Vicente Fernández: The Mission Remembers 'El Rey' De Ranchera

San Francisco CA

15 December, 2021

3:05 PM

Description

By Annika Hom and Anlan Cheney, Mission Local December 13, 2021 Since news broke that Vicente Fernández, 'El Rey' of ranchera music died Sunday morning at age 81, it's all his fans can think about. It's the topic revisited in family group chats, Spanish news channels, in idle exchanges between friends. Jesus Garcia Herrera, who was selling masks near Mission and 22nd streets, said he couldn't believe the "bad news" of the legend's passing at first. "My friend told me, and I said 'no way,'" the 42-year-old remembered. Last night, Herrera was glued to the TV — like others, he said — to watch a two-hour program about Fernández's life. The Mexican icon won the hearts of Latinos around the world, belting romantic songs and appearing in films Mission natives and migrants describe as pillars of their childhoods. He gained fame for a powerful voice that could hold notes for incredible lengths, and accordingly scooped up numerous Grammys for his talent. To read the full article, click here. Mission Local covers San Francisco from the vantage point of the Mission, a neighborhood with all of the promise and problems of a major city. You can support Mission Local here.