Biography of Vicente Fernandez | Singer.

(Huentitan el Alto, Jalisco, 1940) Mexican, last of the legendary performers of the ranchera song singer. This genre of romantic and sentimental, whose origins date back to the 19th century and had its cradle in the State of Jalisco, was widespread from the years 30 and 40 of the 20th century in the hands of the mariachis, joint musical outfit and traditional repertoire that entered with success on the radio and in the cinema and gained a huge popularity.

Vicente Fernandez

Consolidated and converted into the Mexican national music par excellence both at home and abroad, the ranchera lived its golden period in the 1950s, period belongs his best composer and interpreter: José Alfredo Jiménez. When Jimenez died in the early 1970s, the great Vicente Fernández took over to revive the genre and to avoid what appeared to be the start of a decline. Songs such as return, back (1972) made him an Idol and an indisputable reference, and its prolific concert activity and record would keep it at the top of the national music scene for decades.

Biography

Vicente Fernández Gómez was born on February 17, 1940 in the Mexican town of Huentitan el Alto, Jalisco lands. His family was of humble class and from a child was forced to work in different trades to earn some money and to survive with dignity. Nothing in its origins or ancestors to ensure that over the years would be known as the Huentitan charro and would receive from their fans as glowing as the King of the ranchera song descriptions.

The small Chente, as he was familiarly called then, however had clear ideas: his idol was the also singer of rancheras and actor Pedro Infante, whose movies devoured in the cinema. I wanted to be like him, and at age eight, began to strum the guitar and to sing rancheras heard in the radio. The beginnings were not easy: had to combine music with survival, be willing to act in the most precarious stages and take advantage the smaller opportunity to be known, or that were in small circles or in amateur contests.

Vicente Fernandez

At age 21, while it acted in the dawn Tapatio restaurant (singing on stage and between the tables), debuted on the television show La Calandria Musical, where he won his first salary as a singer: 35 pesos. This made him consider his professional future, and decided to leave their other activities to become a singer and actor. With this aim he moved to live in the city of Mexico and acted during training Mariachi Amanecer.

After these concerts, Vicente Fernández participated in the Group Mariachi Aguilar with Felipe Arriaga and appeared at the Teatro Blanquita of Mexico. He also started working at Televisa, where he met Raúl Velasco, and began to be appreciated and known by the public. Career finally took off when the record company CBS offered him a contract and recorded his first album, The fabulous Vicente Fernandez (1965), and would reach a first climax with Up Huentitán! (1972), which contained the most universal of his greatest hits: back, back.

Vicente Fernández in concert

Thus started a career that would last for more than four decades, along which Vicente Fernández alternated the interpretation of rancheras and other traditional genres with new songs. Next to the quoted return, back (1972), include your way and mine (1969), may God forgive you (1977), Mujeres (1988), here among us (1992), Although bad to pay them (2005) and these jealousy (2007). Among the best memories of his musical career is a very special day: on September 15, 1984, when he sang at the Plaza Monumental de Toros de Mexico to more than fifty thousand people. It is still the only artist who has gotten so magna audience. The singer is so famous in his country that the Mexican radio stations have instituted the celebration every September 15, the Day of Vicente Fernández.

Like Pedro Infante, his great idol, fame acquired as a singer allowed Vicente Fernández to undertake his film career. He made his debut in 1971 in the Tacos to the carbonfilm, and three years later starred in and composed the soundtrack for his first big success in the celluloid: the law of del monte (1974). For twenty years he combined both activities, to participate in more than thirty movies before retiring from film in 1991, when, for reasons of age, believed not to be in position to give enough dignity to the charro (proud and manly rider and man's field, with their traditional attire), the character who most frequently played.

Vicente Fernández interprets return, back at a historic concert
(Monumental plaza de Toros de Mexico, on September 15, 1984)

His extensive discography includes more than 80 albums counting the numerous compilations and live albums. To this must be added the emergence in 2002 in Vicente Fernandez 35 anniversary, best of Lara, an album that was made in tribute to his long and significant career and the work of a no less famous Mexican composer: Agustín Lara. In 2012, when he announced that he intended to retire after a final farewell tour, it had sold more than 75 million copies of their albums.

In addition to the great reception that always managed to rancheras de Vicente Fernández among its audience, the interpreter has an extensive resume of honors and tributes both nationally and internationally, which came mostly late form, from the 1990s. Their album Vicente Fernandez and classics by José Alfredo Jiménez (1991) earned him the prize Billboard; between 1989 and 2014 won fourteen times, in various forms, premio Lo Nuestro chain Televisa gives the cream of Latin music; Hollywood gave him one of their stars on the walk of Fame in 1998, ceremony attended by 5,000 people. Finally, in 2010, won the Grammy for best Mexican album I need you (2009).

Extracted from the website: Biografías y Vidas