Originally from Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexican popstress Myriam Montemayor Cruz was born in February 1981, the seventh of eight siblings. As an adolescent, she became involved with Monterrey's bustling music scene, but the lifestyle began to wear on the young performer. An audition for TV Azteca's La Academia would change the course of her career, however, as she would go on to win the first season of the reality television program, one of the most popular shows in Mexican history. Myriam's popularity would translate into a successful recording career, beginning with the 2002 chart-topping compilation Mi Historia en la Academia. The following year's Una Mujer reached number four on the Mexican charts and was certified double platinum. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez