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One of the most prominent voices in Mexican music has died at the age of 64. Reports coming from Mexico confirmed that Joan Sebastian passed away on the night of July 13. The legend was born Jose Manuel Figueroa in April 1951 in Juliantla, where he would also die. He took on the stage name Joan Sebastian to pay tribute to the city of San Sebastian. Many of his fans also knew him by the nickname “El Rey Del Jaripeo.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. His Cancer Returned Aggressively in April 2015
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In April 2015 it was confirmed by his son, Julian Figueroa, that Sebastian was back in hospital after suffering a setback in his cancer treatments. At the time, Figueroa told the public, via the Latin Times:
We are going to inform the public so they are aware and so they won’t worry about my father. What is happening is that he’s under a new treatment that they are testing on my father. They are doing it at the hospital so they can see the results. My father is stable, obviously with the implications of having cancer, but he isn’t in greater danger.
Sebastian was first diagnosed in 1999 and later beat the illness only for it to return in 2007, 2012 and 2014. He ultimately died at his ranch in Juliantla, Guerrero. Despite his disease affecting his vocal chords, Sebastian never gave up performing, reports the Associated Press.
Read about Joan Sebastian in Spanish at our sister site, AhoraMismo:
2. He First Came to America as an Undocumented Immigrant
Throughout his illustrious career, Sebastian was the recipient of seven Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. His style has been referred to as Latin pop, ranchera and grupera music. In total, he recorded 35 albums. The Associated Press notes that he wasn’t just famous for his singing, but also his song writing and production skills. He first came to the U.S. in his 20s as an undocumented immigrant, Sebastian settled in Chicago where he worked as a dishwasher and a salesman, reports Univision. Though Sebastian never settled in the U.S. and returned to Mexico.
Televisa reported that just weeks before his death, Sebastian had been honored with the “Grand Master” title by the society of authors and composers in his homeland. His last tweet, he celebrated the 4th of July.
3. His Beloved Horse ‘Godfather’ Died Just Days Before Sebastian
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He ventured into acting in 1996 with his role in the Mexican soap opera, Tú y Yo. In that show, he appeared with his wife of the time, Maribel Guardia. Sebastian and Guardia had lived together for five years and had one son. Prior to going into singing, Sebastian had been training to become a priest, according to his All Music profile. His music was heard nightly in Mexico as the theme music to Univision telenovela Amores Con Trampa. His horse, Godfather, died just a few days before Sebastian, reports Televisa. Back in February 2015, Jornada reported that Sebastian had suffered a fall from his horse.
4. Two of His Sons Were Murdered
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He suffered two tragedies in 2006 when his son Trigo was shot dead during one of Sebastian’s concerts in McAllen, Texas and in 2010 when his son, Juan Sebastian, was killed in Mexico. Juan Sebastian’s death, in the city of Cuernavaca, was thought to have been connected to the drug cartels, something his father denied, reported El Universal. In reality the attack was motivated in a bar dispute in the Grand Hotel Cuernavaca. The shooting got died to the drug cartel wars because of the location. Previously, there had been problems with the gangs at an adjacent night club to the Grand Hotel, known as Classico.
5. His Fans Have Taken to Twitter to Mourn the Star
Damn … Joan Sebastian is dead???? Wow .. http://t.co/6rs3WW73fh
The legendary singer is being passionately mourned on Twitter by some of his many fans.
R.I.P. to Joan Sebastian 😔
That’s crazy, R.I.P Joan Sebastian🙏🏼
So sad to hear about Joan Sebastian passing 💔 RIP
If you ever saw Joan sebastian live you’d know that he puts on a hell of a show
Read about Joan Sebastian in Spanish at our sister site, AhoraMismo: