The Queen of Mexican music, Jenni Rivera, was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The “La Diva de la Banda” received the 2,783rd star in the Recording category, in front of Capitol Records at 1750 N. Vine Street in Hollywood. Her children Chiquis, Jacqie, Johnny, Jenicka and Michael received the honor on her behalf.
“It is such an honor to be the daughter of such an amazing woman. A woman that accomplished so much, yes, but more than anything being the daughter of a woman who has left her footprint on this earth and on so many people’s hearts,” Chiquis said as she held back tears. “Even if it’s almost been 12 years, she is still living and I see her in my siblings and I see her in all of you guys (her fans), and thank you for your hugs and your kisses and everything that you guys do for us.”
Born Dolores Janney “Jenni” Rivera Saavedra to immigrant parents from Mexico in Long Beach, California, she launched her music career in 1992.
Throughout her illustrious career, she received the Premio Lo Nuestro for Best Female Artist of Regional Mexican Music nine consecutive times with 18 Premios Lo Nuestro in total. She also received two Billboard Awards, 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and four Latin GRAMMY nominations, among others. Her 2008 album “Jenni” was her first no. 1 debut on the Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart.
In 2011 she was the first regional Mexican singer to perform at the now Crypto.Com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. The show was sold out within hours and she put on a show for over 10,000 people.
“If anyone could, a little girl from Long Beach, who thought she was the ugly duckling she made all of this possible. We can do it,” Chiquis continued about the honor.
Rivera’s son, Michael, explained how much his mom loved Long Beach and how proud she was to be from Los Angeles.
“I can confidently say for her, how proud she would be in this moment and how proud I am,” he continued.
He called the Walk of Fame induction “surreal” because his mother would often walk him and his siblings down the same streets in Hollywood to grab a bite to eat or visit the local record store.
“She cemented herself in the hearts of people in the city and her fans and now she’s quite literally being cemented into the pavement into the streets of this city and that’s so cool for me. It’s like her winning a championship,” he continued.
Her daughter Jenicka reflected on when her mom only dreamed of having a star on the Walk of Fame.
“I thought it was impossible to get it after she passed away, but God has a beautiful way of proving people wrong,” she said.
Rivera’s second-oldest daughter, Jacqie, called the honor “bittersweet” as she wished her mom could’ve been present.
“Nonetheless, I know she would be so full of joy and pride to be recognized on such a prestigious landmark where only the great get awarded,” Jacqie said.
On Dec. 12, 2012, Rivera and six others passed away in a plane crash near Monterrey, Mexico. The night before she performed a show at the Monterrey Arena.
Over a decade after her death, Rivera’s legacy has lived on within her children.
They manage and operate the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, which provides services to single mothers and victims of domestic and sexual abuse. In 2016, the foundation, in alliance with New Life Beginnings, opened Jenni’s Refuge, a shelter for women and children in Long Beach.
