Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a

Cuban Cuban or Cubans may refer to: Related to Cuba * of or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban Americ ...

-born American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. His music fuses

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

, pop, and Latin percussion. Secada has written songs for

Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...

Ricky Martin Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...

, and

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

. He has toured with

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

and recorded duets with

Jim Brickman James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums ''Peace'' (2003) for Best Instrumental, and ''Faith'' (2009) for Best New Age Album. ...

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British and Australian singer and actress. With over 100 million records sold, Newton-John was one of the List of best-selling music artists#100 million to 119 million record ...

, and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. Secada has performed several times at ''

A Capitol Fourth ''A Capitol Fourth'' is an annual Independence Day concert special broadcast by PBS. It is presented from the west lawn of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is also simulcast by NPR and the American Forces Network. The ...

'', an annual

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

concert from the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

Early life

Secada was born in 1961 in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. Secada's father, José, was incarcerated for 3 years as a

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...

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 Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in Miami-Da ...

Education

In 1979, Secada graduated from Hialeah Senior High School in

. During his performance of ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'' 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 Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music is the music school at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. From 1926 to 2003, it was known as University of Miami School of Music. Academics and programs The University of Miami's Frost ...

at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

, where he received a

Bachelor of Music A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

in 1983 and a

Master of Music The Master of Music (MM or MMus) is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually performance in singing or i ...

in jazz vocal performance in 1986. He graduated cum laude and was later inducted into the

Iron Arrow Honor Society The Iron Arrow Honor Society is an honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. It is the highest honor that the university can bestow upon someone. Founded at the University of Mia ...

, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami.

Career

From 1986 to 1991, Secada was a teacher at

Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public university, public college located in Miami, Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade Count ...

. In 1986, Secada's University of Miami acquaintances introduced him to

Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father of s ...

, a musician in

Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American Latin pop band of Latin-influenced music that featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan, the band was originally known as the Mia ...

and husband of

. 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 "Coming Out of the Dark" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on January 10, 1991, worldwide by Epic Records as the leading and first single from her second album, '' Into the Light'' (1991). It was wr ...

", a number-one hit song inspired by a tour-bus accident involving Gloria Estefan in 1990, in which her back was broken. In 1992, he released his self-titled debut album, which sold 7 million copies. In 1994, he performed a duet with

, a re-recording of "

The Best Is Yet to Come "The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction of ...

", released on Sinatra's album '' Duets II''. He also performed at the awards for

Miss Venezuela 1994 Miss Venezuela (Spanish: ''Organización Miss Venezuela'') is a Venezuelan beauty pageant operated by the Cisneros Group. Founded in 1952, it currently selects Venezuelan representatives to Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss International. ...

. In 1995, he performed on Broadway in '' Grease'', and he also presented at the

49th Tony Awards The 49th Annual Tony Awards was held at the Minskoff Theatre on June 4, 1995, and broadcast by CBS. Hosts were Glenn Close, Gregory Hines, and Nathan Lane. Eligibility Shows that opened on Broadway during the 1994–1995 season before May 4, 19 ...

. He also recorded "

If I Never Knew You "If I Never Knew You" is a song by American singers Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, ''Pocahontas''. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American ...

", a duet with

Shanice Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and dancer. She had the ''Billboard'' hit singles "I Love Your Smile" and "Silent Prayer" in 1991 and "Saving Forever for ...

for ''

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...

''. In 1999, he co-wrote and co-produced "

She's All I Ever Had "She's All I Ever Had" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Ricky Martin'' (1999). The song was written by Jon Secada, Robi Rosa, and George Noriega, while the product ...

" for

. In 2003, he performed in ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

''. He also co-wrote "

Juramento Juramento is a municipality in the north of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. the population was 4,345 in a total area of 432 km2. It became a municipality in 1953. Juramento is located 42 km to the southeast of Montes Claros on ...

" for Ricky Martin. From 2006 to 2009, Secada was a judge on ''

Latin American Idol ''Latin American Idol'' was the Hispanic American edition of the popular British franchise of '' Idols'', well known for its American version ''American Idol''. The show aimed to discover the pop idol of the Hispanic American region. The show w ...

''. In 2007, he co-wrote three songs, and performed in one, on

Lilian Garcia Lilián Annette Garcia (born August 19, 1966) is an American ring announcer, singer and podcaster. She is signed to WWE as a ring announcer for special events. She also announces for the Professional Fighters League (PFL).Doyle, Dave"Former WWE ...

's album ''¡Quiero Vivir!''. In 2017, he released a

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

with

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of songs by

Benny Moré Bartolomé Maximiliano Moré Gutiérrez (24 August 1919 – 19 February 1963), better known as Benny Moré (also spelled Beny Moré), was a Cuban singer, bandleader and songwriter. Due to his fluid tenor voice and his great expressivity, he was ...

