Her Name Was Dolores Page 6

  In the end, she’d had to pay spousal support while the divorce proceedings unfolded, until the judge on their family court case finally ruled in her favor in June 2006. She only had to pay his attorney fees and would no longer be responsible for his alimony. Once Juan stopped receiving his monthly check from her, he quickly realized he could no longer afford his current lifestyle, so he turned to drug trafficking to make ends meet, and a year later, in October 2007, he was caught and sentenced to ten years in prison.

  By then, Jen had made amends with Juan, for their children’s sake. During the divorce proceedings, she tried to keep a fair balance, fighting for what was rightfully hers without tarnishing the image of her children’s father in their presence. In truth, he had always been a great father to their two children, and Jenni wanted to encourage them to continue having a relationship with him. It wasn’t easy, but Jen was very upfront and honest with her kids, so when she filed for divorce, she sat them down and said, “I’m getting divorced. He’s still your daddy and a great one at that. Mommy loves him, but we can’t be together.” Simple and to the point, that was always her approach with her children. And she kept her word.

  She did everything in her power to not allow the animosity and disappointment she felt toward Juan during the divorce affect the kids and the relationship they had with their father. Even when their lawyers were battling out head to head, and she was seething inside at his audacity and entitlement, she would still keep it civil and greet him with a kiss on the cheek in front of the kids to give them some sense of a family unity. And a year later, when Juan was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison, Jen herself would drive her kids to see their dad in jail. It wasn’t a nanny, a grandma, an aunt, it was Jen. She didn’t care that she was a rising star and people recognized her in that waiting room; she simply embraced the situation and did what needed to be done. Why? For her kids. They were the reason and motivation behind everything she did and accomplished in her life.

  Meanwhile, while dealing with this ugly divorce, Jen was falling for someone new, the man who would eventually become her soul mate, her greatest love and best friend till the day she left this earth.

  Shortly after joining Jen’s team, aside from putting me up to speed with her career and her divorce, she also mentioned she had recently met someone and was smitten. His name was Fernando. He worked in the promotions department at Que Buena, a local radio station, and helped set up events for the station’s marketing and promotions department. Jen crossed paths with him at a “meet and greet” Que Buena hosted for her at a shoe warehouse in April 2003. Aside from setting up the event, Fernando also had to take care of her, escorting her to the holding area before she met the fans and making sure she had everything she needed. They hit it off instantly.

  Fernando was a handsome Mexicano, younger than Jen, and rough around the edges. On the other hand, Jen was very flirtatious, often making men feel awkward with her straightforward ways. She tended to be the aggressor, and many men didn’t know how to handle this; they were often intimidated and speechless in her presence. This made her toy with them even further; however, if the guy she was flirting with was sharp enough to take control of the situation and flirt right back with no qualms, that definitely made her stop in her tracks and pay closer attention. And Fernando was that guy.

  They didn’t start dating right then and there. She was just beginning her divorce proceedings, and it was getting uglier by the minute, so her mind was elsewhere. Sometime in July, they ran into each other again, finally went on their first date, and started officially dating in August 2003. I can remember her face as if it were yesterday. Every time she spoke about him, she acted like a high school girl with butterflies in her stomach, giggling as she shared their adventures and how he made her feel. It was beautiful to witness. After being knocked down so many times, it was wonderful to see her genuinely happy and in love, but as her manager I had other concerns.

  Since we were amid such a public divorce battle, it was crucial that we keep this budding romance private. If news got out that Jen was seeing someone, it could be used against her in the divorce. This wasn’t easy, because Jen wore her heart on her sleeve and was so head over heels about this guy that she wanted to share it with the world—that type of chemistry and connection doesn’t come around every day. It was definitely a challenge for her and for us, but we managed. What also bode well for us was Fernando himself. He wasn’t into Jenni because of her rising celebrity status. He actually shunned the public eye, he wanted nothing to do with it, so keeping their relationship under wraps for a while was fine by him. If he would’ve been a media hog, I’d be telling quite a different story, but this man really loved Jen and was with her for the right reasons. Ferni was the kind of guy who would ride a bike or take a bus just to see Jen. He’d insist on paying for dinner, even when she was making much more than him, and at the height of her career, while he was working regular jobs, hearing her on the radio would bring a huge smile to his face.

  This was Jenni’s infamous pelón, a word she tenderly used to describe this simple, regular, baldheaded guy who made her feel like a real woman. He taught her that she was attractive and sexy just the way she was, and he showed her a carefree and fresh side of love and life that she had never experienced before. It was magical. Fernando was the liberator in her life. Jen hadn’t had the chance to live her adolescence in all its glory because she had gotten pregnant at fifteen and had had to grow up and become a responsible adult, wife, and mother in a matter of months. Then she suffered abuse at the hands of Trino. She finally left him, after having three children, only to marry Juan, have two more kids, and continue adding on more responsibilities as well as financial and personal struggles. So she’d never had the chance to really let loose. She’d never gotten drunk, she’d never smoked a joint, and she hadn’t had the chance to come of age sexually either. Enter Fernando. He changed all that. Not only did he allow her to experience those careless teenage years, he didn’t give a shit about her growing celebrity status. “You’re my girl, and that’s all that matters”—that was his attitude toward Jen; it was just what she needed. He was the high school crush she had never had a chance to have.

