Camilo Sesto

Camilo Sesto
Camilo Sesto in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Camilo Blanes Cortés
Born	16 September 1946 Alcoy, Spain
Died	8 September 2019 (aged 72) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Latin pop, synth-pop, rock
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	1964–2019
Labels	Movieplay Ariola BMG Elica Records Universal Sony Music
Website	camilosestooficial.com

Camilo Blanes Cortés (Alcoy, Alicante, September 16, 1946 – Madrid, September 8, 2019) ^[1] better known by his stage name Camilo Sesto was a Spanish singer, songwriter, and producer of romantic ballads, pop, and rock.

His career achieved international recognition in the 1970s and 1980s. He was one of the leading voices in Spanish-language music. With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, he managed to place 52 singles at number one, with 18 of them leading the LOS40 charts for a total of 52 weeks.^[2] He recorded hits in Spanish, Valencian, English, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

In addition to his role as a performer, he stood out as a composer and producer for other renowned artists such as Miguel Bosé, Ángela Carrasco, Sergio Fachelli, Lani Hall, José José, Charytín Goyco, Lucía Méndez, Francisco, Manolo Otero, Rocío Dúrcal, Audrey Landers, David Bustamante, among others.^[3]

He was also a pioneer of musical theater in Spain, having financed, produced, and starred in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975.

Camilo Sesto died on September 8, 2019 in a Madrid hospital due to cardiorespiratory arrest associated with kidney failure, so his health had been delicate for several years.^[4]

His musical relevance is supported by numerous awards, to mention just a few:

• Revelation Award (1971): Received at the Festival de los Olés de la Canción.^[5]
• Grammy Nomination (1976): Nominated in the category of Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording for ¿Quieres Ser Mi Amante?.^[6]
• Platinum Record (1979): He was the first Spanish artist to receive it for selling 13 million copies.^[5]
• Viña del Mar International Song Festival (1981): He was the first artist to receive the Silver Seagull by popular acclaim at the event.^[5]
• A.C.E. Awards New York (1984): Following his performances at Radio City Music Hall, he was awarded Best Foreign Artist and Best Foreign Show.^[5]
• Camilo Sesto Tribute Day (1985): February 21st was officially proclaimed in Puerto Rico by Governor Rafael Hernández Colón.^[5]
• Lo Nuestro Awards (1992): Amor Mío, ¿Qué Me Has Hecho? was nominated for Lo Nuestro Award for Pop Song of the Year.
• Destino Awards (1997): Named Ambassador of Latin American Tourism.
• Viña del Mar International Song Festival (2004): He returned to the festival and received the Festival Medal, Silver Torch, Gold Torch, and again the Gaviota de Plata.
• 50 Diamond Records (2004): Recognition awarded by BMG of his career and for 50 million records sold.^[7]
• Cultural Ambassador (2007): Named Ambassador of the Alto Guadalquivir region for his work in culture and sports.^[8]
• Maximum Hispanic Pride (2011): Awarded in Las Vegas, USA, for his 50-year career.^[9]
• Camilo Sesto Day (May 28): An official day proclaimed by the state of Nevada, USA.^[10]
• Mr. Gay Pride Spain (2011): On July 1st, during the Madrid Pride celebrations, Camilo Sesto received the Mr. Gay Pride award in Plaza de Callao, in recognition of his musical career.^[11]
• Charlotte Excellence Award (2014): Awarded in North Carolina, USA, for his outstanding artistic career.
• Favorite Son and Gold Medal (2016): Highest honors granted by his hometown, Alcoy, in recognition of his entire international career.^[12]
• Sony Music Spain Honorary Recognition (2016): For his 70th birthday and the release of Camilo70, he was recognized for surpassing 100 million records sold.^[13]
• Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (2017): Official induction in recognition of his prolific career as an author (La Musa Awards).^[14]
• International Gold Excellence Award (2018): Peruvian American National Council, Washington D.C.
• Alameda Camilo Sesto (2018): The main artery of his hometown was renamed in his honor (formerly Alameda de Alcoy).^[15]
• Honorary Member of the Círculo Industrial de Alcoy (2018): Tribute to Camilo Sesto on the 150th anniversary of the institution.^[16]
• Latino de Oro (2019): Lifetime Achievement Award granted by the Mundo Ciudad Foundation at the Latino Awards, in recognition of his impact on Ibero-American culture (posthumous).^[5]
• Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (2019): A high honor from the Spanish government given after his death.^[17]
• Cultural Ambassador (2019): Posthumously named Ambassador of the Valencian Community.^[18]
• Ondas Award (2019): For his artistic career, granted posthumously.^[19]
• Adoptive Son of Torrelodones (2019): Granted posthumously; he lived there for more than 30 years.^[20]
• Camilo Sesto Park (2020): Unanimously approved to rename the "Casa Rosa" park in Torrelodones in honor of Camilo Sesto, including a commemorative plaque (posthumous).^[21]
• Statue in his hometown (2025): A 1.90m bronze statue was inaugurated at the Camilo Sesto Museum in Alcoy.^[22]
• Camilo Sesto Museum (2026): By testamentary will, he bequeathed all his personal belongings, awards, and certifications for the creation of a museum in Alcoy.^[23]

• Official website Camilo Sesto