Gloria Estefan Named LARAS 'Person of the Year'

The Latin Recording Academy (LARAS) has named Gloria Estefan 2008's 'Person of the Year' and it seems to me that there are few artists more deserving of the honor. Estefan has played a major role in bringing Latin music to a global audience with 22 albums and a 3 decade-long carrer.

But Estefan is more that a great performer. The Gloria Estefan Foundation has raised and donated millions of dollars for charities such as the American Red Cross, UNICEF and the Miami Children's Hospital Brain Institute. Not surprising after she was partially paralyzed in a 1990 bus accident, the Foundation has also been one of the main benefactors of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis - the leading research center for spinal cord injuries.

Gloria Estefan is the first woman to received this singular honor; she joins previous honorees that include Julio Iglesias, Vicente Fernandez, Gilberto Gil, Carlos Santana, Ricky Martin and last year's honoree, Juan Luis Guerra.

As is tradition, a star-studded concert and tribute dinner will be held for Estefan on Wed., Nov. 12th, 2008 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, where the 2008 Latin Grammy Awards will be held the following day.

*Photo Courtesy Gustavo Caballero /Getty Images