Is Netflix's 'El Rey' Based on a True Story? What to Know

Is 'El Rey: El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez' based on a true story? The Netflix musical series highlights Mexican singer Vicente Fernández's rise to fame.

Calling all biographical series lovers! Netflix has been deep in their creative bag when it comes to producing projects about the lives of famous names. Over the years, viewers were impressed with everything from the 2019 series Kevin Hart: Don’t F–k This Up, which showcased the comedian opening up about his career and marriage struggles, to 2020’s The Last Dance, which showcased the legacy of the basketball GOAT Michael Jordan.

And now, the platform is adding yet another biographical series into the mix with El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez.

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The series is said to highlight the Mexican singer’s rise to fame. As some people are not familiar with the name Vicente Fernàndez, they may be wondering if this series is based on a true story. Keep reading to find out.

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Netflix’s 'El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez' is indeed based on a true story.

Cheers to Netflix for telling real stories! According to TheCinemaholic, El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez is a real story about the actual Mexican singer

Born Vicente Fernàndez Gomez on Feb. 17, 1940, in Huentitán El Alto, Guadalajara, in Jalisco, Mexico, the singer was revered as a major player in ranchera music.

The title of the Netflix film translates to “‘The King, Vicente Fernández," as fans of the genre reportedly call him El Rey de la Música Ranchera (aka the King of Ranchera Music).

Per TheCinemaholic, he was also known as El Ídolo de México (The Idol of Mexico) and El Charro de Huentitán (the Charro and Horse Rider from Huentitán).

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Other notable names of the ranchera music genre include Paco Michael, Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Juan Gabriel, and more, per LiveAbout.

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Netflix's 'El Rey' series gives viewers an inside look at Vicente Fernández’s humble beginnings to stardom.

Per TheCinemaholic, Vicente’s rise to fame has similar aspects to many musicians'. The singer came from humble beginnings in Mexico with his father working as a rancher and his mother being a homemaker.

Additionally, Vicente always had a passion for the entertainment world, which only grew once he received a guitar as a child. The site shares that things picked up for the young talent once his family moved to Tijuana, where he also chipped in to help out his family.

Vicente later took his talent more seriously and joined a mariachi band. He performed at different venues ranging from restaurants and weddings which helped get his name and talent out to the community.

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Vicente’s hard work eventually paid off, as he was able to secure a record deal with CBS Mexico. However, that was only the beginning. Vicente allowed his talent to do the talking and went on to release top-selling songs and albums.

Vicente has earned 14 Grammy nominations throughout the course of his career and secured four wins. Additionally, VicenteFernandez.com shares that he won a slew of Premio Lo Nuestro awards and successfully topped the Latin charts and earned a RIAA-certified album with the project “Para Siempre.”

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Per TheCinemaholic, Vicente fell on his ranch in August 2021 and sustained damage to his spine; while at the hospital, he was also diagnosed with Guillain Barrè syndrome, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “a rare disorder in which your body's immune system attacks your nerves.” In November of that year, he was back in the hospital for pneumonia complications. He sadly passed away on Dec. 12, 2021.

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While fans mourned Vicente’s death, he will be remembered as one of the greats.

So, it’s only right that Netflix honored Vicente with a fitting biography that chronicles his life and achievements.

El Rey: Vicente Fernàndez is available to stream on Netflix.

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