Christian Chávez
| Christian Chávez | |
|---|---|
 Christian Chavez in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | José Christian Chávez Garza |
| Born | August 7, 1983 |
| Origin | Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Genres | Pop, electropop, rock, dance |
| Occupations | Musician, actor, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, Bass |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Associated acts |
2004-2009 (RBD) 2002-Present (Actor) 2009-Present (Singer) |
José Christian Chávez Garza (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse ˈkɾistjan ˈtʃaβes ˈɣarsa], born August 7, 1983), most often known as Christian Chávez, is a singer and actor best known for his role as Giovanni Méndez López in the telenovela Rebelde and its spin off pop group RBD.
Career
In 2002, Chávez was cast as Fernando 'Fercho' Lucena in the telenovela Clase 406. The series had four seasons and 350 one-hour episodes in total.
In 2005, Chávez joined a new telenovela Rebelde as Juan "Giovanni" Méndez López, a mischievous and rebellious student at a private boarding school in Mexico. Chávez became widely known for his ever-changing hair colors. The soap opera was transmitted in 65 other countries, including the United States, Mexico, Serbia, Peru, Romania, Brazil, Spain, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia and Albania. A major plot line of the show revolved around a group of six students forming a pop band. A notable aspect of the series is that Chávez and five of his other co-stars (Maite Perroni, Dulce María, Anahí, Alfonso Herrera and Christopher Uckermann) became actual members of a real life band RBD. RBD created most of the music used on the show, and the six quickly became one of the most popular music acts in Latin America.
As part of RBD, Chávez went on to receive two Latin Grammy nominations, achieving multi-platinum status with more than 22 million digital downloads and more than 17 million albums sold worldwide. He has performed concerts in 23 countries in 116 cities, selling more than 3,000,000 concert tickets and 4 million DVDs.[1]
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"Rebelde" (2004)
 RBD's lead single from their first album Rebelde.
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RBD's first album Rebelde, was released on November 30, 2004 by EMI. The first three singles ("Rebelde" (lead single), "Sólo Quédate En Silencio" and "Sálvame") were all number one hits in Mexico, with the fourth single, "Un Poco De Tu Amor" reaching number two.
RBD's first national tour, Tour Generación RBD, included 45 sold out dates in Mexico including three visits in Monterrey performing for more than 150,000 fans. The tour was certified by OCESA as the fourth most rapidly sold tour in Mexican history. In July 2005 a live CD/DVD, Tour Generación RBD En Vivo was released, documenting their tour around Mexico (45 sold-out concerts across the country, including sixteen in Mexico City alone).
In 2005 RBD released their second studio album, Nuestro Amor. This album set new record sales in Mexico, selling 127,000 copies on its release day, and 160,000 copies within its first week. In the U.S., the album topped the Latin Albums Chart for 3 weeks and peaked at #88 on the Billboard 200. The first four singles reached number one in Mexico. In the United States "Nuestro Amor", "Aún Hay Algo" and "Este Corazón" charted on the Hot Latin chart at #6, #24 and #10 respectively. Nuestro Amor also brought RBD a nomination for the Latin Grammy Awards in the category "Best Pop Album by a Group or Duo". They performed a new version of "Tras de Mí" at the ceremony.
RBD's concert at the Los Angeles Coliseum is one of the fastest selling concert in the venue's history, beating megastar Madonna - 70,000 tickets were sold within 30 minutes.[citation needed] In 2006, RBD sold 750,000 tickets becoming the 14th top selling act of 2006 worldwide.
In November 2006, RBD released their third studio album Celestial, produced and directed by Carlos Lara, which debuted at number 15 in the Billboard 200, marking first-week sales of over 137,000 copies in the U.S. The album however did not have a full week of album sales, due to its Friday release. Despite this, it became their first album to peak or chart within the top 20 of the Billboard 200
In December 2006, RBD released their first English album Rebels,which debuted at number 40 on the Billboard 200 album chart with first-week sales of 94,000 copies. Included on the album was "Tu Amor" a ballad written by Diane Warren and sung by Chavez.
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"Tu Amor" (2006)
RBD's lead English single.
