One night at La Tormenta night club in Los Angeles, eleven year old Jenni, born Dolores Janney Rivera Saavedra, was the youngest of twelve contestants for yet another singing competition.
While normally a confident, driven young lady, that night, fear came over her causing her to forget the lyrics to the song “Besos y Copas.”
After running off stage, feeling defeated and sad that she disappointed her father, she swore never to sing again. Despite this, her father, Pedro Rivera knew his daughter was strong-willed and would eventually find her way back to singing again.
He saw something in Jenni, so much so that since she was a baby, he gave her the nickname “La Reyna de Long Beach”—the Queen of Long Beach. A name that would later define her legacy and that continues to inspire new generations in her community.
Now, more than a decade after her passing, that identity has come full circle as Long Beach City College prepares to honor her, in a ceremony this Thursday which will mark the official renaming of the new Performing Arts building, set to carry her name. A tribute that reflects not only her success, but the journey that got her there.
The event, which starts at 12:30 p.m. will also hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will mark the official opening of this entire new G building.
Jenni’s children will be present for the event and the community is welcome to join.
The public will also be able to see an original Jenni Rivera gown, her iconic black and yellow dress from the banda edition of the “La Gran Senora” album, in the new building’s lobby.
Singer Jenni Rivera, left, wears the famous black and yellow dress that her designer Adan Terriquez, right, made for her. This dress became the face of her “La Gran Senora” banda edition album. Courtesy of Adan Terriquez.
The Mariachi women’s group, Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea will also perform.
Raised in a humble household in Long Beach, Jenni’s early life was shaped by family and a strong sense of identity. Her mother Rosa Saavedra said her willful character was the foundation of who her daughter would become.
Long before becoming one of the queens of regional Mexican music, Jenni was a student. She excelled academically and was focused on building a future that would make her parents proud. But, her life changed when she became a mother while still in high school—an experience that, for many young women, marks the end of their education.
According to her mother Rosa, continuing school was not easy. Cultural expectations and an abusive relationship made it difficult for her to stay in the classroom. “Her husband didn’t want her to continue studying,” Rosa said.
“She used to go secretly to high school… she would take her little girl (Chiquis) on the bus and take her to school,” her mother said. “She did everything she had to do to work… and go to school early without him seeing her,” Rosa said.
When she attended LBCC, Jenni still refused to give up. After getting her car stolen, seven months pregnant with her second child and a four year old daughter, she would ride her bike to school and work.
Those early years were defined by sacrifice. Jenni balanced motherhood, work and school, often in secrecy. “She struggled a lot, suffered a lot on that front, but she pulled through,” Rosa said.
At LBCC she studied business and after attended the California State University of Long Beach where she earned a bachelor’s in business administration. She worked as a real estate agent before her music career took off.
Her struggles extended beyond education. “She endured a great deal of domestic abuse…she had bad luck when it came to finding a good husband,” her mother said.
“ I used to tell her: ‘You are very intelligent, but your heart lets you down,’ because she would fall in love with people she shouldn’t have. But that is often how it is…in our culture, women are told that they just have to put up with it, that they can’t be divorced, or something along those lines. But no, eventually, one day she made the decision; because a man can chip away at a woman’s self-esteem to the point where she finally says, ‘No… I am somebody, and I am going to be someone,” Rosa said.
Even in those moments, Jenni’s resilience began to take shape. Despite getting kicked out the house when she found out she was pregnant, she wanted to prove to herself and others she could step up and become a ‘gangster wife’ just like her mother, Rivera recalled in her autobiography, “Unbreakable,” released in 2013, after her death.
That sense of strength and self-determination later became a defining part of Jenni’s life and legacy. She channeled her experiences into her music, using them as a form of empowerment.
“That was how she defended herself… through songs,” Rosa said.
Jenni’s music often reflected her personal struggles and victories, resonating with listeners who saw their own lives in her lyrics. Her voice became a symbol of resilience for many women facing similar challenges.
Beyond music, Jenni also used her platform to give back. She founded the Jenni Rivera Love Foundation, which supports women affected by domestic violence, children battling cancer and immigrant communities.
Her mother connected this work directly to her daughter’s lived experiences. Jenni’s determination to overcome hardship, despite difficult romantic relationships and repeated challenges, became part of what drove her to support others facing similar situations.
Jenni never lost sight of her sense of self. Even when confronted with criticism and doubt, she remained determined to prove her worth.
Her first husband would try to belittle her, her mom recalled. “The man would say to her: ‘You’re fat, who’s going to love you?… You don’t sing well. No one’s going to accept you as a singer.’ And she said to them, ‘I’ll show you’,” Rosa said.
Jenni also faced hardship in the male dominated Mexican music industry.
Her mom described moments where Jenni would take her albums to different record labels, and just because she was a woman, the producers would in her face throw away the albums she brought in the trash. Without even getting the chance to listen to them.
Her determination would ultimately transform herself into one of the most influential voices in regional Mexican music, and give her the name of “La Diva de la Banda.”
Displayed on an end table in the home of Jenni Rivera’s mother sits a decorative plate of Jenni with the words “La Diva de la Banda.” (Paloma Maciel)
Today, her name on LBCC’s new Performing Arts building is not only about recognition but it also represents possibility.
For students who will walk those halls, Jenni’s story offers a powerful message about perseverance, education and self-worth. It is a reminder that success is not defined by circumstance, but by the choices made in spite of it.
Despite not knowing about the grand opening at LBCC, it still brings Jenni’s mother joy that yet again her daughter continues to symbolize endless possibilities to so many.
“Just so you can see that it really is possible… if you study and put your heart into it, you’ll go on to do something great,” Rosa said.
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