Rigo Tovar

Often credited with modernizing the sound of Mexican popular music by adopting electric guitars and synthesizers, singer Rigoberto Tovar García, aka Rigo Tovar, was born in the city of Matamoros on March 29, 1946. He relocated to Houston, Texas, during his early adulthood with the hopes of making it as a professional musician and, in 1971, he released his first album Matamoros Querido. In 1976, the album Amor y Cumbia cemented his reputation as a bonafide hitmaker, catapulting him into international stardom. During that time, he scored some of the biggest hits of his career, including "La Sirenita," "Te Tendré Que Olvidar," and "¡Oh, Qué Gusto de Volverte a Ver!" In the following years, Rigo Tovar broke an attendance record previously set by Pope John Paul II, made his acting debut on the silver screen, and continued to release incredibly successful albums like El Músico Chiflado (1985), Quítate la Máscara (1986), and La Fiera (1989). Plagued by diabetes-related health issues, he retired from the music industry in the mid-90s. He passed away from a cardio-respiratory failure on March 27, 2005.