Her Name Was Dolores

by Pete Salgado

  And that’s why I wrote this book. A lot has gone down since Jen’s untimely passing. As the last four years unfolded, I noticed that her real story was marred by the need of those close to her, painting a picture of Jen that satisfied their necessities rather than celebrating her life, her struggles, her successes, and, ultimately, her legacy. When renowned singer Selena passed away, the world finally got to know her story at another level, and it inspired millions in establishing her legendary legacy, which still lives on to this day. That’s what I want for Jen; however, when she passed, rather than bringing her story to the forefront, her family somehow closed her off from the world. They carefully controlled whatever information about her personal life was released, and rather than focus on her legacy, they chose to push their own personal stories onto her fans.

  In the last four years, we’ve discovered who many of her family members are, but the fans haven’t had much access to the wealth of inspiring experiences, struggles, and successes from Jen’s own life. While everyone is using their angle of Jen’s story to self-promote their own interests, her legacy has fallen by the wayside.

  I know for a fact that there’s still plenty of music that could be released, from a duets album to a tribute album to tunes that have yet to see the light of day. Yet here we are, four years later, with only her Monterrey concert released as a three-part package, one volume per year with the last one out this year. Her fans deserve more.

  Jen’s fans were the fuel in her life. When things were looking down, she turned to them for love, comfort, and understanding. She poured her heart out on the stage, and they celebrated and supported her every step of the way. That’s where Jen got her superpowers, in the presence of her fans; that’s where she was truly unbreakable because they made her feel safe and loved. That’s why she never took them for granted and never stopped thanking them, thanking them for their love, thanking them for helping her feed her family, thanking them for their loyalty. The stage and her fans were her safe haven, and that’s why I feel her fans deserve more opportunities to help celebrate her life and continue to keep her amazing legacy alive and thriving.

  I know her music will live on forever, and there will be many generations to come that will rediscover her songs and performances and fall in love with her on-stage presence, wit, and charm. So what I want to make sure is that we also never forget the person behind the music. The woman who celebrated her imperfections, the woman who, like many great leaders, put it all on the table to make her dreams a reality, while also never forgetting her humble beginnings.

  Jen was born to lead. From her trendsetting style to her boundary-pushing career moves, she was a trailblazer in her own right. So what was her secret? What made her the successful and accomplished superstar who sold more than twenty million albums worldwide and garnered several gold and platinum records certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RRIA)? Of course there was her relentless and tireless perseverance, but she couldn’t have done it without her multigenerational legion of loyal fans. And how did she amass this army of supporters? It wasn’t solely because of her music, it was also because of Jen’s story, her struggles and her life as a single Latina mother. It was a story people could relate to. It was a story that reflected the lives of countless other women working tirelessly to make ends meet for their families. And it served as an inspiration to all of them, fueling their hope that anything and everything is possible if you put your mind to it, do the work, and never lose faith.

  Many generations of Latinas can identify, even to this day, with some part of Jen’s life. They understand what it feels like to face discrimination within a male-dominated society and industry, they know what it’s like to have a body that’s not considered a perfect ten by Western cultural beauty standards, they’ve been betrayed or even abused by the men they’ve loved, and many are fighting to survive as single mothers and put food on the table for their own children. They got it back when Jen first began to share her struggles and story, and they get it now as those same struggles are unfortunately just as real as before. Even in death, Jen’s legacy continues to live in the hearts and souls of her fans who rose up and followed her lead after hearing the songs she wrote and performed, and that’s why they still defend her so vehemently to this day.

  From a media standpoint, many have yet to put their finger on Jen’s magic. In her absence, Chiquis is being built up by the media, and people gravitate to her in hopes of finding pieces of what Jen had offered them, but it’s not working because they’re missing the point. What the media doesn’t get is that Jen was truly multidimensional, so much so that many of her followers weren’t even fans of her music! They were fans of her as a woman. Her older Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Cuban followers couldn’t have cared less about banda music, but they absolutely adored Jenni Rivera. Why? Because they’d seen her tell her story on Don Francisco or Cristina Saralegui’s shows, and they were hooked. Finally, there was a Latina celebrity doing the media rounds who wasn’t a perfect ten and owned it, who was a single mother and wasn’t afraid to share the struggles that this role entailed, who’d been betrayed and abused and was transparent enough to share her story. She became a voice for a multitude of multigenerational women with different causes, their reigning queen, and that was the key to her success.

