Vicente Fernandez Still On Top Monday November 03, 2008 4:009m EST According to Latingossip.com, "NOBODY can top Vicente Fernandez!" The legend has managed to sell out venue after venue throughout the US and has demonstrated that he can keep up, and even do more, than the youngings. He gives it his all every time, performing nonstop for three hours. Who else does that nowadays? Just as impressive, he has proven to be a man of his word. The majority of the people working on his tour have done so for a very long time. The lady that runs his monitors has been with him for 27 years! Vicente Fernandez is a Mexican folk singer and actor. Fernandez's life could be described as a rags-to-riches story—having come from humble beginnings, he eventually established himself as a famous singer. In native Mexico, Vicente Fernandez is hailed as the "chente fernandez", or simply chente. He was born and raised in Huentitan el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico on February 17, 1940 to a poor family and had to work in his childhood to maintain himself. Fernandez worked as a shoeshine boy, a waiter and dishwasher. Later, he served as cashier and manager of his uncle's restaurant. During his youth he sung at a festival in Arandas, Jalisco. He was booed off the stage by the audience and vowed never to sing to the city again. Vicente got his start when he won a Guadalajara singing contest. At age 21 he was in the show "La Calandria Musical" where he received his first payment for singing. He earned 35 pesos. The same year, Fernandez decided to make his living by singing. Initially, he sang for tips at the Amanecer Tapatio, serenaded drivers who sat waiting to move in traffic, and continued with "La Calandria Musical." From there he went on to sing with some of Mexico's best-known mariachi groups, such as Amanecer de Pepe Mendoza and the Mariachi of Jose Luis Aguilar. It was through these groups that he met Felipe Arriaga. Arriaga encouraged Fernandez to move to Mexico City, where he became a major singer on Mexico's No. 1 XEX radio station. It was through this medium that Fernandez was able to reach larger audiences and achieve initial fame for himself. Fernandez said his greatest accomplishment was when he filled La Plaza de Mexico, He asked the Mexican authorities not to charge the public for this concert. So certain was Fernandez that he would attract a capacity crowd he vowed that if La Plaza did not get filled he would stop singing. The day of the concert was cold and rainy. However, that didn't stop his fans as 54,000 of them showed up to hear Fernandez. His record still stands today as the largest gathering of an audience of any concert at La Plaza. Fernandez has made 56 albums. His first album was 1968's "La Voz Que Usted Esperaba". One of his best-selling recordings was his tribute to Trio de los Panchos, who produced two top hits for him, "Miseria" and "No, No y No." He has also recorded many compositions by such Mexicans as Armando Manzanero and Augustin Lara. In 1995, his tribute to Mexico's beloved Trio Los Panchos, Recordando A Los Panchos, earned him considerable acclaim and produced two major hits, "Miseria" and "No, No, Y No." Vicente has been married to Maria del Refugio Abarca Villasenor 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 Huentitan" (the Charro of Huentitan). Vicente has a star in Hollywood's Walk of Fame and his ceremony there was attended by over 5,000 people. 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.