José Alfredo Jiménez

Despite having no formal musical training, Mexican ranchera legend José Alfredo Jiménez wrote more than 1,000 songs. ∙ Jiménez got his first taste of fame in 1950, when his song “Yo”—which had been interpreted by Andrés Huesca y Sus Costeños—became a hit. ∙ In addition to writing scores of hit songs, he also played a key role in soundtracking Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema, contributing music to dozens of classic films in the ’50s and ’60s. ∙ In the years since his untimely death in 1973, Jiménez’s music has been covered by such iconic artists as Selena, Julio Iglesias, Vicente Fernandez, and Los Tigres del Norte. ∙ His hometown of Dolores Hidalgo transformed his childhood home into a museum, which opened in 2008. ∙ In 2018, he was posthumously awarded a Latin Grammy Award when Luis Miguel’s ¡MÉXICO Por Siempre!—which included five Jiménez compositions—won Album of the Year.