If She Hadn’t Become a Pop Icon, She Could Have Been a Spy, Says Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan has had an unbelievable career as a pop artist. She’s won eight Grammys, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She’s sold out tours and her music even graces a Broadway show. The iconic songstress had a backup career in the works. If Gloria Estefan had not become an international pop star, she would have had the chance of becoming a spy; she recently opened up about her opportunity to join the CIA . The reason she opted for music instead might surprise you.

Gloria Estefan says she had the chance to join the CIA

Gloria Estefan is known for her singing prowess, but once upon a time, she could have been a spy. During a recent appearance on Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson, Estefan revealed that she was once approached by CIA agents about joining the agency. She explained that she caught the attention of agents while working graveyard shifts as a translator at Miami International Airport. Undercover agents allegedly told the music artist that her composure and ability to speak multiple languages would make her an asset to the agency. Estefan speaks English, Spanish, and French.

While Estefan opted out of the career path before it ever began, it appears to be something that she might regret a bit. She’s trotted out the story at least twice before telling Clarkson about her brush with becoming a spy. She discussed the recruitment process back in 2009 during an appearance on Telemundo. In 2018, she mentioned her potential connection to the CIA at the Distinguished Leadership Awards.

She said her mother discouraged her from the career path

If Gloria Estefan is feeling a bit wistful about what could have been with the CIA, her mother is apparently to blame. Estefan noted that she opted out of a career with the CIA because her mother was against it. She revealed that she went home to tell her mother about the recruitment, excited about the potential, but was immediately shot down. She said her mother didn’t trust that she wouldn’t be put in dangerous situations, as Estefan’s father had been.

Gloria Estefan’s father, Jose Fajardo, fought with the United States Army during the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Vietnam War. He was captured by his own cousin and held as a prisoner for two years. He went on to serve in Vietnam. Following his retirement, Fajardo became ill with multiple sclerosis. He died in 1980 from complications of multiple sclerosis. His diagnosis may have been linked to Agent Orange exposure. Stefan’s mother, also named Gloria, died in 2017. According to Today, the family did not disclose the cause of death. They simply stated that she died from an “illness” at age 88.