Photo: Julio Enriquez from Denver,CO, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Vicente Fernández was born on February 17, 1940 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and was credited as a singer, actor and film producer. Death is recorded on December 12, 2021, at the age of 81. Listed accolades include Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year (2002), Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album (2002, 2003, 2004, 2008), Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) (2015, 2017) and 1 more.
My Take
Vicente Fernández is one of those artists where the awards almost feel beside the point. Yes, the Grammys and Latin Grammys piled up, and yes he was named Person of the Year in 2002, but what moves me is the arc: a street busker from Guadalajara who became the literal Idol of Mexico. He didn't just sing ranchera, he embodied it, and made a whole nation feel seen in that big, weathered voice. When he passed in 2021, it felt like the closing of an era. I respect performers who carry a culture rather than merely decorate it, and Chente carried his on his back.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Vicente Fernández
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴィセンテ・フェルナンデス
- Reading
- ゔぃせんて・ふぇるなんです
- Born
- February 17, 1940 – December 12, 2021
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Dragon
- Origin
- Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Occupation
- singer / actor / film producer
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 2002 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year
- 2008 Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
- 2015 Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano)
- 2017 Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano)
- 1998 Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame
- 2002 Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
- 2003 Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
- 2004 Latin Grammy Award for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.vicentefernandez.mx
- Xhttps://x.com/_vicentefdez
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicente%20Fern%C3%A1ndez
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q119069
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Vicente Fernández born?
Born February 17, 1940.
When did Vicente Fernández die?
Died December 12, 2021, aged 81.
Where was Vicente Fernández from?
Vicente Fernández was from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
What did Vicente Fernández do?
Vicente Fernández worked as singer, actor, film producer.
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