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In 2007, RBD became spokespeople for Pepsi and appeared in numerous ads televised throughout Latin America. In 2008, RBD performed for over 500,000 fans in Brazil, breaking the record previously held by the Rolling Stones. On August 14, 2008, RBD announced through a press release that they would disband in 2009. To this day, RBD is considered the most successful pop group in Mexican history.
In June 2007, Chávez appeared briefly in the stage show Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar, and in May 2008 he participated in Avenida Q (the Mexican version of Avenue Q), where he played the main puppet characters Eugenio (Princeton) and Rodri (Rod); his presence on the shows was intended to be one of the main box office attractions.
After RBD's breakup, Chávez launched his career as a solo recording artist. His first studio album Almas Transparentes, peaked at number 56 on the Mexican pop charts.
In 2011, Chávez turned heads with the provocative music video for his single "Libertad" featuring singer Anahi which became an instant sensation on YouTube with more than 1,000,000 views within three days of its upload. The video featured Chávez in a church confessional telling a priest he was not sorry for his sexual preference. The video featured a cameo by Perez Hilton. "The video looks super sexy", gushed Hilton on his blog PerezHilton.com. "It's inspired us to unleash our own LIBERTAD."[2] "Libertad" continues to be an anthem for gay youth throughout Latin America.
On August 14, 2012, Chávez released the highly anticipated album Esencial, an acoustic compilation of songs performed at his show in São Paulo, Brazil in January 2012. People magazine called the album's release "the return of Christian Chávez".[3] A red carpet presentation of Esencial was held in Mexico City in June. Chavez performed duets with RBD co-star Maite Perroni and Mexican pop/rock singer Ana Victoria.
"Sacrilegio", a track on Esencial also released as a single, immediately landed in the top 10 on Mexican pop charts. Other notable songs on the album include "No Me Olvides", written for Chávez by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, and a remake of "¿En Donde Estas?" sung as a duet with Indonesian pop star Agnes Monica.
A DVD version of Esencial was released in late 2012.
Personal life
Chavez's personal life has been one of much controversy. In March 2007, a magazine published pictures of Chávez signing documents and exchanging rings with another man, allegedly his Canadian boyfriend (and later identified as B.J. Murphy), outing Chávez with them. The pictures had been taken in 2005, the year in which same-sex marriages became legal in Canada. Chávez declared in March 2007, that the photos showed a part of him that he had not been willing to discuss previously.[4][5] There was significant speculation over how the photos were obtained as the ceremony had only included immediate family.
On March 30, 2007, after Chávez's announcement of being gay, Ricky Martín told The Associated Press of his solidarity with Chávez's public declaration, saying, "[l]ife is too short to live closed up, guarding what you say...(Chávez) has to be free in many aspects. I wish him much strength."[6] Though Chávez is outspoken in supporting LGBT rights and opposing homophobia, he remains one of a handful of openly gay Latin actors and recording artists. He has been the face of numerous HIV awareness campaigns.
In 2009, Chávez confirmed divorcing his husband.[7] The reason for their separation has been the subject of much speculation, but Chávez insists that their relationship did not end on bad terms: "[Murphy] is a person I love and respect; I also admire him as a professional."[7]
In March 2012, Chávez confirmed dating Los Angeles Real Estate Agent Ben Kruger after photos of them together were published in the tabloid TV Notas.[8] and later People en Español. In late April, 2013 Chavez was arrested in their Beverly Hills apartment for alleged domestic violence with his partner. Kruger was successful in obtaining a temporary restraining order from the court after reporting that Chavez had tried to kill him. Kruger alleged that after he locked himself in their apartment's bathroom, Chavez broke down the bathroom door armed with a knife. "Had the police arrived any later, I would not be here today talking with you," Kruger told reporters outside the Beverly Hills courthouse. "All I can say at this time is that the night of the arrest, Christian was not in a clear state of mind. The police noted this upon their arrival, and I'm confident that the police report, once released, will reveal the truth about what happened." Kruger also noted that in his 911 call to police, Chavez could be heard breaking down the bathroom door. The tape has yet to be released. The surprising arrest made international headlines, including coverage on PerezHilton.com, TMZ.com,[9] CNN, Telemundo, Univision, Televisa and numerous other media outlets showing the broken bathroom door and a broken skylight which Kruger claimed Chavez had broken in February after an argument. A nasty media feud followed on TV and social media, with Chavez attempting to discredit Kruger's allegations with blows to his character. Chavez went as far as to report that Kruger had spent 10 days in a psychiatric institution though this was later proven to be false and the comment on Chavez's Twitter account was removed.[citation needed]
On July 20, 2013, RumorFix.com published the first English interview with Kruger. Kruger stated that Chavez staged a smear campaign against him after the arrest: "There’s no winning for me," he said. "99 percent of what he said is false! He has a bigger platform — he gets publicity. He did at least 20 interviews. I feel sad for everyone who was involved. No one benefited — it’s just nasty and negative.”[10] Kruger also noted that while Chavez's false claims had been defamatory, libelous and slanderous, he had no intentions of pursuing a claim. He has not released further comment since. Chavez released a single titled "Buenas Noches" shortly after the incident, and performed the song on talk shows after sit-down discussions about his arrest.
