Mexican popstress Myriam Montemayor Cruz was first introduced to the public as a contestant on La Academia before going on to become a platinum-selling recording artist. Originally from Nuevo León, Monterrey, Myriam was born in February 1981, the seventh of eight siblings. As an adolescent, she became involved with the bustling music scene in Monterrey, performing for public festivals and making appearances on local television. By her late teens Myriam had set her sights on a career in show business. Though she had amassed a significant amount of professional experience, the industry was difficult, and the lifestyle began to wear on the young performer. A change of luck came with an invitation to audition for TV Azteca's reality television show La Academia. Her invitation to join the cast would change the course of her career forever, as she would go on to win the first season of La Academia, TV Azteca's highest rated program in the network's history, and in fact one of the most popular television programs in Mexican history overall. 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 sales charts and was certified double platinum, and the singer's 2004 eponymous album was quite successful as well, also achieving double platinum status. Subsequent projects generated strong sales, while falling short of the meteoric standards set by Myriam's first discs. Released in 2005, Vete de Aqui enjoyed a spot in the Top 20, followed by the 2007 compilation Simplemente Amigos, which lingered in the Top 100. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi