Mexican singer and actress Lucha Moreno, one of the great voices of ranchera music and part of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, died on Wednesday (April 15) at the age of 86. The death was confirmed by her daughter Irma Hernández, better known as Mimí, from the group Flans.
“How difficult… Today my beloved mom climbed onto a cloud surrounded by a bunch of little angels to return home… She left us peacefully and surrounded by so much love,” Mimí expressed in an Instagram post written in Spanish, accompanied by a photograph of herself with her mother. “A warrior, tireless, loud, strong, and with the purest heart. Have a good journey, beautiful mom. We’re going to miss you so much… Fly happily!”
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The Mexican icon died of natural causes in Mexico City, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, a representative of Mimí told Billboard Español on Thursday (April 16).
Moreno (real name Irma Gloria Ochoa Salinas) was born on April 23, 1939, in Guadalupe, Nuevo León. Marked by emotional intensity and deep roots in tradition, her body of work included music and television, and she was part of the final stage of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, standing out for her vocal performances and stage presence.
In the 1960s, she formed a successful duo with her husband, José Juan, with whom she also built a family. The pair became one of the most important acts in vernacular music of the time, recording around 20 albums under the Orfeón and RCA Victor labels. Songs such as “Tú y Yo,” “Deja Deja” and “La Margarita” were among their hits. Albums that established her as one of the most powerful voices in traditional Mexican music include Tú y Yo (1970), Lucha Moreno y José Juan Con El Mariachi Monumental De Silvestre Vargas – Amor Perfecto (1970) and Serenata De Amor Con Lucha Moreno Y José Juan (1976).
On the big screen, Moreno made her debut in 1957 in the film Asesinos, S.A. — written and directed by Adolfo Fernández Bustamante and starring Adalberto Martínez “Resortes,” Kitty de Hoyos and Sara Guasch — in which she performed the song “La Noche de Mi Mal.” On TV, she appeared in iconic telenovelas such as Quinceañera, Amor en Silencio, Amor de Nadie, Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma and Te Sigo Amando.
In addition to Mimí, Moreno had two other children: Ileana, who passed away a few years ago, and José Juan Hernández Ochoa, who also ventured into music and now works as a businessman. Her husband, José Juan, died in January 2025 at the age of 89, after nearly six decades of marriage.