At the time of Chavez's arrest in April 2013, Telemundo had just announced that Chavez would be co-hosting a new talk show on the network. Promotion had already begun, with appearances such as hosting Telemundo's red carpet coverage at the 2013 Latin Billboard Awards. After the scandal erupted, Chavez was dropped from the show.
The April incident marked the second time Chavez was in the media for an alleged domestic violence. In 2007, People en Español published a report claiming that Chavez and then-husband BJ Murphy maintained a physically abusive relationship. The April 2013 incident also marked the second time Chavez had been arrested. In 2009, Chavez was arrested in Central Park in New York after attempting to buy illegal narcotics from an undercover police officer.
In early October 2013 Chavez again made headlines after publishing multiple pictures on his Twitter account showing his bloodied wrists in what appeared to be a suicide attempt. Chavez's friend tweeted shortly after that the photos had been a joke and they were removed from his account. His family, however, issued a statement confirming that the photos were real and that the singer was in a state of "extreme crisis".[11] Chavez reportedly immediately returned to Mexico from Los Angeles to enter some type of rehabilitation program. Reaction from fans ranged from concern to complete outrage, claiming that if in fact the pictures were a joke Chavez had been extremely insensitive. On October 10, 2013, Chavez released a video of himself which was uploaded to his YouTube channel. In the video he said that he had attempted to commit suicide, and the photos he had uploaded were real. This raised immediate questions as to why he was not in psychiatric treatment or rehabilitation facility and instead tweeting photos and videos of himself about the photo incident.
On October 11, 2013 the Latin Times published what they called a "heartfelt letter" from Chavez's Ex-boyfriend Ben Kruger on their website noting that in the immediate aftermath of the arrest, the press failed to provide both sides of the story.[12] Kruger's letter shared chilling details about drug abuse, violence, suicide attempts, financial problems, cheating, manipulation and threats that occurred within the relationship prior to the couple's fight on April 30. The timing of Kruger's letter was questioned by Chavez's fans for its proximity to Chavez's supposed suicide attempt. Kruger wrote: "To date, I've been falsely accused of kidnapping him, holding him hostage, abusing him physically and emotionally, and lying about things I can prove are true. The record needs to be set straight, and I intend to do just that. I’ve chosen to speak now because the public is starting to see the extent of Christian’s mental instability and his ruthless tactics to remain relevant at a time when the spotlight on him is fading"[12] People en Español subsequently ran two stories about the letter,[13] one of which included an exclusive interview with Kruger.[14]
Awards and recognitions
Chávez was recognized in 2010 as one of People en Español's 50 most beautiful[15] and in 2011, he received the GLAAD media award for Outstanding Spanish Language Music Artist for his album Almas Transparentes.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Latin Grammy Awards | Best Pop Album By A Duo Or Group With Vocal | Nuestro Amor | Nominated[16] |
