Just days ahead of what would have been her 55th birthday, Jenni Rivera was immortalized with the 2,783rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On Thursday (June 26), the Mexican icon was honored by her five children — Jacqie, Johnny, Chiquis, Jenicka and Michael — with heartfelt speeches that celebrated the late singer’s life and legacy. Pop diva Gloria Trevi, one of Rivera’s closest friends, was also in attendance and was among the first to take the stage to share a few words.
“I think just Jenni Rivera can make me speak in English,” Trevi said. “Today is a very special today. We are honoring and celebrating the life of a distinguished woman. Today, love and talent defeat death. The daughter, the sister, the woman, the mother, the friend lives through all of us who love and admire here. For me, it is an honor to witness this recognition along with her family. She triumphed in a genre dominated by men. Jenni is unforgettable and unrepeatable, this star symbolizes her light in our hearts. Today is a day to celebrate, to celebrate the life of Jenni Rivera. Thank you Jenni, we love you,” Trevi said, visibly emotional.
Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was something her children said Rivera not only dreamt with, but manifested would happen for her. “She did that sh-t, and it’s cooler to say she did it from heaven,” Jenicka said. “I thought it was impossible to get [the star] after her death but God has a way of proving people wrong.”
Chiquis, who has followed in her mother’s footsteps forging her own path in regional Mexican music, remembered her mother’s courage. “It is an honor to be the daughter of such an amazing woman, a woman that accomplished so much but being the daughter of a woman who has left her footprint on earth and on so many people’s hearts. I see her in my siblings and all of you guys,” she told the fans who had gathered to see the star unveiled in front of Capitol Records on Vine Street, neighboring Selena Quintanilla‘s star.
Rivera’s son, Mikey, called it a “surreal” moment and compared her mother’s star to “winning a championship.” Meanwhile, her youngest honored her mother’s generosity. “She was always looking to help someone out, it filled her heart with joy. The world would be a better place if everyone else was more like my mother,” Johnny expressed.
Jacqie was the last one to take the stage and honored her mother with a beautiful speech. “This is beauty for ashes. This gives even more purpose to the life my mother lived. A single mother chasing a dream to give a better life to her children. She lived her life so openly, she inspired men and women around the world, she was able to impact many with her life and music. This is a very bittersweet moment because I wish she could be here and witness the beautiful smile on her face and hear the witty speech she’d deliver. Momma, we are proud of you, proud to be your children and will forever be grateful for everything you did for us.”
Known as “La Diva de la Banda,” Jenni Rivera was the single most successful woman in regional Mexican and on the Billboard Latin charts when she tragically died in a plane crash in 2012 at the age of 43. She entered more than 30 songs on the Regional Mexican Airplay, 15 of those hit the top 10. On the Hot Latin Songs chart, she placed a total of 25 songs, two hit the top 10: “Ahora Que Estuviste Lejos” and “La Misma Gran Señora.”
