Vicente biography

Singer

For the Record…

Selected discography

Sources

Known as el idolo de Mexico and el rey throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernandez, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a Mexican cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to 40 movies.

Although less well known to English-speaking audiences, he has consistently filled stadiums and venues throughout his 35-plus years of performing. His repertoire is pure ranchera, a style described by Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald as representing “the Mexico of old—a way of life romanticized by rural ranches, revolution, and philandering caballeros.”

Born on February 17, 1940, in Huentitan el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico, Fernandez spent the early years of his life on his father Ramon’s ranch on the outskirts of Guadalajara.

Here the idyllic ranchera lifestyle was instilled in him. His mother often took him to see the films of Pedro Infante, the king of Mexican bol