Jenni Rivera was involved in music.
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 . In life and death , several media outlets including CNN , Billboard , Fox News , and The New York Times have labeled her as the most important female figure and top selling female artist in the Mexican music genre . Rivera began recording music in 1992 . In the early 2000s , she was often criticized and was refused bookings at venues across California for performing Banda music -- a male-dominated music genre .