 1998, Gloria released the album Gloria!, a #23 album that was Gold.  The single "Heaven's What I Feel" peaked at #10 on the Adult chart.  Estefan received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording.

  

 

The next year, Estefan teamed with 'N Sync for the single "Music Of My Heart", the theme to the movie of the same name in which Gloria appeared.  It hit #2 in the U.S. and #7 in Canada.  Estefan scored another Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Song From A Movie.  She also appeared in the movie For Love or Country:  The Arturo Sandoval Story in 2000.

 

Gloria scored nominations for Best Dance Recording and Best Long Form Music Video at the Grammy Awards for "Don't Let This Moment End".  She joined Stevie Wonder for a performance at Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami and sang the U.S. national anthem at game three of the 2003 World Series.

 

In 2000, Gloria received the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award and a Hall of Fame Award from the International Women's Forum.  She released the album lma Caribeña, which earned her another Grammy Award for Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album.  She released the compilation Greatest Hits Vol. II the next year.  "Out Of Nowhere", one of three new songs on the album, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording.

Gloria received the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Medallion of Excellence for Community Service and an honorary law degree from Barry University in Miami in 2002 and the Estefans received honorary doctoral degrees in music from the Berklee Collge of Music in 2007.

Gloria released the album Unwrapped in 2003 and toured the United States, Europe, Mexico and Puerto Rico to promote it.

In 2006, Estefan released the double compilation album The Essential Gloria Estefan.  She appeared in the seventh season of American Idol and continued to perform throughout the world.

In 2009, Gloria performed at the United States White House and received the BMI Icon Award.  In 2011, Billboard ranked her as the #14 Adult Contemporary Artist of All-Time.   Estefan released the album Miss Little Havana.  Later in the year, she began hosting Gloria Estefan's Latin Beat, a seven-part series for BBC Radio 2 in the U.K.

Estefan recorded with Tony Bennett and Paul Anka for Duets albums and assisted Santana for his album Corazon.

The musical On Your Feet!, about the life of Gloria and her husband Emilio, opened on Broadway in 2015.

Gloria has written two children's books, The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog in 2005 and Noelle's Treasure Tale, the latter reaching #3 on The New York Times list of bestsellers.  She also worked with her husband for the cookbook Estefan Kitchen in 2008.  The Estefans own several Cuban-themes restaurants and two hotels in Florida.

In 2009, the couple bought a minority interest in the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.  In 2013, Estefan's album The Standards scored a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

She also captured the Lifetime Achievement at the American Music Awards in 2000.  

In 2015, Gloria and Emilio were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Barack Obama for their contributions to American music.

Estefan has scored 30 career hits, with 10 reaching the Top 10 and two #1's.  She has excelled with adults, which of course make up the vast majority of the Rock audience.  Gloria has placed an astounding 21 of her 29 career AC hits into the Top 10 and has 10 #1 songs to her credit.

Gloria has sold over 31.5 million albums in the United States and over 100 million across the world.

She not only has immense chart success and huge album sales going for her, but she has been well rewarded by her peers.  She has won two American Music Awards from three nominations, three Grammy Awards out of eight nominations, one World Music Award from two nominations, one Billboard Music Award from four nominations, one Blockbuster Entertainment Award and one MTV Video Music Award.