Myriam Montemayor Cruz, known mononymously as Myriam, was born on February 8, 1981, in Mexico. She began her musical career in Monterrey before winning the first season of La Academia, a Mexican talent show, in 2002. Following her victory, Myriam signed with EMI Music and released her debut album, a compilation of songs from La Academia, which topped the Mexican charts. Subsequent releases included Una Mujer (2004). Myriam also participated in reality shows such as Desafio de Estrellas. In 2007, she released a tribute album to Ana Gabriel titled Simplemente Amigos.