February 17, 1940, in Huentitan del Alto, Jalisco, Mexico, a star is born, “El Idolo De México,” Vicente Fernández Gómez. His youth was manifested by struggles. Coming from a low income family, he was forced to drop out of elementary school in the fifth grade to help support his family. Over his childhood years, he held numerous diverse jobs. At the young age of eight, he began to sing and play guitar. His talent won amateur contests and Fernández would even go to Guadalajara, where he would stop on going cars to sing for the drivers for a few pesos, and by the early '60s, he started singing with local mariachi bands. Fernández moved to Mexico City, and joined Pepe Mendoza's band, Amanecer, and then the band led by José Luis Aguilar.

While in Mexico City, Fernández’s talent was ignored and he was often rejected by recording labels. He was finally noticed by CBS Mexico in 1966. He was now able to record. However, he only sold modest quantities of albums and singles. Soon after, he began appearing in Mexican films (he has been in more than 25 to date.) Songs such as “Tu Camino y el Mio" and "Cantina del Barrio," became instant hit singles. It wasn't until 1976, ten years into his recording career, Fernández began to ascend to the top. His songs, especially his first mega hit “Volver, Volver,” a ranchera written by Fernando Z. Maldonado, touched the hearts of Spanish-speaking populations, including the millions of Mexican-Americans in the United States. Many Mexican music groups covered the song when they performed live.