Vicente Fernandez

Vicente Fernández – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Vicente Fernández – explore the life, career, and inspiring quotes of the legendary Mexican “Charro de Huentitán.” Discover lessons from his journey, his musical legacy, and his timeless sayings.

Introduction

Vicente Fernández (February 17, 1940 – December 12, 2021) is remembered as one of Mexico’s greatest singers, a cultural icon, and a symbol of the ranchera music tradition. Known by many as El Charro de Huentitán, La Voz de México, El Rey de la Música Ranchera and El Ídolo de México, his powerful voice, emotional delivery, and relentless work ethic made him beloved across generations.

Over his decades-long career, he recorded more than 100 albums, acted in numerous films, and earned wide acclaim (including several Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards) for bringing the soul of rural Mexico to audiences worldwide.

In this article, we’ll explore his life story, career milestones, personal traits, legacy, greatest quotes, and the lessons we can draw from his life.

Early Life and Family

Vicente Fernández Gómez was born on February 17, 1940, in Huentitán El Alto, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.

From a young age, Fernández showed interest in music and performance. When he was about six or seven years old, he would accompany his mother to watch films starring Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, and declared to his mother, “When I grow up, I’ll be like them.”

His family had modest means. They raised cattle and sold milk, but financial pressures were constant. After finishing elementary school, he and his family moved to Tijuana in search of better opportunities.

As a teenage boy, Vicente worked various jobs — including as a painter, bricklayer, and cabinetmaker — while he tried to nurture his musical aspirations.

In December 1963, he married María del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor ("Cuquita"), his childhood neighbor. Their union would be long-lasting, with the couple having children together and navigating life’s trials side by side.

Youth and Education

Fernández’s formal education was limited, as the demands of his family’s livelihood required him to work early. He did not attend advanced schooling or conservatories. His learning in music was largely self-taught, through listening, practice, and immersion in the folk and ranchera traditions he admired.

His early forays into broadcasting and singing contests helped hone his stage presence. At one point, he participated in a radio show Amanecer Tapatío in Jalisco, which gave him exposure and local recognition. La calandria musical in Guadalajara, which further opened doors to the Mexican music scene.

When he moved to Mexico City in the mid-1960s, he sought recording contracts and worked various small gigs to gain traction.

Career and Achievements

Musical Rise and Breakthrough

In 1965–1966, after the death of Javier Solís (a leading figure in traditional Mexican music), record companies looked to fill that void, and Fernández seized the opportunity. CBS Records of Mexico and began releasing albums such as Soy de Abajo, Ni en Defensa Propia, and Palabra de Rey.

One of his breakthrough songs was “Volver, Volver” (written by Fernando Z. Maldonado). Its emotional power and broad appeal helped propel Fernández into national—and later international—stardom.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Fernández consolidated his dominance in the ranchera genre. He released many albums, many of them bestsellers. Some of his classic pieces include El Rey, El Hijo del Pueblo, Mujeres Divinas, Acá Entre Nos, La Mentira, and others.

He also built a ranch named Los Tres Potrillos, which became his creative hub and production center.

Acting and Film Production

Besides music, Fernández ventured into film. His debut was in Tacos al carbón (1971). Over two decades he starred in about 30 films, many of which intertwined his musical identity (titles like Por tu maldito amor, La ley del monte, Mi querido viejo).

In 1974 he produced his first film, El hijo del pueblo. His final acting role came in 1991 in Mi querido viejo, after which he focused exclusively on music.

Later Years and Retirement

In February 2012, Fernández announced his intention to retire from live performances, though he pledged to continue recording music. “Un Azteca en el Azteca” at Estadio Azteca—drew over 80,000 attendees and lasted over four hours, marking a storied farewell to the stage.

Even after retiring from live shows, he released albums such as Más Romántico Que Nunca (2018) and A mis 80s (2020). A mis 80s won a Latin Grammy for Best Ranchera Album.

By the end of his career, he had recorded more than 80 albums and sold more than 50–65 million records worldwide.

Awards and Honors

Fernández received numerous awards in his life:

• Four Grammy Awards

• Nine Latin Grammy Awards

• Fourteen Lo Nuestro Awards

• A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

• Induction into the Latin Music Hall of Fame, and many gold/platinum certifications for his albums

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him the greatest Mexican singer of all time and placed him 95th in their “200 Greatest Singers of All Time” list.

Cities and institutions have honored him: Guadalajara erected a statue in his honor; Cheering tributes and memorials followed his passing.

Historical Milestones & Context

• In the aftermath of Javier Solís’s death in 1966, Fernández stepped into a musical vacuum, offering traditional ranchera music at a moment when the genre needed new champions.

• His 1984 concert at Plaza de Toros in Mexico City attracted over 54,000 people — a notable evidencing his growing reach.

