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 . In 2010 , she appeared in and produced the reality TV show Jenni Rivera Presents : Chiquis & Raq-C .