Who was Jenni Rivera? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra

Died At Age: 43

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Esteban Loaiza (m. 2010), José Trinidad Marín (m. 1984; div. 1992), Juan López (m. 1997; div. 2003)

father: Pedro Rivera

mother: Rosa Saavedra

siblings: Juan Rivera, Lupillo Rivera, Rosie Rivera

children: Chiquis Rivera, Jacquie Marin, Jenicka Lopez, Johnny Lopez, Michael Marin

Born Country: United States

American Women California State University, Long Beach

Height: 5'1" (155 cm), 5'1" Females

Died on: December 9, 2012

place of death: Iturbide, Mexico

Ancestry: Mexican American

U.S. State: California

City: Long Beach, California

Cause of Death: Plane Crash

More Facts

education: California State University, Long Beach

Recommended For You

1

What was Jenni Rivera's most popular song?

"La Gran Señora"
2

How did Jenni Rivera start her music career?

Jenni Rivera started her music career by independently releasing her first album in the mid-1990s.
3

How did Jenni Rivera inspire her fans?

Jenni Rivera inspired her fans through her music that often touched on themes of empowerment, resilience, and overcoming obstacles.
4

What impact did Jenni Rivera have on the music industry?

Jenni Rivera made a significant impact on the music industry by becoming one of the most successful female regional Mexican artists, breaking barriers and gaining international recognition.
5

How did Jenni Rivera contribute to philanthropic efforts?

Jenni Rivera was known for her philanthropic efforts, including supporting various charities and foundations that focused on helping women and children in need.

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Childhood & Early Life

Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra was born in Long Beach, California, on July 2, 1969. Her mother Rosa Saavedra and father Pedro Rivera raised her and her five siblings in a musical environment. Rivera was introduced to the Banda musical genre and Mexican music by her family.

She became pregnant at the age of fifteen but was persuaded by her teachers to continue her studies as they deemed it a complete waste of talent if she were to drop out. She later attended California State University to earn a degree in business administration before working in the real estate industry.

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Career

Jenni Rivera had started singing from a very tender age; however, it was on 1992 Father’s Day when she made her first recording which was a tribute to her father.

Rivera found it tough to break into the typically male-dominated Mexican music industry. She once confessed that one radio programmer from Los Angeles threw her music CD into the trash bin in her presence.

She independently released an album ‘Farewell to Selena,’ which was a tribute to the ‘Queen of Tejano music’ Selena Quintanilla-Pérez who was murdered in 1995.

She signed with Sony Music and released her major label debut studio album ‘Si Quieres Verme Llorar’ followed by her second studio album ‘Reyna de Reynas’, both in 1999. The albums failed to become commercially successful, much to the frustration of Rivera.

Her third studio album, ‘Que Me Entierren Con la Banda’, was released in March 2000 under Fonovisa Records. It had songs like ‘Las Malandrinas’ which was a tribute to her hardworking female fans. The album was a big success, and finally, Rivera earned her place in the industry.

Her fourth studio album, ‘Dejate Amar’ and the fifth studio album, ‘Se las Voy a Dar a Otro’ were released in the same year (2001); both the albums were successful.

Her studio album, ‘Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida,’ which was released in 2005, reached the top 10 on Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It contained the popular single ‘De Contrabando’ which peaked at number one on Billboard’s US Regional Mexican Songs.

Rivera released her ninth studio album titled ‘Mi Vida Loca’ in 2007. It peaked at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart and earned her a Latin Billboard Music Award for Regional Mexican Album of the Year in 2008.

Her greatest success came a year later in 2008 when she released her tenth studio album ‘Jenni’. The album earned her a handful of awards and became one of her biggest commercial successes too. It earned her a second Lo Nuestro Award for Banda Artist of the Year.

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Her studio album ‘La Gran Señora’ was released in 2009 and it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. It was nominated for the Best Ranchero Album at the Latin Grammy awards.

Rivera has appeared in several television award shows as well and has hosted TV shows like ‘Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis & Raq-C’, ‘El Show de Jenni Rivera’ and ‘I Love Jenni’.

