Every road to the success is not paved with success and easy path

 Stories of celebrities that serve as role models for the rest of us often focus on their professional success, especially on what happened in their lives after their breakthrough. However, what needs equal, if not more, attention is what preceded this type of rise in popularity and success. A closer look at the beginnings gives us a clearer view of what it takes to succeed and build a story that will be remembered by others.

The story of the Mexican-American artist, Jenni Rivera is such an example. A lot has been written about her successful albums released in the early 2000s and about her nominations and awards and even more about her unexpected death in a plane crash, on this date, three years ago. Actually, the inspiring story comes from the first decades of her life because it reveals the courage, hard work and determination that made her an accomplished singer and actress.

The journey of this future important female figure and artist began in 1969 in Long Beach, California. She grew up with one sister and four brothers, in a family with a difficult financial situation, where children had to work from an early age. At the same time, their household was a musical one and Jenni Rivera became acquainted with traditional Mexican music from the beginning of her life.

Jenni Rivera was a straight-A student until she turned 15 and got pregnant with her first child. This brought even more hardship in her life. Her parents kicked her out of the house and she had to sell CDs in order to support herself and her child. During this time she continued her studies and finished high school as a valedictorian. She later got her college degree from California State University where she studied business administration and had a job in real estate.

In addition to the financial problems and the rejection from her family, Rivera was also in an abusive marriage for eight years. Her first husband. Trino Marin, abused her physically and psychologically and after two suicide attempts and dealing with depression, she gathered up the courage to leave him. This enabled her to finish her studies and to get a job.

This sad tale shows that the artist’s road to success and recognition was affected by gender stereotypes, abuse and economic hardship. When she got pregnant, the general expectation was that she will quit school and focus on being a mother. Her husband himself wanted her to stay at home and to clean and cook for him. Moreover, when she started singing she was often told that she won’t make it because the Mexican music genre was dominated by men. The music performances she gave in local clubs were not just a way of doing what she liked, but a source of income for herself and her children.

Maybe Jenni Rivera, as an artist with a defined style, was born later, in 1999 when she released the album “Que Me Entierren Con la Banda” and the hit “Las Malandrinas”, dedicated to her female fans, but her early life personal struggles made her who she was. Personal struggles with domestic violence, divorce, infidelity, weight gain and social issues were sources of inspiration for the songs she recorded.