Film 03.15.22 at 10:04 am
Read more
On Monday afternoon, El Último Rey: El Hijo Del Pueblo producer Juan Osorio said that despite the network receiving the letter from the Fernández family’s lawyer, the series would still air Monday night. Earlier, he said that Doña Cuquita should see the show before she criticized it.
“I knew that the Fernández family did not agree very much, but I have always trusted my work, I trust a lot in the adaptation of the writers who are making great scripts,” Osorio said. “I do not see why it is such a problem if we are taking it to the screen the life and the effort that was made in this Fernández family.”
Although Doña Cuquita made it clear after releasing her statement that no further comment would be made on the issue, it looks like her family will have to continue their fight against those they believe are misusing Fernández’s name and image and hurting his legacy.
And despite receiving an order to suspend the broadcast of its unauthorized Vicente Fernández TV series, Televisa premiered the first episode at its scheduled time Monday evening (March 14).
Lawyers had sent a letter at the behest of Fernández’s family, including his widow, María del Refugio Abarca Villaseñor, better known as “Doña Cuquita,” who released a statement Sunday (March 13) calling the unauthorized Televisa series “theft.”
Before he died, Fernández signed a contract for his bioseries with Caracol and Netflix to produce and distribute a TV series on his life and career. That series is called The Idol of the People and will star actor Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin) as Fernández.
El Último Rey is based on the controversial book of the same name by Argentine writer Olga Wornat. The book links Vicente Fernández and his family to alleged drug trafficking and other devious behavior.
Calling all biographical series lovers! Netflix has been deep in their creative bag when it comes to producing projects about the lives of famous names. Over the years, viewers were impressed with everything from the 2019 series Kevin Hart: Don’t F–k This Up, which showcased the comedian opening up about his career and marriage struggles, to 2020’s The Last Dance, which showcased the legacy of the basketball GOAT Michael Jordan.
And now, the platform is adding yet another biographical series into the mix with El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez.
Article continues below advertisement
The series is said to highlight the Mexican singer’s rise to fame. As some people are not familiar with the name Vicente Fernàndez, they may be wondering if this series is based on a true story. Keep reading to find out.
Article continues below advertisement
Netflix’s 'El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez' is indeed based on a true story.
Cheers to Netflix for telling real stories! According to TheCinemaholic, El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez is a real story about the actual Mexican singer
Born Vicente Fernàndez Gomez on Feb. 17, 1940, in Huentitán El Alto, Guadalajara, in Jalisco, Mexico, the singer was revered as a major player in ranchera music.
The title of the Netflix film translates to “‘The King, Vicente Fernández," as fans of the genre reportedly call him El Rey de la Música Ranchera (aka the King of Ranchera Music).
Per TheCinemaholic, he was also known as El Ídolo de México (The Idol of Mexico) and El Charro de Huentitán (the Charro and Horse Rider from Huentitán).
Article continues below advertisement
Other notable names of the ranchera music genre include Paco Michael, Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Juan Gabriel, and more, per LiveAbout.
Article continues below advertisement
Netflix's 'El Rey' series gives viewers an inside look at Vicente Fernández’s humble beginnings to stardom.
Per TheCinemaholic, Vicente’s rise to fame has similar aspects to many musicians'. The singer came from humble beginnings in Mexico with his father working as a rancher and his mother being a homemaker.
Additionally, Vicente always had a passion for the entertainment world, which only grew once he received a guitar as a child. The site shares that things picked up for the young talent once his family moved to Tijuana, where he also chipped in to help out his family.
Vicente later took his talent more seriously and joined a mariachi band. He performed at different venues ranging from restaurants and weddings which helped get his name and talent out to the community.
Article continues below advertisement
Vicente’s hard work eventually paid off, as he was able to secure a record deal with CBS Mexico. However, that was only the beginning. Vicente allowed his talent to do the talking and went on to release top-selling songs and albums.
Vicente has earned 14 Grammy nominations throughout the course of his career and secured four wins. Additionally, VicenteFernandez.com shares that he won a slew of Premio Lo Nuestro awards and successfully topped the Latin charts and earned a RIAA-certified album with the project “Para Siempre.”
Article continues below advertisement
Per TheCinemaholic, Vicente fell on his ranch in August 2021 and sustained damage to his spine; while at the hospital, he was also diagnosed with Guillain Barrè syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves.” In November of that year, he was back in the hospital for pneumonia complications. He sadly passed away on Dec. 12, 2021.
I’m really into this Vincente Fernandez documentary on Netflix lol
— Juanita (@nitaaababyy) September 25, 2022
Article continues below advertisement
One of the Best Netflix Series right now. Change my mind. I was never into Vincente Fernandez , my grandpa would always sing his songs. I gave it a try and We got hooked and watched all 36 episodes. @jaimecamil Dam Good Job Sir! #Netflix pic.twitter.com/ZILACL2G1C
— thebrokedadgaming (@brokedadgaming) September 25, 2022
While fans mourned Vicente’s death, he will be remembered as one of the greats.
So, it’s only right that Netflix honored Vicente with a fitting biography that chronicles his life and achievements.
El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez is available to stream on Netflix.