Juan Gabriel's real name was Alberto Aguilera Valadez. He was born on January 7, 1950, in Michoacán, Mexico. He was the youngest of his parents' ten children. He spent his childhood in extreme poverty and deprivation. When he was very young, his father was admitted to a mental hospital. It was difficult for his mother to support such a large family, so at the age of just four, Alberto was sent to an orphanage (boarding school).
