José Alfredo Jimenez

José Alfredo Jiménez (born January 9, 1926 in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, died November 23, 1973 in Mexico City, Mexico) was a Mexican singer-songwriter in the ranchera style. His songs are considered an integral part of the Mexican musical heritage and are comparable, for instance, to Woody Guthrie's influence on American folk music. He had no musical training—according to the singer Miguel Aceves Mejía, Jiménez didn't play an instrument and didn't even know the Spanish terms for "waltz" and "key".