– The Mexican president called him one of the great musical icons of the country.
The Mexican singer and song-writer Alberto Aguilera Valadez, known by his stage name Juan Gabriel or “El Divo de Juarez”, has died in California.
He was 66 and suffered a heart attack two days after performing at a concert in Los Angeles.
Juan Gabriel was considered one of Mexico’s leading commercial artists, writing and performing in many diverse styles.
He worked for more than 40 years and sold more than 100 million albums.
He also acted in several films after his debut in 1975 in the movie Nobleza Ranchera.
Billboard magazine inducted him into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame 1996.
Juan Gabriel wrote many hits for himself and for leading Latin singers including Angelica Maria, Aida Cuevas, Lorenzo Antonio, Jose Jose, Luis Miguel and Rocio Durcal.
“I regret the death of Juan Gabriel, one of the great musical icons of our country,” said the Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto, on Twitter. “My condolences to his family and friends.”
