Coronavirus: Argentine singer Diego Verdaguer dead at 70

Beloved Argentine singer-songwriter Diego Verdaguer, whose romantic hits included “Volveré,” “Voy a Conquistarte,” and “La Ladrona,” has died, his family said Friday. He was 70.

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According to the Argentine news outlet Agencia EFE, the singer died Thursday in Los Angeles from complications caused by COVID-19, Rolling Stone reported.

“With absolute sadness, we inform his friends and fans, that our beloved Diego left his beautiful body to continue his journey and creativity in eternal life,” Verdaguer’s only daughter, Ana Victoria, wrote in a statement. “My mother, me and the whole family are immersed in this pain, so we appreciate your understanding in these difficult times.”

Verdaguer contracted COVID-19 in December and was hospitalized, according to the statement. His publicist in Mexico, Claudia López Ibarra, said he was vaccinated, The Associated Press reported.

“Yes, he was vaccinated ... but the virus attacked him in the U.S. when the Delta variant was present,” López Ibarra told the AP in a text message on Friday.

Verdaguer never spoke publicly about his stance on COVID-19, but his wife, Amanda Miguel, has tweeted anti-vaccination posts in the past, according to Rolling Stone.

Verdaguer was known for his lyrics about romance, the magazine reported. He married his wife, a fellow singer, after they met in the 1970s when she joined his group, Mediterránea. She was 18 and he was 24; their daughter was born in 1983, according to the AP.

Last year, the couple released a greatest hits album titled “¡Toda Una Vida! De Exitos,” which included rerecordings of songs such as her “Castillos” and “Él Me Mintió,” along with “Para Mañana” with their daughter, Rolling Stone reported.

Verdaguer was born in Buenos Aires on April 26, 1951, and debuted as a solo artist when he was 17 with the single “Lejos del amor,” which was followed by “Yo te amo” and “Volveré,” according to the AP.

Two of his tracks — “Estoy Celoso” and “No Es Tan Facil” landed on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.

As a solo artist, Verdaguer released 15 studio albums, including his debut, “Volveré,” in 1976, Rolling Stone reported. The song would later be rerecorded by several artists, including K-Paz de la Sierra.

His 1981 album “Estoy Vivo” included hits such as “La Ladrona,” “Creo Solamente en Ti,” and “Corazón de Papel.” Verdaguer also recorded the album “Mexicano Hasta Las Pampas,” which was nominated for two Latin Grammys and was produced by Joan Sebastian, Rolling Stone reported.

The singer has lived in Mexico since 1980.

“I can tell you, I am more Mexican than anything,” Verdaguer told the AP in a 2019 interview. “I love Mexico, I love what Mexico has meant in my life, I love the opportunities that Mexico has given me.”

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