the saddle. As a teen, he entered the US as an illegal immigrant, settling in Los Angeles and working as a waiter while saving money in hopes of funding acting and singing classes. Upon returning to Mexico in 1945 Aguilar pursued a career in opera, but a friend recommended he instead try his hand at mariachi and "use that powerful voice to sing the songs of the people." By 1950 he was recording, and that same year made his film debut alongside Mexican cinema legends Pedro Infante and ...