Juan

The winner of the fourth season of the American Idol-style reality show Objectivo Fama, singer/songwriter Juan Vélez — also known as simply Juan — kept his winning streak going steady with his full-length album debut, Con Mi Soledad (2007), which became a Top Ten hit upon its release a half-year after the show’s finale. Born Juan Antonio Vélez on August 2, 1983, in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and raised in Coamo, Puerto Rico, he was one of 30 semi-finalists chosen to compete on the fourth season of Objectivo Fama, hosted by Mexican singer/actress Yuri. While auditioning for the show in Los Angeles, he met fellow contestant Erica Gonzaba; the two became increasingly close and confessed mid-season that they had fallen in love with one another. This, of course, made for dramatic television, and though Gonzaba was eventually eliminated from the show on April 28, 2007, Vélez went on to become the winner on May 20. He subsequently performed a series of concerts at El Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and commenced the recording of his full-length debut album, Con Mi Soledad, with renowned producer Sergio George. Released in December 2007 by Fonovisa, Con Mi Soledad peaked at number eight on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart; meanwhile, the Vélez-penned title track peaked at number 22 on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. ~ Jason Birchmeier