Luis "Vivi" Hernández

Luis “Vivi” Hernández (full name Luis Leopoldo Hernández Hurtado) was a Mexican singer, guitarist, and showman from Torreón, Coahuila, who rose during the first wave of Mexican rock and roll. He began in the early 1960s as frontman of Los Crazy Boys—co-founding the group and handling rhythm guitar and lead vocals—scoring early visibility on TV and film, including the 1962 feature A ritmo de twist. His stagecraft and Elvis-influenced presence helped popularize localized rock covers and originals; hallmark titles included “Leroy,” “Corina, Corina,” and especially “El Monstruo,” a 1965 Spanish reimagining of “Monster Mash” that became a perennial favorite. After two LPs with Los Crazy Boys, he departed to lead short-lived projects such as Los Crazy Birds and Los Fratelos before establishing a solo career. In the 1970s he moved toward romantic repertoire and bolero-pop, releasing albums and singles for labels like Raff—among them the LP Miénteme (1972)—and later the full-length Poema Orbital el Vivi (1976). Parallel to recording, Luis "Vivi" Hernández appeared on the TV showcase Orfeón a Go-Go and wrote columns for music magazines, while a festival stint with “Sencillamente nunca” broadened his recognition beyond rock circuits. He died on December 19, 1977, at age 36, leaving a catalog that bridged teen-beat rock, show-band entertainment, and 1970s balladry.