She has broken ground for Latin female performers in the music industry and enjoyed her own successful career, despite hangups in her personal life. Who is this Mexican rock star? Alejandra Guzman.

Alejandra was born in Mexico City in the year 1968, her father being singer Enrique Guzman and her mother Silvia Pinal, actress. At the age of two months, she was given her first television appearance and she often traveled along with her mother’s company. Alejandra was influenced by having been born to two stars, and this helped to shape her career. As a teenager, Alejandra was cast with her mother in a musical by the name of “Mame”, and this pivotal moment made her decide that she wanted her career to center around singing. Her parents were supportive, wanting her only to finish her high school education.

For a few years, Alejandra appeared in Mexican soap operas while looking for a way to break into the music industry. In 1989, her luck began to change. She was able to convince a Latin producer by the name of Miguel Blasco to help her with her debut album, “Bye Mama.” From the beginning, Alejandra Guzman was able to make a huge impact with her fans, who dubbed her “the Queen of Rock.”

Guzman was known not only for her music and her low and raspy voice, but her outrageous personality on and off of the stage. She would wear short skirts to perform and display a series of sensual dance movements that were considered explicit even for the Latin pop standards of the time. Along with her bikini area, she accumulated tattoos that her male fans would shout for her to display to them. But it wasn’t until she became pregnant out of wedlock with her daughter that her image went from just that to reality. This caused major controversy, but Guzman was able to bounce back after a short hiatus from her career.

In 1994, Alejandra posed nearly nude for Playboy’s Mexican edition. This led to even more controversy that negatively affected her image. Over the years, she faced trouble with her music and though she was able to garner fans from the United States and broaden her audience for a time, she was not making the impact that she had once been able to do.

Alejandra could have given up. However, she pressed on and was able to turn her career around. She toured the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico and was able to release more albums that pleased her fans. And as she entered into her second decade of stardom, she was able to prove to her fans and to the world that she had more to offer than just raunch or sensationalism that she had been so known for in the past.

Throughout her career, Alejandra Guzman has received many awards and many nominations. And as the years have continued, she has enjoyed a career at an age that many rock stars have not been able to reach while still successful in their livelihood. She has survived drug addiction and been able to say that she has kicked it for good. She has outlasted controversy that for many, many others have been career-ending. With her iconic voice, look, and skills in performing she have shown us that she really is the Queen of Rock. But with her drive to continue despite hardship and a refusal to give up, even when it seems like the easiest thing to do, she has shown us that this is a title she will not be relinquishing any time soon.