Legendary Mexican singer-songwriter and six-time Grammy nominee Juan Gabriel died after a cardiac arrest at his home in California, reported BBC. He was 66.

Gabriel, whose real name was Alberto Aguilera Valadez, was brought up in an orphanage after his father fell ill. As an adolescent, Gabriel was once arrested for robbery. He wrote his first song when he was 13 and went on to compose 1,500 songs and sold more than 100 million copies of his albums. His famous songs include Amor Eterno (Eternal love), Hasta Que Te Conoci (Until I Met You) and Querida (Dear).

He won ASCAP Songwriter of the Year in 1995 and the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year award in 2009. In 1990, Gabriel became the first commercial singer to perform at Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts, which was earlier reserved for classical musicians. Often called the Latino Elvis Presley, he became Mexico’s leading singer-songwriter and top-selling artist, reported The Guardian. His last performance was at the Los Angeles Forum on Friday night. His next concert was scheduled at El Paso, Texas, on Sunday.

Gabriel also acted in films and had his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His debut movie was Nobleza Ranchera in 1975.

Mexican President Pena Nieto said, "His music was his legacy for the world. He left us too soon.” Scores of his fans and other Latin American leaders visited the Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico City to light candles and pay tributes to their icon.