Joan Sebastian | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Joan Sebastian in 2009 | |
| Born | José Manuel Figueroa Sr. (1951-04-08)April 8, 1951 Juliantla, Guerrero, Mexico |
| Died | July 13, 2015(2015-07-13) (aged 64) Teacalco, Guerrero, Mexico |
| Occupations |
|
| Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Children | 8 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Years active | 1975–2015 |
| Labels | . First record label was Capitol Records in Mexico. |
Musical artist | |
| Website | joansebastian |
José Manuel Figueroa Sr.[2][3] (April 8, 1951 – July 13, 2015), known professionally asJoan Sebastian (pronounced[ɟʝoˈanseβasˈtjan]), was a Mexican singer and songwriter.[4][5] Born inJuliantla,Guerrero, he composed more than 1,000 songs, including compositions for artists such asBronco,Vicente Fernández,Lucero,Pepe Aguilar, andRocío Dúrcal.[6] The first several years of his career were primarily focused onSoft rock andLatin pop songs, but later focused primarily onregional Mexican music, specificallybanda,mariachi, andnorteño. Throughout his career, he also recorded variouscountry songs in Spanish. Sebastian was awarded sevenLatin Grammy Awards and fiveGrammy Awards, making him the most awarded Mexican performer in Grammy history.[7]
Known for composing "Así es la Vida", Sebastian also worked sporadically as an actor. In 1996, he made his acting debut in theMexican soap operaTú y Yo (You and I), sharing credits withMaribel Guardia, his former wife and mother to his son, Julian. In 2015, Sebastian died at the age of 64 of bone cancer. At the time of his death, Sebastian had two number-one albums on theBillboard Top Latin Albums chart and seven top ten songs on theHot Latin Songs chart in the United States, including "Eso Y Más", "Me Gustas", "Secreto de Amor", and "Más Allá del Sol".[8]
Joan Sebastian was born in the rural town ofJuliantla inGuerrero. He began composing at the age of seven.[9] His mother enrolled him in a school nearGuanajuato when he was eight years old, and returned to his hometown three years later.[10]
At age fourteen, his father sent him away to a monastery inMorelos where he was under the care of Father David Salgado. Due to the clergyman's influence on Sebastian, he considered becoming a priest. He enrolled in the Seminario Conciliar de San José inCuernavaca, Morelos, but realized that he wanted to pursue a music career, and decided to leave the seminary to dedicate himself to music.[10]
Before embarking on a singing career, Sebastian was an administrative assistant at a vacation resort inOaxtepec, Morelos, where he would sing through the intercom. In 1968, Sebastian met Mexican actressAngelica Maria. They stayed together and she asked him to sing some songs for her.[9] She suggested to Sebastian that he record the songs and give them to music producer Eduardo Magallanes, though Sebastian never managed to contact him.[11] He later moved toMexico City and began asking Discos Capitals Records to listen to his music and produce it.[12] In 1974, he recorded his first album,Pedro Parrandas, and received positive feedback from the public.[9]
In 1977, Sebastian decided to stop using his legal name, Jose Manuel Figueroa and took on his artistic name, Joan Sebastian, partly in tribute to San Sebastian, where he previously worked.[10] That same year, he signed a record deal with the labelMusart. Later on he would make his known hit "Juliantla" and the famous duet "Maracas" with Alberto Vazquéz.In 2000, he releasedSecreto de Amor which was certified 4× platinum in the Latin field in theUnited States by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[13] The album and title track won theLo Nuestro Awards forRegional Mexican Album of the Year andRegional Mexican Song of the Year; he also received the Excellence Award for his musical contributions.[14]
In 2006, Sebastian was inducted into theBillboard Latin Music Hall of Fame for his prolific songwriting and musical arrangements.[15] Sebastian was awarded Songwriter of the Year three times byASCAP and received the Golden Note Award in 2007 in recognition of his songwriting career.[16]
In 2012, Joan Sebastian teamed up with American songwriter and producerWill.i.am for the song and video "Hey You."[17]
Sebastian had eight children from five different women. Their names areJosé Manuel Figueroa González (who is also a singer and songwriter), Juan Sebastián Figueroa González, Trigo de Jesús Figueroa González (first three children with Teresa González, his first wife), Zarelea Figueroa Ocampo (who is also a singer and songwriter), Julián Figueroa Fernández (son ofMaribel Guardia, also a singer), Joana Marcelia Figueroa Espín, Juliana Joeri Figueroa Alonso and D'Yavé Figueroa Espín. His third oldest son, Trigo, was shot in the back of the head after one of his father's concerts inMission, Texas, on August 27, 2006. Trigo had been trying to control the crowd after the show. He was transported toMcAllen Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.[18][19]
On June 12, 2010, his second oldest son, Juan Sebastián was shot dead inCuernavaca, Morelos, after arriving at a night club with some friends and being refused entrance.[20] Joan Sebastian said his son's death had nothing to do with theMexican drug cartels.[21]
A few months after his death,Televisa announced that a series about his life would begin filming. His youngest son, Julian Figueroa, portrayed his father in his younger days, while his older son, José Manuel Figueroa, portrayed his father in his later days.Livia Brito was also confirmed to portray Maribel Guardia. The seriesPor Siempre Joan Sebastian premiered on June 27, 2016 on Univision and concluded on July 25, 2016.
Sebastian was first diagnosed withbone cancer in 1999. He underwent cancer treatment and survived; however, he announced that the cancer had returned in 2007. Undergoing cancer treatment once again, he later announced he was in remission. On July 26, 2012, during one of his concerts, he announced that the cancer had returned for the third time. In 2014, he revealed that he was battling cancer for the fourth time during his performances inZacatecas.[citation needed]
Weeks prior to his death, he confirmed to the media that he had been hospitalized and undergoing cancer treatment under medical supervision. On July 13, 2015, Joan Sebastian died at 7:15pm (UTC-06:00) at his ranch Cruz de la Sierra, Teacalco Guerrero, Mexico, due to bone cancer. He was 64 years old.[8][22][23] His body was buried in a cemetery in Juliantla near his son Trigo.[24]
Relatives of the late singer complained in July 2020 that Sebastian's mausoleum had been broken into and the family feared that his remains might be stolen. Security measures were increased.[25]
Sebastian recorded the following studio albums during his music career:[26][27][28]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Grammy Award | Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album | Lo Dijo El Corazón | Won | [29] |
| Latin Grammy Award | Best Grupero Album | Won | [30] | ||
| 2003 | Grammy Award | Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album | Afortunado | Won | [29] |
| Latin Grammy Award | Best Regional Mexican Song | "Afortunado" | Won | [30] | |
| Best Banda Album | Afortunado | Won | [30] | ||
| 2006 | Grammy Award | Best Banda Album | Más Allá Del Sol | Won | [29] |
| Latin Grammy Award | Best Banda Album | Won | [30] | ||
| Best Grupero Album | En El Auditorio Nacional | Won | [30] | ||
| 2008 | Grammy Award | Best Banda Album | No Es De Madera | Won | [29] |
| Latin Grammy Award | Best Regional Mexican Song | "Estos Celos" | Won | [30] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