| 2008 | Empezar Desde Cero | Nominated[17] |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Oye Awards | New Artist of the Year | RBD | Won[18] |
| Pop Album of the Year - Duo or Group | Rebelde | Won[19] | ||
| Best Selling Pop Album of the Year | Rebelde | Won[20] | ||
| Premios Juventud | I Hear Them Everywhere | RBD | Won[21] | |
| My Idol Is | RBD | Won[22] | ||
| CD To Die For | Rebelde | Won[23] | ||
| Best Ballad | Solo Quédate En Silencio | Won[24] | ||
| 2006 | Billboard Latin Music Awards | Latin Pop Album of the Year - New Artist | Rebelde | Won[25] |
| Latin Pop Album of the Year - Duo or Group | Rebelde | Won[26] | ||
| Latin Pop Airplay Song of the Year - Duo or Group | Solo Quédate En Silencio | Won[27] | ||
| Lo Nuestro Awards | Latin Pop New Artist of the Year | RBD | Won[28] | |
| Meus Prêmios Nick (Brazil) | International Artist of the Year | RBD | Won | |
| Premios Juventud | I Hear Them Everywhere | RBD | Won[29] | |
| Favorite Pop Star | RBD | Won[30] | ||
| My Idol is | RBD | Won[31] | ||
| Paparazzi's Favorite Target | RBD | Won[32] | ||
| Most Searched | RBD | Won[33] | ||
| My Favorite Concert | Tour Generación 2006 | Won[34] | ||
| CD to Die For | Nuestro Amor | Won[35] | ||
| Catchiest Tune | Aún Hay Algo | Won[36] | ||
| Best Ballad | Este Corazón | Won[37] | ||
| TVyNovelas Awards | Best Musical Theme | Rebelde | Won | |
| Artistic Recognition | RBD | Won | ||
| 2007 | Billboard Latin Music Awards | Latin Pop Album of the Year - Duo or Group | Celestial | Won |
| Top Latin Albums Artist of the Year | Celestial | Won | ||
| Latin Tour of the Year | Tour Generación 2006 | Won | ||
| Lo Nuestro Awards | Duo or Group of the Year | RBD | Won | |
| Premios Juventud | I Hear Them Everywhere | RBD | Won[38] | |
| CD to Die For | Celestial | Won[39] | ||
| My Favorite Concert | Celestial World Tour | Won[40] | ||
| Best Ballad | Algún Día | Won[41] | ||
| Favorite Pop Star | RBD | Won[42] | ||
| Orgullosamente Latino Award | Latin Group of the Year | RBD | Won | |
| Latin Album of the Year | Celestial | Won[43] | ||
| Latin Song of the Year | No Pares | Won[44] | ||
| Amigo Awards | Song of the Year | Tu Amor | Won | |
| De La Gente Awards | Group of the Year | RBD | Won | |
| Mi TRL Awards | The Favorite Of The Viewers | Tu Amor | Won | |
| 2008 | Billboard Latin Music Awards | Tu Mundo Awards | RBD | Won |
| Premios Juventud | The Perfect Combo | RBD y Jowell y Randy (Inalcanzable) | Won[45] | |
| Orgullosamente Latino Award | Latin Group of the Year | RBD | Won[46] | |
| Latin Music Video of the Year. | Inalcanzable | Won[47] | ||
| HTV Award | HTV ORO | RBD | Won | |
| 2009 | Billboard Latin Music Awards | Tour of the Year | Gira Del Adios World Tour | Won |
| Prêmios Juventud | Most Searched | RBD | Won[48] | |
| 2011 | Glaad Media Award | Outstanding Spanish Language Music Artist | Almas Transparentes | Won |
Film and television
- 2002-2003: Clase 406
- 2004-2006: Rebelde
- 2007: RBD: La Familia
- 2012: Fixing Paco
Solo Discography
Studio Albums
- 2010: Almas Transparentes
- 2014: TBA.
Live Album
- 2012: Esencial
Singles
- 2010: ¿En Dónde Estás?
- 2010: Almas Transparentes
- 2011: Libertad (con Anahí)
- 2012: Sacrilégio
- 2012: Mas Vale Tarde Que Nunca (con Ana Victoria)
Tours
- 2009: Christian Pocket Show
- 2010: Libertad World Tour
- 2012: Esencial Tour
