MEXICO CITY - Vicente Fernández, the Mexican regional music star whose powerful voice immortalized songs like “El rey” and “Volver, Volver” while inspiring new generations of performers such as his son Alejandro Fernández Jr., died early Sunday morning, family members reported. He was 81 years old.
"It was an honor and a great pride to share with everyone a great musical career and give everything for his audience," said his family in Spanish on his official Instagram account. "Thank you for continuing to applaud, thank you for continuing to sing. #ChenteSigueSiendoElKing”.
Family members said Fernández died at 6:15 a.m. Sunday.
Fernández, whose hits also include “Mujeres divinas”, “Acá entre nos” and “La ley del monte”, was awarded three Grammys and nine Latin Grammys, the most recent for best ranchera/mariachi music album.
He was also recognized as Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy in 2002.
The singer had suffered from a liver tumor and more recently from a kidney infection and a fall in which he injured his neck.
