Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, a musical icon across Latin America for more than 40 years, has died at the age of 66 of a heart attack.
The prolific songwriter and performer, known for his powerful love ballads, died in Santa Monica, California on Sunday.
He was due to sing at a concert in El Paso, Texas later on Sunday before his death.
Alberto Aguilera, known as Gabriel was born in 1950 into a poor family in the western Mexican state of Michoacan.
He rose to sell million copies of his albums and had his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The singer lived much of his young life in the border city of Ciudad Juarez and entertained generations of Latin Americans with his energetic performances of songs such as “Querida” and “Amor Eterno” in glittering mariachi outfits.
“A voice and a talent that represented Mexico, His music, a legacy for the world,’’ Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Twitter. (Reuters/NAN)