Jenni Rivera, Latin Pop Star and "Diva of the Banda," Dies in Private Plane Crash in Mexico

On Sunday morning at approximately 3 a.m., latin pop star Jenni Rivera boarded a private Learjet in Mexico, along with two pilots and four other passengers including her publicist, lawyer, and makeup artist. Ten minutes later, they were all dead. The victims of a tragic plane crash in the desert...

By S. Pajot

December 10, 2012

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On Sunday morning at approximately 3 a.m., latin pop star Jenni Rivera boarded a private Learjet in Mexico, along with two pilots and four other passengers including her publicist, lawyer, and makeup artist.

Ten minutes later, they were all dead. The victims of a tragic plane crash in the desert.

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Departing from Monterrey and bound for Toluca, Rivera's aircraft disappeared at 3:15 a.m. from Mexican radar. It took authorities over 12 hours to locate the crash site near Iturbide, Nuevo León. But yesterday afternoon, it was confirmed that there were no survivors.

Later that evening, the Latin star's father and brother appeared on Telemundo to officially announce her passing. "She never gave up," her father, Pedro, said, "she was good to everyone."

A native of Long Beach, California, Jenny Dolores Rivera Saavedra was born in 1969. And 34 years later, she released her debut solo album, Homenaje A Las Grandes.

But it wasn't until 2008's Jenni that she would ascend to full-blown Latin pop superstardom, scoring her first number-one album on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart.

Our deepest sympathy to the family & fans of @jennirivera & those that accompanied her on what was to be her last voyage. Rest in peace...
— Gloria Estefan (@GloriaEstefan) December 10, 2012

Esto es triste. Un poco en shock. Mucha paz para su familia. RT @elnuevodia: Desaparece avión en q viajaba Jenni Rivera end.pr/U6TMch
— Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin) December 9, 2012

I was saddened to hear of the news of my friend Jenni Rivera.My deepest sympathies to her family and to the fami twitpic.com/bkmjj0
— Cristina Saralegui (@CristinaOpina) December 10, 2012

Ultimately, Rivera would earn multiple Grammy nominations, become a Mun2 reality TV star, and sell 15 million albums.

But sadly, this "Diva of the Banda" has passed, leaving behind five children, millions of fans, and a legacy cut short by tragedy.

Follow Crossfade on Facebook and Twitter @Crossfade_SFL.

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