  As time went by, their relationship flourished and they fell deeper in love. It wasn’t about lust, it wasn’t about work, it wasn’t to fulfill a need; what kept them going was an everlasting, profound, and connected friendship. That was their secret. They were soul mates, I’m sure of it. And their love for each other was as passionate as their fights, because when these two went at it, hell, they were worse than Ike and Tina.

  One night, a couple of years into their relationship, I remember I got a call from Jen at 1:00 a.m. asking if I could go pick her up at Ferni’s house because they’d just had a big argument. I hopped in my car and drove over, not knowing what to expect, only to arrive and find her outside in her white Adidas sweat suit smeared in grass stains. What the hell? I thought as I got out of the car. They were like two high school kids going at it, and I had the role of Jen’s big brother. “Jen, come on, get in the car. Let’s go!”

  Now, remember, Jen was a grown-ass woman who already had made a name for herself in the music industry and media, and I had to make sure her image wasn’t tarnished by this childish behavior. Once we were in the car, I scolded her, “What the hell were you thinking? What are you doing?” She brushed me off with some lame excuse, but scenes like this one usually boiled down to one issue: jealousy. When Jen met Fernando she was fresh off of the relationship with Juan, where she’d suffered infidelities that had awakened her jealous rage. And here was Ferni, a handsome man who was younger than her, and although he chose to be with her, that didn’t stop Jen from flipping out and going at him on distrustful rants. But she wasn’t the only one.

  Ferni would suddenly react with extreme jealousy when she least expected it too. A match made in heaven … or hell, depending on the moment and mood. One time, Ferni showed up at a TV station where he knew Jen would be
recording a show, and stood outside, threatening anyone who got in his way. He needed to see Jenni. He acted so crazy that everyone was terrified. Even her security detail didn’t know what to do with him. Already used to these types of passionate scenes, Jen turned to me and said, “Pete, Fernando is outside causing a big commotion. Can you go talk to him?” She knew that I was one of the few people who could calm him down. So I’d stroll outside and say, “Hey, Fernando, what’s up? We’re working, man.” And I’d find a way to talk him down and reason with him, explaining that this was important for Jenni’s career and asking that he put himself in her shoes for a minute. “You wouldn’t want someone showing up at your job and stirring up trouble, would you?” He finally got it and left. However, only a few hours later, they would be together again, happy little lovebirds prancing around hand-in-hand as if nothing had happened. Their love always won in the end.

  The desire and passion they shared for each other was with her every step of the way, regardless of whether they were together or not. This was the famous “Pelón” she often referred to on stage, the one she cried for, the one she sang for, her musical muse. As Jen’s career took off, Ferni was her witness, standing by her side, daydreaming with her, never moved by how popular she was becoming, but always inspiring her and edging her on musically. He’d show her different songs, sing oldies to her, give her suggestions, share insight, and also opened her up to different music genres. He was a guy who encompassed creativity and inspired Jen to make better song and image choices along the way, and they shared a deep love and respect for music.

  Jen could get down with a Norteño or Banda group just as much as she could rap her ass off—even though her rapping skills left much to be desired—to Tupac songs. She also loved R&B and Beyoncé, to the point where once I stopped by her house for a meeting and found her exercising on her treadmill in sweats and high heels! “Girl, what are you doing?” I asked her. “Oh, I heard Beyoncé does this to keep a firm butt. She says it’s good for your calves too,” and she kept at it. You couldn’t help but smile during these moments. She was definitely a West Coast girl with West Coast influences, but she had a diverse taste in music. She was just as much a fan of Carrie Underwood—I will never forget how excited she was when she found out she was going to meet her!—as she was of Chayito Valdez and Lupita D’Alessio, and don’t even get her started on Marisela and Joan Sebastián, the latter a prolific songwriter and performer whom she looked up to as one of her heavier influences throughout her music career. What she listened to depended on what she was going through at the time. Music was the soundtrack to her life.

  Once she began to explore more music genres and ideas with Fernando, her musical muse, once she had her own team in place, once she understood the message she wanted to share with her audience, the one that rang true to both their life stories and her own, Jen began making better decisions, and Jenni Rivera, the artist we grew to know and love, began to take shape before our eyes.

  After Homenaje a las grandes, there was a shift in Jenni’s song selection. She now had a clear message she wanted to share with her audience, so it all came down to the songs she chose to perform. Fernando helped with on-point suggestions because he knew Jenni’s heart and soul, and she also began to do her due diligence in the process. When she started making a name for herself in the industry, a lot of people, including songwriters, began to pitch her songs in hopes that she’d choose one and make it one of her future hits. But she was pickier now. She wanted to stay true to who she was, so if the lyrics didn’t move her, if she couldn’t relate to them in any way, then she’d simply pass them up, even if they were fantastic tunes. She was offered hits that would’ve probably debuted at the top of the charts, but if they didn’t ring true to her, she would still say no, and had no regrets later. She just knew she couldn’t do it because if she couldn’t connect to the song, she wouldn’t be able to give it her signature emotional performance, and that would be a disservice to her and her fans.

