Fresno singer shares memories of music icon Juan Gabriel

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Juan Gabriel, a Mexican singer-songwriter icon, died Sunday at the age of 66.

Fresno resident Roger Amezola got to meet the music legend 30 years ago and when he heard the news of Gabriel's passing he said he first thought it was a hoax.

"You know how they make up things, "Oh, so-and-so died, so-and-so passed away,' and you just don't pay attention to it right away," he said.

Amezola is a singer himself and once performed one of Gabriel's songs in front of 20,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl. He got the opportunity after winning a singing contest.

"That happened a year ago this past June and it was an amazing experience that I will never forget," Amezola said.

Amezola also will never forget what Gabriel told him when they met.

"He says, 'I know there's a lot of singers out there who make fun of me but don't ever don't do that. You don't do that, promise you'll never do that,'" Amezola recounted. "And I said I will never do that and to this day when I get on stage I remember those words."

And many of Gabriel's Central Valley fans are remembering his songs. Rasputin Music Store on Blackstone said it sold all of Gabriel's albums by the end of the day.