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Odessa radio personality reflects on the legacy left by Mexican singer

Vicente Fernandez, also known as "Chente" or "El Rey," passed away at the age of 81 last Sunday morning.

ODESSA, Texas — Tributes continue pouring in across West Texas, after the death of Mexican singer and actor Vicente Fernandez.

Known as the "King of Ranchera," this legend left behind a long and incredible legacy.

NewsWest 9 spoke with a Edna Salas "La NeNa," a Spanish music radio conductor for Q108 FM. She said his death is such a heartbreaking loss, not only in Mexico, but for the United States too. She has seen how the community loved his music.

"Yesterday I received a lot of calls from people asking me if I could put his music on the radio," Salas said. "They think about him being gone, but not his music."

Fernandez, also known as "Chente" or "El Rey," passed away at the age of 81 last Sunday morning.

Salas believes his music touched many people throughout the years.

"Mexico lost one of its biggest icons for Spanish music," Salas said in Spanish. "He represented the whole country through his music."

Salas has worked at Q108 FM for years, and she believes deaths like these affect the fans in a different kind of way.

"It's like we knew him in person or like if he was our family member," Salas said in Spanish. "We would identify with his music when we were heart broken, in love, or try to dedicate a song to someone, or just to have a good time. He got to our hearts through his music."

For Salas, music is a big part of her life, so she knows how much of an impact he had in the community.

"My husband always tells me that Vicente Fernandez is like George Strait for the United States," Salas said in Spanish. "Vicente is one of the biggest names in Mexican music."

She hopes more people continue to listen to his music, no matter what stage in life they are in.

"We still have his music here, so we want to enjoy his music forever," Salas said in Spanish.

Salas told NewsWest 9 that Vicente Fernandez's death will be commemorated the same day as another big tradition in Mexico, the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

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