More than just the undisputed king of Mexico's traditional ranchera music, Vicente Fernández -- "El Idolo de Mexico" -- is one of that country's most recognizable and influential cultural icons. Since his emergence in the mid-'60s, Fernández's popularity has escalated to the point that his status among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans has been likened to that of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley in the United States. His concerts both in Mexico and the U.S. routinely sell out despite a near-total dearth of non-Latino media coverage, and his 100-plus albums have reportedly sold in excess of 50 million copies. Fernández has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has been nominated for Grammy Awards, and has collected a number of honors, including being named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy in 2002 and garnering membership in the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. With his supersized sombreros, prominent black mustache, and eye-popping costumes, and an orchestra overpopulated with horns and strings players in glittery, matching mariachi outfits, the glitzy Fernández on-stage is an imposing, larger-than-life figure. Matching his visual presentation is an operatic voice that plumbs the depths of the emotional spectrum to connect on an intimate level with his audience, which relates to the singer's humble beginnings and everyman song lyrics. Vicente Fernández Gomez was born February 17, 1940, in Huentitan del Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. His youth was marked by struggle. Forced to drop out of school in the fifth grade to help support his family, he held a number of odd jobs. He began to sing and play guitar at age eight and won amateur contests almost from the start. Fernández lore claims that he would go to Guadalajara, where he would stop cars and...