Juan Gabriel: He’s in It for the Long Haul

Juan Gabriel is known for his glitzy and energetic performances, full of Elvis-style hip jolting and scores of backup musicians. But what’s even more remarkable is his longevity.

The 44-year-old Mexican pop superstar is celebrating 25 years in the music business with a 40-concert tour of North America that includes a show at the Anaheim Convention Center on Saturday and stops in San Diego June 8 and 9.

Juan Gabriel’s concerts cover a wealth of material spanning his career. The singer (who goes by two first names and no surname, though his real name is Alberto Aguilera Valdez) has written more than 600 songs and has sold 15 million albums worldwide.

His career has yielded so many popular songs that, in recent concerts, Juan Gabriel has resorted to squeezing most of his old hits into medleys so he can get to his newer material. He also reinvents some of his long-standing hits, which are testimonials to his disadvantaged youth (he grew up in an orphanage) and his elusive romantic life.

At his sold out concert in the Alamodome in San Antonio last week, Juan Gabriel appeared with the 11-piece band he will bring to Anaheim, stringing together romantic, bolero and mariachi tunes, mixed in with fast-paced pop classics and new songs. Promoters here expect his Anaheim show to sell out its 8,900 seats as well; it’s been two years since the singer last performed here, at the Pond of Anaheim, and top tickets at $50 and $45 have already been exhausted.

Juan Gabriel continues to draw a traditional audience by integrating orchestral mariachi and ranchero styles in his recordings. In his 1995 release “El Mexico Que Se Nos Fue” (The Mexico That Left Us), several songs have provincial influences--including his political norteno song “Cancion 187” (Song 187), a song about discrimination shown toward Mexican immigrants in this country.

But a younger generation of Juan Gabriel fans has embraced his music--even punk-influenced Mexican band Maldita Vecindad does a hard-core cover of his 20-year-old hit “Querida” (Loved One).

Most of the performer’s appeal, though, comes from his emotionally-driven confessional lyrics, which become something of a litany at concerts, with audience members singing along.

* Who: Juan Gabriel.

* When: Saturday at 8:15 p.m.

* Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave.

* Whereabouts: Across from Disneyland. Take the Katella exit from the Santa Ana (5) Freeway. The center is half a block west of Harbor Boulevard.

* Wherewithal: Only $40 and $35 tickets still available.

* Where to call: (714) 999-8970.