Gloria Estefan

Position
Berklee Trustee; Singer-Songwriter
Biography

Gloria Estefan ’07H is a seven-time Grammy award-winning singer, actress, songwriter, author of two New York Times best-selling children’s books, philanthropist, and humanitarian. She is considered one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved performers and one of the most successful crossover artists in Latin music history, having received recognition for her achievements as an international superstar in both the Latin and non-Hispanic entertainment industries.

Estefan has achieved worldwide sales of over 100 million records over the course of her legendary career, and has achieved 38 no. 1 hits across the Billboard charts. Her iconic hits, which include “Conga,” “Turn the Beat Around,” “Get on Your Feet,” and Spanish-language chart-toppers “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan” and “Mi Tierra,” have made an indelible impression on generations of music fans. From her album Miss Little Havana (2011), “Hotel Nacional” made Estefan the first female artist to debut a song at no. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.

Most recently, President Obama honored Estefan and her husband, Emilio, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

ON YOUR FEET!, the critically acclaimed Broadway musical based on the lives and music of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, opened on November 5, 2015. The Estefans are the executive producers of the show, a story of two people who—through an unwavering dedication to one another and their pursuit of the American dream—showcased their talent, their music, and their heritage to the world in a remarkable rise to global superstardom. The musical is set to Estefan’s chart-topping, worldwide smash hits with one new original song written by her and their daughter Emily Estefan.

Gloria and Emilio are successful entrepreneurs who own and operate several businesses, which include a globally recognized music publishing company, a hospitality division that includes various restaurants, and two hotels. The Estefans are also the first Latin couple to own a minority share in the Miami Dolphins, a major franchise in the NFL.

Estefan has received many accolades, including her Oscar-nominated song “Music of My Heart,” a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a Humanitarian Award from the St. Jude Hospital for Children, a National Artistic Achievement Award from the U.S. Congress, and a presidential appointment as a public member of the U.S. delegation to the 47th General Assembly of the United Nations.

She is also the founder of the Gloria Estefan Foundation, whose mission is to support charitable programs for disadvantaged children and empower young people through education and opportunity. The foundation also supports spinal cord research through the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.