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 acting debut was in the film Filly Brown , which was released in 2013 . She has a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars , and she is one of the best-selling regional Mexican artists of all time , having sold more than 20 million records worldwide .