Juan Gabriel Photo by Robert Hacman
The estate of legendary Mexican recording superstar & prolific songwriter Juan Gabriel has signed an exclusive, worldwide agreement with Virgin Music US Latin and extended its agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), Universal Music Group’s leading global music publishing division. Under the new deal, Virgin Music US Latin will now represent Juan Gabriel’s post-2008 catalog and future recordings and UMPG will represent his entire iconic catalog through an extended, exclusive global publishing agreement, uniting Juan Gabriel’s music under the Universal Music roof.
Throughout his stellar 45-year career, Juan Gabriel released more than 47 albums and helped popularize Latin music worldwide. His songs have been recorded in Japanese, Turkish, Bulgarian, French, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Dutch, Melayu, Hawaiian and English. One of the most recognized and acclaimed Mexican singers in the history of Spanish language music, Juan Gabriel’s hits include “Hasta que te conocí,” “Abrázame Muy Fuerte,” “Querida,” “Amor Eterno,” and “Así Fue” among many others. The Latin music icon has sold more than 150 million albums, composed more than 1,800 songs, released 32 studio albums, and over 20 of his hits reached the Top 10 on Billboard (including 7 #1 Billboard Hot Latin Songs). Juan Gabriel built a legacy as a multifaceted artist, recording songs in genres as diverse as ranchero, ballad, pop, bolero, and producing dozens of albums for Mexican and foreign artists.
Ivan and Simona Aguilera, Juan Gabriel’s son and daughter-in-law, said: “After many years of work, we have put together a team of professionals that we believe have the qualifications that we have been searching for to represent my father and the legacy he left in my care. Our desire is to continue the vision my father had for the future of the Latin community, the Mexican culture, and the fine art of music he loved so much. My father wanted the world to experience his love for music, love for his beloved Latin culture, and to bring that experience to the world around him through music. Our dream is to continue what he started and to bring every beautiful thing he created and envisioned to the fans that stood by him all these years, and to future generations to come. We are proud of the team we have selected. We look forward to working together to bring to fruition all the work my father left behind. God Bless!”
“I am very honored to have the opportunity to collaborate in preserving the great musical legacy of Juan Gabriel, who I consider the most prolific singer-songwriter and performer in Latin America. His influence, recognized around the world, is more alive than ever,” said Victor González, President, Virgin Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.
Alexandra Lioutikoff, President Latin America/US Latin for UMPG, and Yadira Moreno, UMPG Mexico’s VP of New Business Development/Managing Director, said, “Universal Music Publishing is privileged to continue managing Juan Gabriel’s catalog. His impact to music across the world is unquestionable, Juan Gabriel has been a staple across Mexico and Latin America for generations, and we want to acknowledge the honor of being responsible for his works. Juan Gabriel’s songs and legacy are more alive today than ever before and we will keep pushing his songs forward for generations to come.”
This new agreement between Virgin Music US Latin and the estate of Juan Gabriel marks the beginning of a new relationship that will see new music released in the coming months including the highly anticipated Los Duo 3. Additionally, there will be a renewed focus on marketing and reintroducing his catalog to a new generation of fans.
Jeff Jampol, CEO, JAM, Inc, said, “Juan Gabriel is one of the greatest artists and songwriters in the history of modern music, beloved by fans all over the world. Our job at JAM, Inc is to protect, defend, and promote Juan Gabriel’s critically important legacy, and we are extremely happy to be in partnership with the great minds and artist-friendly people at Universal Music Publishing and Virgin Music US Latin.” Jampol continued, “As the worldwide managers of Juan Gabriel’s legacy and art, we’d particularly like to thank Jody Gerson, Victor González, and David Kokakis for their tireless efforts to carve this new venture with us – it took a lot of work, and their support & encouragement along the way made all the difference in the world. We’re very happy to work alongside Jody, Victor, and their teams, as we all move forward into the future together.”
Across his artistic career, Juan Gabriel collaborated both in concerts and in the studio with major international singers such as Juanes, Luís Fonsi, Alejandro Fernández, Rocío Dúrcal, Franco de Vita, José José, Ana Gabriel, Marc Anthony, David Bisbal, Natalia Lafourcade, Vicente Fernandez, Isabel Pantoja, Laura Pausini, Emmanuel and many more.
Juan Gabriel has been honored with countless awards including 3 Latin Grammys (including Album of the Year in 2016), Billboard Awards, MTV Music Awards, Lo Nuestro Awards, ASCAP Awards and Person of the Year awarded by the Latin Recording Academy. He received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and participated in festivals such as Viña del Mar, obtaining Silver and Gold Torches and Gaviotas. The King and Queen of Spain awarded Juan Gabriel the Laurel de Oro and Universal Excellence Award for his career. Juan Gabriel Day is celebrated on October 5th in Los Angeles and December 17th in Las Vegas. He was awarded the keys to Vatican City, Buenos Aires, Madrid and Asuncion, and received the Hispanic Heritage Award from the White House, the Lo Nuestro Award for Excellence in Latin Music and the Ondas Award for his musical legacy, among other recognitions.