GLORIA ESTEFAN - CIA WANTED ESTEFAN FOR ESPIONAGE

CIA WANTED ESTEFAN FOR ESPIONAGE

GLORIA ESTEFAN nearly spent her life in the shadows instead of the limelight - she was once headhunted to become a spy for the U.S. government.
The Cuban-American star was approached by America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) while working as an interpreter at Miami International Airport before her singing career kicked-off.
CIA agents, who gather information on foreign governments for the U.S., wanted talented linguist Estefan on their side as she is fluent in English, Spanish and French.
She says, "They realised that I was someone who could pass as a regular person without raising any eyebrow. So the CIA approached me and wanted me to train in their Atlanta headquarters."
But the singer turned down the life of a superspy - because her family had already been devastated by her father's career as a bodyguard for Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.
And it was a wise choice - Estefan went on to become the most successful Latin crossover artist of all time, winning seven Grammy awards and selling more than 90 million records worldwide.