• The kidnapping of his son, Vicente Jr., in 1998 was one of his darkest life episodes. The ransom was partly paid, but more fiercely, he refused to bend to public pressure: the kidnappers later released his son (tragically, two of his fingers were severed). Fernández handled the ordeal with dignity, refusing to let it derail his career.

• Even after retiring from live performance, his recordings and public presence kept him relevant in evolving musical landscapes and media, bridging past and present.

Legacy and Influence

Vicente Fernández’s legacy is vast and multifaceted:

1. Musical Identity & Cultural Symbol
   He embodied the emotional core of ranchera music: heartache, patriotism, love, and rural life. His voice — powerful, raw, evocative — continues to resonate across Latin America.

2. Generational Influence
   His sons (especially Alejandro Fernández) continued in the musical path, carrying forward the family’s musical influence.

3. International Recognition of Mexican Roots
   Through tours, recordings, and collaborations, he brought the ranchera tradition to listeners outside Mexico, helping to preserve and globalize that heritage.

4. Icon of Perseverance & Authenticity
   His life shows how humility, hard work, and staying true to one’s roots can transcend adversity and fame. His choices in retirement, the dignity with which he faced personal crises, and his commitment to his art contribute to a powerful public image.

Today, memorials, reissues, festivals, and tributes ensure that new generations discover him. “El Rey” remains a staple in Mexican music playlists, and his songs are still performed by countless artists.

Personality and Talents

Vicente Fernández was known not only for his vocal excellence but for a compelling stage presence, humility, and deep sense of emotional authenticity.

• Vocal talent & interpretive depth: His ability to express longing, heartbreak, pride, and joy earned him comparisons to Frank Sinatra in style, though firmly rooted in Mexican tradition.

• Work ethic: He kept a disciplined schedule of recording, touring, rehearsing — often pushing through physical strains to deliver for his audience.

• Loyalty to roots: He insisted on performing in Mexico, maintaining ties to his home region, and often favoring traditionalism over chasing fads.

• Humility and resilience: Despite massive fame, he remained grounded, often acknowledging struggles, pain, and the sacrifices required.

• Romantic and emotional orientation: Many of his songs and public remarks reflect his belief in love, heartbreak, and the emotional life as central to human experience.

He was not without controversy: in 2021 a viral photograph showed him placing his hand on a fan in a way some judged inappropriate; he publicly apologized.

Famous Quotes of Vicente Fernández

Below are some of his memorable sayings, reflecting his philosophy on life, fame, work, and emotion:

1. “Mientras ustedes no dejen de aplaudir, yo no dejo de cantar.”
   (“As long as you don’t stop applauding, I won’t stop singing.”)

2. “It is a very difficult job. However, some ideas and inspirations have come to me and, when that happens, I run to get a pen and write a few sentences.”

3. “In this world we have two classes of people: the rich very poor and the poor very rich.”

4. “I retired because I wanted to leave a very beautiful place without having to die.”

5. “The day they are burying me, ‘The King’ is going to be sung by everyone, on television or wherever they are.”

6. “I am one of the men who fear nothing, and even if I am lost, I do not know how to crack.”

7. “Talent is a gift from God, fame is the result of man’s work.”

8. “I am a man, but it is also for men to know how to feel pain.”

9. “When you're a ranchera singer, you represent your country. It's a God-given gift.”

10. “No one will ever be able to say, ‘Ay, Chente, he's all washed up. He should have thrown in the towel years ago.’”

These quotes reveal his conviction, pride, humility, and a constant dialogue with his own legacy and mortality.

Lessons from Vicente Fernández

From Vicente Fernández’s life, we can distill values and lessons applicable to many:

• Persistence over shortcuts: His path was long and arduous; he built his fame through decades of consistency and dedication.

• Authenticity matters: He remained true to the ranchera style, his roots, and his emotional identity even when musical trends shifted.

• Humility amid success: Despite becoming a legend, he often acknowledged his struggles and remembered where he came from.

• Emotional courage: He embraced vulnerability in his songs and allowed himself to suffer, to love, and to express those states in art.

• Planning one’s exit: His decision to retire from live performing while continuing to record shows foresight and self-awareness.

• Legacy as responsibility: He recognized that his music would outlive him; his words and actions often reflected a consciousness of that permanence.

Conclusion

Vicente Fernández remains a towering figure in Latin music, a living bridge between Mexico’s ranchera traditions and modern global audiences. His life — from humble beginnings to international acclaim — exemplifies how talent, tenacity, and heart can shape a lasting legacy.

If you’re inspired by his journey or his words, dive deeper into his discography or reflect often on his quotes. His songs will continue to echo in hearts across generations.

Let me know if you’d like an article focused just on his music, or perhaps a curated list of his top 20 songs with commentary!