Personal Life
Tovar's life was as full of tragedy and controversy as that of success and fortune. He was born and grew up in extreme poverty in a large family where food was scarce and living conditions were extreme. He lost his mother, with whom he had a very close relationship, when his singing career started to ascend. The relationship with his father was tense and difficult, and although several of his brothers were in the band at the beginning; they left as Tovar started gaining all the attention. The one brother who stayed was Everardo Tovar who became his manager.
Tovar suffered from retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition for which there is no current medical treatment and the reason for his constant use of dark sunglasses. He started losing his sight in his mid-20s and eventually went blind.
He also suffered from vitiligo, a skin condition where loss of pigmentation causes patches of light skin to appear on the body. His brother, Everardo Tovar, died in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. In addition to retinitis pigmentosa and vitiligo, the singer also suffered from diabetes.
A few days shy of his 59th birthday, Tovar died on March 27, 2005, from diabetic complications leading to cardio-respiratory failure. His funeral was held behind closed doors in a notable funeral home located in Mexico City, but fans and some members of his large family entered the funeral service by force. Tovar was cremated and his ashes were thrown onto one of Matamoros' beaches per his wishes.
Read more about this topic: Rigo Tovar
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