Claim: Jenni Rivera was a songwriter.

Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra -LRB- July 2 , 1969 -- December 9 , 2012 -RRB- , 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 . Billboard magazine named her the `` top Latin artist of 2013 '' , the `` best selling Latin artist of 2013 '' .   Rivera began recording music in 1992 . Her recordings often had themes of social issues , infidelity , and relationships . Rivera released her first studio album , Si Quieres Verme Llorar , in the late 1990s , failing to attain commercial success ; however , she rose to prominence in the United States and Mexico with her major-label debut , Parrandera , Rebelde y Atrevida . 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 . 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 -LRB- 2008 -RRB- became her first No. 1 record on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States . In 2010 , she appeared in and produced the reality TV show Jenni Rivera Presents : Chiquis & Raq-C . She also appeared in and produced I Love Jenni starting in 2011 through 2013 and Chiquis 'n Control in 2012 . Her acting debut was in the film Filly Brown , which was released in 2013 .   Rivera garnered nominations and awards from Latin music 's most prestigious accolades . Over the course of her career she was awarded two Oye ! Awards -LRB- Mexico 's equivalent to the United States ' Grammy Awards -RRB- , two Billboard Music Awards , twenty-two Billboard Latin Music Awards , eleven Billboard Mexican Music Awards and eighteen Lo Nuestro Awards . She received four Latin Grammy nominations . 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 .   Aside from music , she was active in her community and donated her time to civic causes . The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence appointed her its spokesperson in the United States . A proclamation was given `` officially naming '' August 6 `` Jenni Rivera Day '' by the Los Angeles City Council for all her charity work and community involvement .   Rivera , along with six others , died in a plane crash near Iturbide , Nuevo León on December 9 , 2012 . Her death made international headlines for weeks . In December 2014 , Mexican authorities closed the investigation on what brought the plane down . Mexican Director of Civil Aviation , Gilberto Gómez Meyer , stated that the results of the plane crash have come back inconclusive and that they are unable to determine the exact cause of the crash . Lawsuits involving the owners of the plane , Rivera 's estate , and family members of those on board with Rivera have been filed in The Superior Court of Los Angeles County .