Nicknamed La Más Grande, Spanish singer and actress
Rocío Jurado began performing flamenco at a very young age, debuting on the big screen in 1962 with Los Guerrilleros, acting alongside
Manolo Escobar. She played her first main role in 1966's Proceso a una Estrella, and also starred in 1971's Una Chica Casi Decente. While temporarily living in Argentina, the Spanish diva successfully participated in a musical called La Zapatera Prodigiosa, based on
Federico García Lorca's work.
After teaming up with composer
Manuel Alejandro,
Jurado became a major success on the Latin music scene, with acclaim throughout the Americas and Spain for hit singles including "Muera el Amor" and "Senora," among others. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004,
Jurado's last months were spent undergoing treatment in the U.S. and Spain. During this same period, many of her earlier albums were remastered, and compilations such as Rocío Siempre proliferated. Over the years,
Jurado's recordings had brought her some half dozen platinum discs and around 30 gold discs. Adding to these, during the final weeks of her illness, the Spanish government awarded her a Gold Medal for Merit in Work, which specifically recognized her as one of the best voices the country had ever produced. ~ Drago Bonacich