Vicente Fernández

Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican ranchera singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed “Chente” (short for Vicente), “El Charro de Huentitán” (The Charro from Huentitán), “El Ídolo de México” (The Idol of Mexico), and “El Rey de la Música Ranchera” (The King of Ranchera Music), Fernández started his career as a busker, and went on to become a cultural icon, having recorded more than 100 albums and contributing to more than 30 films. His repertoire consisted of rancheras and other Mexican classics such as waltzes.
Fernández’s work earned him four Grammy Awards, nine Latin Grammy Awards, fourteen Lo Nuestro Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He sold over 50 million copies worldwide, making him one of the best-selling regional Mexican artists of all time. In 2016, Fernández retired from performing live, although he continued to record and publish music. In 2023, Rolling Stone named Fernández the greatest Mexican singer of all time and the 95th greatest overall with their “200 Best Singers of All Time” list.
Fernández died on 12 December 2021, at the age of 81.