Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera was memorialized just as she lived her life: In the spotlight on stage surrounded by those who loved her.
Friends, family and fans gathered in Los Angeles, Calif. to celebrate the memory of the pop star who was killed along with six others in her entourage in a plane crash earlier this month, holding what her family deemed a "celestial graduation," a musical memorial that packed the Gibson Amphitheatre with 6,100 people and drew hundreds more outside.
For more than two hours, attendees paid respects to Rivera. A ruby-red casket surrounded by clusters of white roses and a single unused microphone sat near center stage in her honor. Holding back tears, Rivera's family described the influential musician as a "perfectly imperfect" mother, an "eternal diva," "the queen of queens," and a "guerrera" - Spanish for "female warrior," the Los Angeles Times reported.
Rivera "made it OK for women to be who they are," said one of her brothers, according to Entertainment Weekly. "Jenni also made it OK to be from nothing with the hopes of being something," he said.
"Mama, I've been crying so much these last few days. I miss you so much," Rivera's 11-year-old son, Johnny Lopez said as his voice broke. "I hope you're taking care of my dad and I hope he's taking care of you, too."
"I want to thank everyone for loving my mom," he added.
"My sister, Jenni, died in a plane accident, but it was not an accident," Pedro Rivera Jr., a pastor and Rivera's brother, said to the audience in Spanish. "God has a purpose for all of us and God let us borrow her for 43 years and enjoy her."
Several well-known Latino singers performed at the memorial including Ana Gabriel, Olga Tanon, Joan Sebastian, and Marco Antonio Solis and actors Lou Diamond Phillips and Kate del Castillo were also among the guests at the service.
Acknowledging the legacy of music Rivera leaves behind, the memorial reportedly sold out in minutes. Many fans who couldn't get tickets arrived early and sat outside in cars adorned with tributes like "Jenni, we love you" and "We are going to miss you" as they blared her music.
According to the Los Angeles Times, one woman said Rivera was now performing "in a concert with God."
Rivera and six others were killed when the small private Learjet flying them from the northern Mexican city of Monterrey to the central city of Toluca plummeted from 28,000 feet, said Mexico's transportation secretary said, crashing into a mountainous area 9,000 feet above sea level.
According to CNN, the cause of the crash is under investigation. The accident report will not be ready for nine months to a year, the secretary of communications and transportation said.
"Known to fans as 'La Diva de la Banda' or The Diva of Banda Music, Rivera was well-established as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. For fans, the nickname captured her powerful voice and the personal strength many admired," said USA Today.
After dominating Latin charts for years, many saw Rivera as poised to take on the English-language market. Rivera sold 15 million records, according to Billboard, and recently won two Billboard Music Awards, including favorite Mexican music female artist.
The Banda Music singer was nominated for various Latin Grammy Awards in 2002, 2008 and 2011. In October, People en Español named her to its list of the 25 most powerful women.
Rivera's burial will reportedly be private, according to Entertainment Weekly.
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