Juan Gabriel, Mexican superstar singer, dead at 66

The press office for Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel says the singer has died at age 66. The statement says he died Sunday, but does not say where.

Juan Gabriel was Mexico’s leading singer-songwriter and top-selling artist, with sales of more than 100 million albums.

He was scheduled to perform Sept. 11 in Fresno at the Save Mart Center as part of his MeXXIco Es Todo tour. Save Mart Center said fans who purchased tickets for the concert can request a refund starting Monday from the original point of purchase.

This was to be a return trip to the arena for Gabriel. He performed there in February of last year. He also performed there in 2005.

After signing a major record deal in the 1970s, Gabriel become one of the Latin music’s most successful artists, crafting rancheras, mariachis, ballads and pop and rock tunes - for himself and for other Latin stars. He remained a relevant artist. In the past year Gabriel has had three albums top Billboard’s Latin Albums chart. His last tour was in the top 10 on Pollstar’s list of global concert tours, ranked by box office gross per city.

His ballads about love and heartbreak and bouncy mariachi tunes became hymns throughout Latin America and Spain and with Spanish speakers in the United States. He brought many adoring fans to tears as they sang along when he crooned his songs about love and heartbreak

A flamboyant performer, Juan Gabriel liked to wear jackets covered in sequins or dress in shiny silk outfits in hot pink, turquoise blue or canary yellow, and he was known for tossing his head before dancing or jumping around the stage.

This story was originally published August 28, 2016 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Juan Gabriel, Mexican superstar singer, dead at 66."