What is Jon Secada’s Net Worth?
Jon Secada is a Cuban-American singer and songwriter who has a net worth of $6 million. Jon Secada has won two Grammy Awards and sold over 15 million records during his career to date. He is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. Secada has written hits for Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin.
Early Life
Jon Secada was born on October 4, 1961 in Havana, Cuba and given the name Juan Francisco Secada Remirez. His father, José, was in prison for three years as a political prisoner during the Communist Cuban government. In 1971, the Secada family received permission to emigrate and decided to move to Miami, Florida. There, his parents opened a coffee shop. Secada primarily spent the rest of his childhood in Hialeah, Florida. He attended Hialeah Senior High School and performed in musical theater. During a performance of “A Christmas Carol” in 11th grade, he realized he had strong musical talent and decided to pursue a career in music, after being encouraged by his parents.
After high school, he attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. There, he received a Bachelor of Music in 1983 and then a Master of Music in jazz vocal performance in 1986. He graduated from the school with the cum-laude honor and was later induced into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed upon a student by the University of Miami.
Career
After finishing his university studies, Secada became a teacher at Miami Dade College in 1986. The same year, he was introduced by some friends to Emilio Estefan who was a musician in the group Miami Sound Machine and also the husband of singer Gloria Estefan. Estefan agreed to listen to one of Secada’s demos, which he liked. He then agreed to become Secada’s mentor and music manager. Secada also became a backup singer for Miami Sound Machine.
In 1991, Secada left his position at Miami Dade College. The same year, he co-wrote the song “Coming Out of the Dark,” a number-one hit song by Gloria Estefan. He also sang backup vocals on the track. The success of the song helped Secada develop more of a following. He released his self-titled debut album in 1992, which subsequently sold seven million copies. He released a second album, “Otra Dia Mas Sin Verte” in 1992 and then a third album, “Heart, Soul & a Voice,” in 1994. The same year, he also released “Si Te Vas.” All of these albums were celebrated, and “Otra Dia Masw Sin Verte” won the 1992 Grammy Award in the Best Latin Pop Album.
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During this time, Secada also worked with other artists on a number of different projects. He performed a duet with Frank Sinatra in 1994. The two re-recorded “The Best is Yet to Come,” which was released on Sinatra’s album, “Duets II.” He also was a performer at Miss Venezuela in 1994. The next year, in 1995, Secada performed on Broadway in the musical “Grease.” He also was a presenter at the 49th Tony Awards. He collaborated with singer Shanice on the track “If I Never Knew You,” which was featured in the Pocahontas film. In 1999, he worked with Ricky Martin to co-write and produce, “She’s All I Ever Had.”
He released three albums throughout the latter half of the 1990s – “Amor,” “Secada,” and “Better Part of Me.” “Amor” won the 1996 Grammy Award in the Best Latin Pop Album category. In 2001, he released his eighth album, “The Gift,” followed by this ninth, “Amanecer” in 2002. In 2003, he returned to the stage by performing in “Cabaret.” He also worked with Ricky Martin again, co-writing “Juramento.”
In 2005, he released the album, “Same Dream.” Due to his large fan base throughout the Spanish-speaking work, Secada was asked to be a judge on “Latin American Idol” from 2006 to 2009, during the entire four season run of the show. During his time on the show, he released a Christmas album called “A Christmas Fiesta” in 2007. In 2009, he released the album, “Expressions.” He released an album of some classic sons in 2010, called “Classics” and then released his fourteenth album in 2011 called “Otra Vez.” In 2017, he released a tribute album in which he covered songs by Benny Moré, another popular Cuban singer. The album won the Latin Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Tropical Album category.
Personal Life
In 1988, Secada married Jo Pat Cafro, though the couple divorced in 1993. A couple of years later, in 1995, he began dating Maritere Vilar. The couple married in 1997 and have had two children together. The family lives together in a large home nearby the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Due to his close connections to the university, Secada has created the Jon Secada Music Scholarship at the University of Miami. He also has raised money for The Recording Academy’s initiative, “Keeping Music in Schools,” which supports public school music programs. He has also supported a number of other music and arts-related issues, as well as other philanthropic initiatives like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Girls and Boys Clubs of America.
Real Estate
In 2003 Jon paid $975,000 for a home in Miami, Florida. He sold this home in August 2021 for $2.85 million.