Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar dies

Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar died late Tuesday night in a Mexico City hospital, following a bout with pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection. He was 88.

Aguilar was admitted to the hospital June 4, where he was placed on a respirator and remained in critical condition until his death.

In press conferences with Mexican media, doctors offered little hope for recovery throughout the week. However, Aguilar’s family said they were praying for the best.

Over the past few years, the Zacatecano had been hospitalized a few times for respiratory problems, the news agency Reforma reported on June 4. Doctors implanted a pacemaker in 2003.

Antonio Aguilar will be remembered as one of the first to perform charreadas, or rodeo-style shows on horseback. He appeared in 167 movies and recorded more than 150 albums, according to the Associated Press.

“He is a reflection of what is the tradition of Mexico because of his music and his grand career,” said Rogelio Botello Rios, longtime voice of Spanish radio and television in the Rio Grande Valley, now program director for BMP Radio Group in McAllen. “He lifted the name of Mexico so high with his performances, and showed what our culture is all about — rancheras (music) and horses.

“Time passes too quickly,” Botello Rios said.

Those who worked with Aguilar throughout his career offered their thoughts and prayers to the ailing entertainer.

“All of Mexico will mourn, as a lot of people here in the United States will mourn,” said Cynthia Gutierrez, a longtime friend of the Aguilar family. “It’s what he represented, what he accomplished, the legacy that he left for us.”