Dolores Janney Rivera (July 2, 1969 -- December 9, 2012), better known as
Jenni Rivera, was a Mexican-American multi Latin Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, actress, television producer, and entrepreneur known for her work within the banda, norteña and mariachi music genres. She has won two Premios Oye! (Spanish, meaning "Hear! Awards"). The equivalent of Mexico's Oye! Awards are the United States's Grammy Awards. In October 2012,
People en Español named her one of the 25 most powerful women.
Jenni Rivera began recording music in 1998. Her recordings often had themes of social issues, infidelity, and relationships. Her tenth studio album,
Jenni (2008) became her first #1 record on the
Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. In 2010, she appeared in and produced the reality TV show
Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis & Raq-C. She also appeared in and produced
I Love Jenni starting in 2011 through 2013 and
Chiquis 'n Control in 2012. Her acting debut was in the film
Filly Brown, which was released in 2013.
Billboard named her the "Top Latin Artist of 2013". Her years' long career included such honors as 20 million albums sold worldwide, making her the highest earning banda singer of all time. Her death made international headlines for weeks. As of 2014, the plane crash that took her life is still currently being investigated. Lawsuits involving the owners of the plane, Rivera's estate, and family members of those on board with Rivera have been filed in state and federal courts.