Vicente Fernández, Famed Mexican Singer and Actor, Dead at 81

Vicente Fernández has passed away at the age of 81. The famed Mexican singer and actor had been hospitalized for months following a fall at his ranch outside Guadalajara. He underwent surgery for a cervical spine injury and spent weeks in intensive care on a ventilator. Fernández was briefly transferred out of the ICU but returned due to respiratory inflammation at the end of November. On Saturday night, his family shared he was in critical condition. Sunday morning, his death was confirmed via social media.

“Rest in Peace, Mr. Vicente Fernández,” the post read. “We regret to inform you of his death on Sunday, December 12 at 6:15 a.m.”

“It was an honor and a great pride to share with everyone a great musical career and to give everything for his audience. Thank you for continuing to applaud, thank you for continuing to sing,” the message continued.

He is survived by his children Alejandro, Vicente, Gerardo and Alejandra.

Vicente Fernández recorded more than 50 albums, filmed dozens of movies, and won three Grammys and eight Latin Grammys during his five-decade-long career. He was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1940 and began his musical career as a street performer. In 1966, he signed to Mexico’s CBS Records. Five years later, he released his first film Tacos al carbón.

Some of his most well-known songs include “Por Tu Maldito Amor,” “Volver Volver,” “Acá Entre Nos,” “Hermoso Cariño,” “Mujeres Divinas” and covers such as “El Rey” and “Camino de Guanajuato.”

During the last couple years of his life, the “Mexican Idol” had come under fire for some comments he made when refusing a liver transplant in 2019.

“They wanted to give me some other fucker’s liver, and I told them ‘I’m not going to sleep with my wife with another man’s liver,’” Fernández said at the time on a Mexican TV program De Primera Mano. “I don’t even know if he was homosexual or a drug addict.”

Earlier this year, he was accused of sexual abuse by singer Lupita Castro and photos surfaced of him touching women inappropriately. Fernández denied the accusations.