Vicente Fernandez

Vicente Fernández (born Vicente Fernández Gomez on February 17, 1940) is a Mexican ranchera singer and actor. He is the father of Alejandro Fernández, also a popular Mexican artist. Fernández's life could be described as a rags-to-riches story—having come from humble beginnings, he eventually established himself as a famous musician.

Vicente has been married to Maria del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor since December 27, 1963. He has had three sons with her: Vicente Jr, Gerardo, and Alejandro Fernandez and a daughter named Alejandra. His fans and the media refer to him as "Chente", a diminutive of his name out of affection but in interviews and events he is also addressed as Don Vicente out of respect. In Mexico he is referred to as "El Charro de Huentitán" (the Charro of Huentitan).

In 2004, while in concert in Miami's American Airlines Arena, Vicente had to pay $30,000 USD for having gone over the original scheduled time for the concert. He sang for three hours some of his all time hits as well as songs from his then new album "Se Me Hizo Tarde la Vida".

Vicente has a star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame and his ceremony there was attended by over 5,000 people, breaking all previous attendance records.

The success of Fernandez's recording career boosted his chances for success in the United States, where he has performed many concerts. Recently, Fernandez announced that he planned to open a mariachi theme casino in Las Vegas called Guadalajara, Guadalajara.

Fernandez remains very active in his 60's, playing to large crowds and having an ample discography that makes him one of Latin music's highest-grossing artists.