  No one can replace Jen’s story, her substance, her honesty, her charm. She wasn’t afraid of challenges, she broke down many barriers, and she learned from her mistakes. So much so that prior to her life coming to its tragic end, she was even learning how to choose better suitors, men who were actually worthy of her love and kindness and passion. One specific gentleman who was courting her was a good-looking, refined, top-level executive at a major beverage company in Mexico. She’d nicknamed him Mr. Coca-Cola. He’d call her and leave voicemails of him serenading her while playing the piano. Jen would listen to these serenades in disbelief. Having such a successful entrepreneur courting her, a single mother, now even a grandmother, in such a classy way was all so new to her, she sometimes wondered out loud, “Am I deserving of this?” It was difficult for her to accept and believe that yes, she could attract such a great guy, and yes, she most certainly deserved it. Of course she was scared, how could she not be? As she used to say herself, her heart was like a broken mirror, scarred by all the cracks, but she could still see her reflection, and she was still standing. And after having endured so much pain, it was great for her self-esteem to attract such deserving attention. After taking such a beating to her heart, it was the start of something that would’ve helped her heal. It reminded her of her worth when all bets were against her.

  Although most people saw her as the glorious butterfly she had visualized for herself, Jen actually still felt she was in the metamorphosis stage, not quite the butterfly she wanted to be yet, but inching closer every day. If someone was to ask me if she had any regrets before leaving this earth, I’d say it was that she didn’t fully enjoy her success. She was a workhorse who was never able to fully embrace and enjoy everything she’d accomplished. Her ghosts of the past continued haunting and chasing her and never allowed her to stop and truly smell the roses of her life’s work. Nevertheless, at the time of her passing, there had been a shift in Jen, one that was allowing her to acknowledge that she had earned the great experiences making headway in her life. She was learning to forgive herself and finally embrace the happiness she could see rising like the sun at dawn over the horizon, inching closer to the serenity she’d dreamed of for so long, one that she finally reached with her passing.

  Jen is at peace now, so the time has come for us to close this chapter and move on. I only hope that you not only remember all of Jenni Rivera’s success, but also all the times she fell, because that was when she became our true beacon of light. Her strength and resilience are the example we should all live by. We’re all going to make mistakes, we’re all going to fall, but what matters is how we rise after every stumble in our journey.

  If Jen has taught
us anything, it’s that no obstacle, no matter how big or small, should stop us from going after our dreams, and no amount of fame should prevent us from helping others along the way. In the end, Jenni Rivera’s story was a universal one of love, loss, and the struggle to survive. It’s up to you to live the life you desire and deserve. Let Jen’s journey be your guide. Her life may have ended abruptly and senselessly, but her music and her legacy will live on forever.

  Acknowledgments

  To my longtime friend, Anthony R. Lopez, who was responsible for introducing me to Jenni, someone she referred to as “Attorney of my Life.” You have been more than a friend and inspiration to all those who have worked with you.

  To all those who worked as a team for Jenni from its early years and until the end: Gabriel Vásquez, you and I witnessed a lot along this journey. No one will ever know what you endured to assure Jenni got the best. Giselle “Gigi” Jara, our first fulltime makeup artist, from our first encounter with you at LATV we knew you were special. Hector “The Protector,” you were more like a son to her, and you were the anchor to the road crew, bringing everyone comfort and security. Yanalté Galván, as Jenni’s first publicist you showed so much passion and determination. Laura Lucio, you were not only Jenni’s media consultant, you were her friend. Veronica Nava, girl, you were the best friend and homegirl.