  For the following albums, the process began to change. Jen was more self-assured and therefore much more hands on. We’d sit down and she’d tell us where she wanted to go with her next album, then we’d brainstorm and hash out the concept till we had come up with a clear theme and message. After this, Jen would handpick each song and get to work. Many of the songs were covers that she now knew how to make her own, but she liked to include a few originals as well to drive home the album’s theme. Some of these originals were written for her and arrived ready for her to record, while others had a structure she liked, so she’d work with them and fine-tune the lyrics to fit her story. She also enjoyed taking a crack at writing one or two songs herself. But it wasn’t like she’d wake up and sit at a studio and allot time to create these tunes; no, Jen was always on the go, so her writing process happened on the go too, usually with her planner in hand.

  Yeah, Jen was old-school when it came to technology. Even when online calendars and planners became all the rage, she’d still run around town with her planner and pen in hand. That’s where she jotted everything down, from appointments to meetings to lyrics to ideas for her own book, I’m talking ev-erything. She did not leave home without that little tattered book. Those planners were her life, and as such, she always made sure to have backups. Much like an external hard drive in which you back up all your computer files, Jen had her assistant add all the information in her planner to two other backup planners. This way, if Jen lost one along the way, left it at a meeting, forgot it at an event, she’d always have a backup planner to take its place—not very practical but absolutely necessary, as Jen was notorious for leaving them behind. And that’s where her original songs were born.

  When the time came to record these babies, Jen was all business. She wasn’t the type of artist who enjoys living in the studio, experimenting, trying out new things, developing songs in the moment. On the contrary, she walked into the studio only when it was time for her to lay down the vocal tracks. The actual music was usually recorded in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, by a group of banda musicians. Once they were done, those files were sent back to the L.A. studio and prepped for Jen’s final magical touch. When Jen set foot in the studio, she was prepared to get the job done. She knew exactly what she wanted, so she’d listen to the music, give the producer feedback if she felt anything needed to be tweaked, and then walked into the sound booth and belted it all out in one fell swoop.

  Jen knew what needed to get done and she did it. And mind you, early on, it wasn’t so much about her voice but rather about her delivery. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when she began her singing career, her voice really wasn’t all that; it was too tinny; it lacked depth. The voice is a musical instrument, and as such, it requires fine-tuning and practice to get it to where it needs to be. Jen had the basics, she sang in tune and had rhythm, so she had the potential to master this craft, and she was willing to put in the work to make it happen. However, she didn’t have time or money to go to vocal coaches or music classes, so her classroom became the stage. She was gigging so much—one year she played three hundred venues!—that she used each two-hour show to practice, perfect, and master her craft. And on the side she smoked cigars. Why? Because she’d read somewhere that they could help mature her vocals, and she really wanted to get that raspier and fuller range down pat. She was eager to hit that vocal sweet spot. I’m not sure if it was the cigars or simply all the experience on stage, but eventually she got there, and by the end of her life and career she had become a vocal monster, with an amazing voice that moved her audience to cheers and tears.

  The next step was her imaging. When I first joined Jen’s team, she was slowly starting to come into her own, ditching the cowboy hat and reclaiming her roots. She was literally turning into a gorgeous butterfly before our eyes. With the help of Fernando and the way he loved and cherished her, she learned to accept and love her body. She discovered she was sexy and began to own it, and that came through in the way she presented herself on stage
and on her album covers. Gone were the days of the cowboy hats. Now it was all about incorporating her West Coast influences, and it started with the iconic fedora.

  Jen’s signature fedora made its first appearance at a car show in Long Beach. Mexican Regional bands were usually booked at rodeos, not car shows, so Jen wasn’t sure what to wear for this lowrider-loving Chicano crowd. She wanted something that would help her connect to her audience, so I put her in touch with a friend who owned a pachuco-style clothing store and was willing to sponsor a customized outfit just for the occasion. When she received it, she wasn’t too happy when she realized it came with a hat. She’d recently stopped using cowboy hats and wasn’t keen on putting another one on for a show, but I urged her to give it a try, and she did. Next thing I knew, she was rocking it at photo shoots and other gigs. She fell in love with the look because she felt it was unique and it helped represent her mixed heritage, balancing both her Mexican and American worlds. It was a perfect example of who she was and why she was so authentic. She was reaching out to people like me, who some call Pochos, born on this side of the border, but equally proud of our Mexican heritage.

  Jen became our flag bearer; she was the first person we could fully identify with because she spoke our language. And that can clearly be seen in her video of “Amiga si lo ves.” That was the first Latino video shot by Jessy Terrero, a Domincan music video director who was working with all the East Coast rappers at the time, had just wrapped a 50 Cent video, and was looking to break into the Latino market. It was fantastic; she looked amazing. That was also the first video where Jenni broke from tradition. If you watch the video and mute the music, you’ll be able to focus on the imaging and fully grasp how we had managed to perfect the combination of these two worlds, which also represented Jen to the tee. She never put on an act, that was what she looked like in real life, that was her.