b. Vicente Fernández Gomez, 17 February 1940, Huentitán el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. A ship lost at sea with a violent storm brewing on the horizon would be lucky to have Mexican singer Vicente Fernández aboard. His stentorian voice could probably whip those monstrous waves into submission in an instant. If nothing else, he could surely infuse the crew with uncommon valour. Fernández was a construction worker, store cashier, and dishwasher before devoting himself to music. At 21, he was already singing in a restaurant, doing serenades and performing in the television show La Calandria Musical. His close identification with his country and its traditions quickly made him a favourite among Mexicans, and he was catapulted to worldwide fame with the 1976 hit ‘Volver, Volver’. True to his humble origins, Fernández has never forgotten his fans, always making a point of keeping ticket prices low enough for people of all social classes to see his concerts. Live, he does not stop singing as long as the audience continues to applaud him, to the distress of stage managers worldwide, who see his performances go two or three hours overtime. Fernández applies the same philosophy to his recorded output, releasing an album of high quality ranchera music every year. In 1998, he was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall Of Fame and received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