  To Ivan Montero, her original stylist; Adan Terriquez, her longtime designer and friend; M&M Group, the Scafutos, for believing in us and booking her in casinos when no else would. To her family at Universal Music, Gustavo Lopez, Martha Ledezma, José Behar, Victor Gonzalez, Miguel Torres.

  To Julie Vásquez, you were more than her personal assistant, you were her glue.

  To Fern Dogg, I think we all know that you were soul mates. I am glad to be your homeboy and friend.

  To Grupo Desatado, you were there early on and shared so many memories from the road. Washa and Banda Divina, you guys were the team.

  To the team members who took the journey with her to heaven: Arturo Rivera, Jacob Yebale, Mario Macías, Jorge “GiGi” Sanchez, you all made the ultimate sacrifice, and you shall never be forgotten.

  And to my family, Jesse, Val, Maria, Eddie and Christina; my partner, Gloria, mi amor, you were the anchor in a difficult time; my kids, Elias, Mark, Ivan, and Jocelyn; and to every single fan who has supported Jenni throughout the years. I am forever grateful.

  —Pete Salgado

  First and foremost, I would like to thank God for putting us on the same path and joining us in this great adventure called Jenni Rivera. It was a journey we traversed together, hand in hand, with ups and downs, stumbling and getting back up again, with adversities and abundance, and above all many blessings. Thank you, Jenni, for allowing me to be your friend, your manager, your confidante, your brother—as you so often called me. You have no idea how much we miss you here on Earth, but we know that you’re doing much better than us up there in God’s presence. I know that’s why you left us here, to give us the chance to tell your people and fans the woman, singer, mother, sister, daughter, and friend that you were. You know you don’t just belong to a few people, you belong to your people, your audience, and to all of us who love and will continue to love you.

  I also want to thank Pete Salgado, Julie Vásquez, César Ramirez “Chicharo,” Ariel Rivas—we started out together—Jacob Yebale, Arturo Rivera, Mario Larios, Cinthia Rivera, Grupo Desatados, Tu Banda Divina, Chavita, Yanalté Galván, Laura Lucio, Danny Ramos, and all the people and media who supported us and were part of this extraordinary journey called Jenni Rivera.

  I will always remember you and forever carry you in my heart.

  With all my love and respect,

  —Gabriel Vázquez Aguayo

  About the Authors

  Pete Salgado, a Los Angeles native and businessman, was Latin icon Jenni Rivera’s manager, as well as creator and executive producer of I Love Jenni, Welcome to Los Vargas, and Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis ’n Control. Salgado is an established entertainment industry executive who has developed careers for recording artists, actors, and publishing companies.

  Salgado met Jenni Rivera in 2003, and in the following ten years, he not only served as her manager, he also became her “fifth brother,” as she would so often say when referring to him. As her trusted friend, Pete stood by Jenni and counseled and guided her through several divorces, family trials, media scandals, legal strife, as well as life and death scenarios. When Jenni suffered deep blows to her self-esteem, Salgado served as her backup, while also witnessing her amazing strength of character, resilience, and determination to prevail by any means necessary.

  In the aftermath of Jenni’s untimely passing, Salgado comes forward to openly share the details of Jenni Rivera as he knew her. Her Name Was Dolores is his way of honoring Jenni’s final request: “If anything happens to me, you know what to do.” In Salgado’s words, “The publishing of this book not only celebrates the life of a woman who stood for all women as a warrior of the truest kind, but also creates a space for me to, years later, finally begin to heal. NO ONE made Jenni or her career; she was destined to be our star and we were all fortunate to be part of it.”

  Salgado currently manages former World Champion Boxer Fernando Vargas and award-winning Latin pop artist Frankie J, owns several lifestyle and entertainment companies, and is the CEO and founder of Tuyo Media Group. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

  Gabriel Vázquez Aguayo es productor, músico y escritor, con veinticinco años de experiencia en el sector del entretenimiento. También es director creativo especializado en gestión y marketing, así como un productor de conciertos de renombre mundial. Gabriel trabajó con Jenni Rivera de 2000 a 2011 y fue un miembro clave de su equipo, responsable de su éxito en el mercado mexicano. Actualmente vive en México.