. In January 2025, Secada began teaching at the Wertheim School of Music of

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

Personal life

From 1988 to 1993, Secada was married to Jo Pat Cafro. In May 1995, he started dating Maritere Vilar. They were married in February 1997 and have two children. Secada resides in a 7,284 square-foot house, with a tennis court and pool, a few blocks west of the

, his alma mater, in

Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. Secada has created the Jon Secada Music Scholarship at the University of Miami, raised funds for

The Recording Academy National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

's effort "Keeping Music in Schools", and supports many initiatives including the Pediatric AIDS Unit at

Jackson Memorial Hospital Jackson Memorial Hospital, also referred to as Jackson or abbreviated MJMH, is a non-profit, tertiary care hospital, and the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine. As of 2021, it is the largest hospital in t ...

, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the

Boys & Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, has i ...

Discography

* ''

Jon Secada Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, actor and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-se ...

'' (1992) * ''

Otro Día Más Sin Verte ''Otro Día Más Sin Verte'' (), also called ''Sentir'' () in Spain, is the Spanish-language debut album by Cuban singer Jon Secada. It was released on October 6, 1992, by EMI Latin to coincide with his English-language self-titled debut album ...

'' (1992) * ''

Heart, Soul & a Voice ''Heart, Soul & a Voice'' is the second English-language album by Cuban American singer Jon Secada, released in 1994 on the SBK Records label. It contains the singles "Take Me", "If You Go", and "Mental Picture". All of the tracks except "Don't Be ...

'' (1994) * '' Si Te Vas'' (1994) * ''Amor'' (1995) * ''Secada'' (1997) * ''Better Part of Me'' (2000) * ''The Gift'' (2001) * ''Amanecer'' (2002) * ''Same Dream'' (2005) * ''A Christmas Fiesta/Una Fiesta Navideña'' (2007) * ''Expressions'' (2009) * ''Classics/Clasicos'' (2010) * ''Otra Vez'' (2011) * ''To Beny Moré with Love'' (2017)

Awards and nominations

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Bella Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, and to the name Belle (given name), Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in F ...

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ASCAP Pop Music Awards The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

, 1992 , "

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" , , rowspan=3, , - , " Do You Believe in Us" , , - , " Just Another Day" , , - , 1995 , "I'm Free" , , , - !scope="row" rowspan=2, BMI Latin Awards , 1993 , "

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If You Go ''If You Go'' is a 1961 album by Peggy Lee. John Engstead was the front cover photographer. Track listing # " As Time Goes By" (Herman Hupfeld) – 2:48 # "If You Go" ( Geoffrey Parsons, Michel Emer) – 2:39 # "Oh Love Hast Thou Forsaken ...

" , , - , 1998 , "Too Late Too Soon" , , rowspan=2, , - , 2001 , "

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Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...

, 1993 , Himself , Top Adult Contemporary Artist , , , - !scope="row",

Billboard Latin Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

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, Himself ,

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'' ,

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, , - ,

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

, ''Amor'' ,

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, , - !scope="row", Hit Awards (Hong Kong) , 1993 , Himself , Top Male Artist , , , - !scope="row",

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, ''To Beny Moré With Love'' , Best Traditional Tropical Album , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan=7,

Lo Nuestro Awards The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish language, Spanish for "Ours") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music (genre), Latin music, presented by TelevisaUnivision, and is carried by its Univision network in ...

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1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

, " Si Te Vas" , Video of the Year , {, class="wikitable" , + !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result !Ref. , - , rowspan="7" , 1993 , BMI Awards , Most Performed Latin Song , "Otro Día Más Sin Verte", "

Sentir "Sentir" is a song recorded by Cuban recording artist Jon Secada for his debut self-titled studio album and for his debut Spanish-language album '' Otro Día Más Sin Verte'' (1992). It was released in 1993 as the fourth single from his Spanish-la ...

", and "Cree en Nuestra Amor" (Do You Believe in Us) , , , - , The World Music Awards , Best-Selling Latin American Recording Artist , Himself , , rowspan="5" , , - , The Caribbean Music Awards , Best New Latin Pop Album , rowspan="2" , ''

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Television series

* ''

Alice's Wonderland Bakery ''Alice's Wonderland Bakery'' is an American animated television series created for Disney Junior by Chelsea Beyl, inspired by ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1951). The series centers on Alice, a young baker who works at the Wonderland Bakery and is ...

'' as King of Hearts

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Secada, Jon 1961 births Living people Afro-Cuban culture American entertainers of Cuban descent American Latin pop singers American record producers Cuban emigrants to the United States Grammy Award winners Hialeah Senior High School alumni Latin Grammy Award winners Cuban male singer-songwriters Cuban record producers Miami Sound Machine members Singers from Miami Singers from Havana People of Afro–Cuban descent University of Miami Frost School of Music alumni American people of Afro-Cuban descent