She made her film debut in the drama film ‘Filly Brown’ which was directed by Youssef Delara and Michael D. Olmos. Rivera portrayed the character of ‘Maria Tenorio’ in the film which won the Best Feature Film award at the 2013 Noor Iranian Film Festival.

The film ‘Filly Brown’ also earned a nomination at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for the Grand Jury Prize. It was released after the death of Rivera and during the 2013 American Latino Media Arts Awards, a moment of silence was observed in her memory.

Rivera not only advocated for hard working females in the society through her music but also campaigned for women’s rights. She was named spokeswoman for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2010 and the Los Angeles City Council officially declared August 6 as ‘Jenni Rivera Day’.

Major Works

‘Mi Vida Loca’, Jenni Rivera’s ninth studio album was released in 2007, under Fonovisa Records. It was her first studio album to take her to newer heights. Allmusic gave it a four-star rating. Rivera won the 2008 Latin Billboard Music Award for Regional Mexican Album of the Year. The album peaked at number two on the Top Latin Albums chart in the United States and also made its debut at the top of the Regional Mexican Albums chart.

Her album ’Jenni’ was the most significant work in her career. It earned her fame, commercial success, as well as critical acclaim. The album reached the number one spot on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States and reached number 27 on the Top 100 chart in Mexico.

The album earned Rivera another Banda Artist of the Year award at the Lo Nuestro Awards, making her the first female singer to win the award twice; the record still remains to be broken.

Personal Life

While still in school, Jenni Rivera became pregnant with José Trinidad Marin’s child and gave birth to their daughter, Janney Marín Rivera, at the age of fifteen. The couple later married in 1984 and had two more children, Jacqueline and Michael.

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Rivera was sexually and physically assaulted by Marin a number of times, and later through a medical examination, it was revealed that their daughter Janney had also suffered abuse at the hands of her father.

The couple ended their marriage in 1992. Rivera eventually filed a case against him and her ex-husband spent nine years as a fugitive before he was apprehended. Upon his apprehension, he was given a 31-year long prison sentence without parole.

She married Juan López in 1997 and had two children, a son Juan Angel, and a daughter, Jenicka. The marriage ended in 2003.

Her third and last marriage was with Esteban Loaiza, a former Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player, in 2010. After two years of married life, they filed for divorce which was never finalized due to Rivera’s death.

Legal Issues

Jenni Rivera was arrested in June 2008 after a fan accused her of physical and verbal abuse during a concert. Rivera was hit by a beer can which was thrown by the fan and she called him on to the stage where she began verbally and physically assaulting him. The fan called the cops and Rivera was arrested only to be released on bail after paying $3,000.

She again got involved in a legal issue when she could not give any valid explanation when questioned about the amount of $52,467 she was carrying in her purse at the time of her detention at the international airport in Mexico City. She had to pay a fine of $8,400 for her release.

Death

Rivera appeared at a concert at Monterrey Arena, Mexico on December 8, 2012, and after finishing her performance, she left the venue for Monterrey International Airport. Along with four other passengers and two crew members, she left in a 43-year-old Learjet 25. The private jet lost all communications with the air traffic controllers and later was found crashed. She was presumed dead by the authorities and later in a press conference it was confirmed by her father.

Two years later, the investigation of the incident was closed by the Mexican Director of Civil Aviation, citing inconclusive evidence.

Facts About Jenni Rivera

Jenni Rivera was not only a successful singer but also a talented businesswoman, with ventures in cosmetics, fashion, and a radio station.

She was known for her philanthropy work, supporting various charities and organizations, particularly those focused on empowering women and children.

Despite facing many challenges in her personal life, Jenni Rivera had a resilient spirit and always remained true to herself and her fans.

She was a trailblazer in the regional Mexican music genre, breaking barriers and paving the way for other female artists in a male-dominated industry.

Jenni Rivera Biography

You wanted to know

What was Jenni Rivera's most popular song?

How did Jenni Rivera start her music career?

How did Jenni Rivera inspire her fans?

What impact did Jenni Rivera have on the music industry?

How did Jenni Rivera contribute to philanthropic efforts?