Juan Gabriel Memorial Service Set For Tuesday

A memorial service for Mexican music superstar Juan Gabriel is scheduled for Tuesday at a Catholic Church in Monterey Park.

The service is set for 5 to 9 p.m. at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, 320 W. Garvey Ave.

Gabriel, 66, whose international popularity spanned multiple generations, died of a heart attack Aug. 27 at his home in Santa Monica.

He was known for his powerful ballads and a commanding stage presence punctuated by often-flamboyant costumes.

His death came less than three days after he performed a two-hour set at the Los Angeles Forum as part of his sold-out “MeXXico Es Todo Tour.”

Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aquilera Valadez, wrote more than 1,500 songs that combined mariachi, ranchero and norteno. He sold more than 100 million copies worldwide in a career dating back to the 1970s.

The six-time Grammy nominee was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1996, was named the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year in 1995 and in 2009 was celebrated as the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year.

He is survived by four children including his manager, Ivan Aguilera.

Courtesy of City News Service / Daily News