HIDALGO — Several hundred fans of late Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel gathered to remember the musician Tuesday night outside State Farm Arena. He was scheduled to perform at the venue next month.
HIDALGO — Several hundred fans of late Mexican superstar Juan Gabriel gathered to remember the musician Tuesday night outside State Farm Arena. He was scheduled to perform at the venue next month.
Instead, State Farm will host a free concert to celebrate the life of Gabriel on Tuesday, Sept. 6, featuring Mariachi 7 Leguas, Maria Elena Beltran, Jennifer Y Sergio Degollado and more. Musicians will play cuts from Gabriel’s discography.
At the Tuesday vigil, a banner with Gabriel’s image advertising his Sept. 22 concert date was joined by a new poster marking the dates of his birth and death.
The vigil was part of the venue’s effort to acknowledge the community’s grief and give fans an outlet to pay their respects, according to Shalimar Madrigal, director of marketing and media relations for the city of Hidalgo.
They gathered to honor an important contributor to the Hispanic culture, said Rev. Oliver Angel of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church, who spoke at the event.
“Some artists are with us somehow through our whole lives,” said Angel before the ceremony. “For people who have faith, this is not the end. We somehow feel that these people will continue to be with us in a different way.”
Gabriel sold out State Farm Arena every time he played there, said Hidalgo Mayor Martin Cepeda, speaking at the vigil.
There was talk of presenting him with the Key to the City and honoring Gabriel with his own day in appreciation for his six previous shows in Hidalgo, he said.
“We were really looking forward to this show. It’s unbelievable,” said Cepeda, who thought at first the news of his passing Sunday was a hoax. He hoped it was.
Refunds are available for fans who purchased tickets through Ticketmaster and the box office. But Cepeda has heard some might hang on to their passes as a keepsake.
“We’re gonna keep the tickets,” said Cepeda. “I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to keep the tickets.”
Madrigal said Gabriel’s influence transcended age, and many people have a connection with his music.
She remembers a young man who brought her grandmother to a Juan Gabriel concert back when the arena had a different name.
“She could barely walk, and her grandson was walking her in. She was all dressed up. You would have thought she was going to the Grammys,” Madrigal said. “He was so proud he was bringing his grandmother to her very first concert.”
Venues like State Farm provide these collective experiences, and now they’re helping to say goodbye, Madrigal said.
“It’s such an honor and a privilege to be that for people,” she said.
This story has been changed to reflect the number of people who attended.
