Fans brave the heat to see Jenni Rivera get a posthumous Hollywood Walk of Fame star

Castañeda said there’s not a single family party that takes place without Rivera’s music, She says “No Llega el Olvido,” an emotionally driven ballad about a lover who hasn’t forgotten her love, is her favorite song.

Meliza Ramos and her 13-year-old daughter also came from out of state to be at the ceremony, driving eight hours from Tucson, Arizona. Ramos says that Rivera’s influence runs much deeper than song lyrics, attributing a portion of the singer’s success to her ability to be open and vulnerable with fans.

“I can relate to her. I mean, we grew up here in L.A.,” Ramos said.” I had the same kind of struggles, same family structure. So I think it’s just relatable to see someone who came from the same background and place that I did succeed. Usually when artists come out they don’t tell you much about their background, and when you do expose the good, bad and the ugly of your life, people can relate a bit.”

Superfan Victoria Barakat stood out with her wide-brim sun hat, Jenni Rivera T-shirt and tattoos and a bedazzled framed photo of her idol, which she held above her head for most of the event. Barakat said she has followed Rivera since 1993 and saw her in concert more than 20 times, She was even invited to meet Rivera backstage.

“To be able to represent her is amazing and I love it,” Barakat said. “Even though she’s not here anymore, it’s like she is. I feel her here.”

Barakat recalled she was making her regular commute to an ultrasound tech class when the news of Rivera’s death broke.

“I was on the 10 Freeway when I heard the radio say Jenni Rivera’s plane crashed and my heart fell to the floor,” Barakat said. “Once I knew that she was dead, I couldn’t listen to her music for over six months because every time I did I would cry.”

As the event wrapped up, fans lingered in the closed-off portion of Vine Street before being cleared out by police and event staff. Admirers like Veronica Nakaya left with even more Jenni Rivera memories than she came with.

“I’m a workaholic. This time I was like, ‘No, I’m taking the day off,’” said the mother of four. “Jenni represents me as a Latina woman, as a single mother, as an ordinary woman. Even though she’s up in heaven, look at all the people that [came out to support her].”