Juan Gabriel made many stops in Houston over the decades

Elissa Rivas Image
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Fans honor iconic singer Juan Gabriel's music and legacy
Fans honor iconic singer Juan Gabriel's music and legacy

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- He was a man loved by the masses. The late performer, Juan Gabriel made many stops in Houston over the decades.

"When he got up on stage he was like a super human because his energy was so big," said Jose Enrique Gonzalez of Provicom Inc. He was on a TV crew, taping one of those performances one fateful night, in 2005.

"It was packed to the max, the Toyota Center, it was just the first song," Gonzalez said.

Juan Gabriel had a terrible accident during his performance.

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"He started getting closer to the edge of the stage, and boom, boom, boom, he fell. Everybody just got up, and there was complete silence in the Toyota Center," Gonzalez said.

Longtime friend, and East End record shop owner, Memo Villareal, visited his friend at Methodist hospital as he recovered, and would see Juan Gabriel many times over the years. He was so thankful the accident didn't keep him from touring.

"After he fell down he was more famous, it seemed more people would come to see the shows. He was so loved, because when he fell down in Houston you could see the news all over the world," said Villareal.

Many fans were hoping for the chance to see him in concert again, as part of a tour which included yet another date at the Toyota Center this November.

"He was very talented. He had a variety of music. Anytime you got to see him you knew you were going to see the best mariachis out there," said fan Gilbert Martinez.