“Latino Elvis” Juan Gabriel dies suddenly aged 66

The Mexican singer-song writer and musical icon Juan Gabriel has died suddenly at his home in California. He was 66. Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aguilera, was born in 1950 into a poor family. He had a tough upbringing in an orphanage but went on to become Mexico’s top selling artist, selling millions of albums. With his energetic perfomances, he was famous for his powerful love ballards and became known as the“Latino Elvis”. Juan Gabriel performed to packed auditoriums, including Madison Square Garden in New York and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said through his official Twitter account: “I regret the death of Juan Gabriel, one of the great musical icons of our country. My condolences to his relatives and friends.” We’re saddened to hear about the death of legendary singer #JuanGabriel. The #Latino community has lost an icon. RIP https://t.co/OQSexOVOKs— Voto Latino (@votolatino) 28 August 2016