Jenni Rivera was a cancer research philanthropist.
Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra ( July 2 , 1969 -- December 9 , 2012 ) , better known as Jenni Rivera , was an American singer , songwriter , actress , television producer , spokesperson , philanthropist and entrepreneur known for her work within the Banda and ranchera music genres . However , her popularity grew after she won the Lo Nuestro Award for Regional Mexican Female Artist of the Year in 2007 , which she won nine consecutive times . Her tenth studio album , Jenni ( 2008 ) became her first No. 1 record on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States . She also appeared in and produced I Love Jenni starting in 2011 through 2013 and Chiquis 'n Control in 2012 . Rivera garnered nominations and awards from Latin music 's most prestigious accolades .