"Miami Sound Machine may not ring some bells for you, but the name Gloria Estefan is almost guaranteed to get people looking up. And, for those who do not already know, what is the connection between Gloria and Miami Sound Machine? Originally starting out as the Miami Latin Boys, the band was made up of Emile Estefan, Jr., Welsey B. Wright, and Juan Marcos Avila. When they first started singing together, the band performed at a wedding with two guest vocalists - Gloria Fajado and Merci Navarro Murciano, her cousin. They were asked to join the group permanently, and one of the most successful cross-over acts of the ‘80s was born.Emilio and Gloria were married in September of 1978, their son Nayib was born two years later. The band eventually became so successful that they were all able to quit their day jobs and become full-time musicians, completely devoted to their music. They contracted with Discos CBS International in 1980, and the band was on their way to international popularity. They became a big hit in the Latin community, but it was not until their first English album Eyes of Innocence, that they gained international acclaim.Miami Sound Machine enjoyed increasing popularity throughout the ‘80s, with ""Words Get in the Way"" hitting the top of the Adult Contemporary charts in 1986. Then, in 1990, tragedy hit. A semi-truck collided with their bus, on March 20th. Nayib suffered a fractured shoulder and Emilio received minor head and hand injuries, but it was Gloria's injuries that proved the most severe. With a broken vertebra in her back, it seemed unlikely that she would survive. But an extensive surgery, 400 stitches, and a year later and she had made a miraculous comeback. Eventually she became the face of the band, which began to appear under her name alone."