Legendary Mexican-Argentinian singer Diego Verdaguer dies at 70

By Hannah Ryan, CNN

Singer-songwriter Diego Verdaguer — a legend of the Latin American music scene — has died at the age of 70.

On Thursday, Verdaguer’s daughter, Ana Victoria, and wife, Amanda Miguel — who are also singers — both confirmed that the Mexican-Argentinian star had passed away and issued a statement on the news.

“With absolute sadness, we regret to inform his fans and friends that our beloved Diego has left his beautiful body to continue his path and creativity in another form of eternal life,” the statement said. “The whole of the family is immersed in this pain, so we appreciate your understanding in these difficult times.”

Verdaguer was a hugely popular figure in Mexico, Argentina and elsewhere across Latin America and first achieved international success in 1975, when his song “Volveré” (“I’ll Be Back”) became a hit in Mexico and went on to sell more than five million copies.

Born in Buenos Aires, the singer rose to fame at the age of 17 when he made his debut as a solo artist with the song “Lejos del Amor” (“Far from Love”).

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Verdaguer enjoyed further successes with the albums “El Secreto Callado” (“The Quiet Secret”) and “Estoy Vivo” (“I’m Alive”). It was the latter album — which featured some of Verdaguer’s biggest hits such as “Corazón de Papel” (“Paper Heart”) and “Que Sufras Más” (“May You Suffer More”) — that helped to cement his status as a megastar.

“La Ladrona” (“The Thief”) from “Estoy Vivo” was an international hit — it reached the number one spot in the charts in Mexico, all of Latin America, the US, Spain, Italy and many other European countries, according to Verdaguer’s record company Diam Music.

He continued to make music well into the 21st century — his most recent album was released in 2019.

In the same year, Verdaguer was recognized by the Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico (SACM) with a special medal commemorating a career that spanned 50 years.

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CNN’s Mariano Castillo contributed to this report.