Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aguilera, was born in 1950 into a poor family. He had a tough upbringing in an orphanage but went on to become Mexico’s top selling artist, with millions of his albums bought by fans.

With his energetic perfomances, he was famous for his powerful love ballards and became known as the ‘Latino Elvis’.

Juan Gabriel performed to packed auditoriums, including Madison Square Garden in New York and the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles.

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said through his official Twitter account: “I regret the death of Juan Gabriel, one of the great musical icons of our country. My condolences to his relatives and friends.” (Euronews)