Vicente Fernandez: Legendary Mexican Ranchera Singer Dies at 81, Months After Suffering a Fall

By Mary Webber First Posted: Dec 12, 2021 11:23 PM EST

Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez has passed away on Sunday at his Guadalajara home in Mexico's Jalisco state. He was known for his ranchera music.

The 81-year-old singer has been reportedly in poor health conditions for months after he suffered from a fall at his ranch earlier this year, BBC News reported.

A post on the singer's Instagram page announced his death, saying that he died at 6:15 a.m., adding that it was an honor and great pride to share "with everyone his great musical career."

According to People, the ranchera music icon's family announced on August 10 that he was in "serious but stable" condition but was on a ventilator after he fell at his Guadalajara ranch.

It was reported that Fernandez had suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is a rare disorder where the body's immune system damages nerves.

Legendary Mexican Singer Vicente Fernandez Refused Liver Transplant

In 2019, Vicente Fernandez suffered a health scare when a lump was found in his liver. He came under criticism after refusing a liver transplant and said he was concerned that the donor could have been an "addict " or a "homosexual" person.

Fernandez noted at the time during an interview with a Mexican TV program De Primera Mano that he was not going to sleep with his wife with another man's liver.

The Mexican singer added that he does not even know if the donor would be "homosexual" or a "drug addict."

Vicente Fernandez's Life and Career

Vicente Fernandez has been compared to Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presly due to his voice and huge popularity at home and abroad.

BBC News reported that he had created a musical dynasty when his sons Alejandro and Vicenter Jr. successfully became musicians as well.

Fernandez was born on a ranch outside the Mexican city of Guadalajara on February 17, 1940. He worked on his father's ranch and grew up seeing films of Pedro Infantes, who is also a ranchera singer.

Fernandez earlier said his earliest memories were seeing Infante's movies and telling his mother that he wanted to be like him when he grew up. He had learned to play the guitar and started singing ranchera music by the age of eight.

In 1966, Fernandez got his big break when CBS Records offered him a contract. He then released his first album that same year and has been with the label ever since.

Fernandez snatched three Grammy Awards and eight Latin Grammy Awards during his career. He also won more than a dozen Lo Nuestro awards for Latin music.

In 2012, he announced his retirement. However, he continued recording albums and released his last album in December 2020.

Other music icons mourned his death, like Gloria Estefan, who honored the legendary singer on her Instagram post, according to E! Online. Estefan said the late musician has left the public "with a legacy of songs, movies, and new generations who will continue to sing his songs and elevate his name with every note."

Ricky Martin took on Twitter to mourn the death of the iconic ranchera musician. Martin said Fernandez was an angel to him his whole life, adding that whenever he went to Guadalajara, Fernandez would come to his concerts.

Mario Lopez also posted a tribute to the critically acclaimed singer. Lopez said that Vicente Fernandez was the voice of a culture, with his voice filling many households, and many grew up listening to his songs.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Vicente Fernandez, a Mexican Musical Icon for Generations, Dies at 81 - From Los Angeles Times