Illustrations by Nuestro Stories
Many celebrities have been global unifiers, resonating with individuals and entire cultures worldwide … and leaving lasting impacts that span generations.
From this world of VIP celebrities comes a select group of exceptionally talented Latino visionaries who have created enduring legacies filled with significance and cherished memories.
Think of the artistic brilliance of Frida Kahlo to the musical legacy of Selena and the comedic genius of Freddie Prinze.
Unfortunately, some of these Latino stars – who introduced so many to their revolutionary perspectives and have left an indelible mark on the world stage – left us too soon. Due to unforeseen tragedies in their short lives, these VIP Latino figures, throughout the years, departed from our midst far too early.
By employing modern technology, and applying new artificial intelligence software, we envision and recreate some of the most renowned Latino personalities as older versions of themselves.
Witness the transformed appearances of our beloved Latino celebrities, imagining how they might look if they were still a part of our world a little longer.
Ritchie Valens, at 82 years old.
Richie Valens, born Richard Steven Valenzuela, emerged as a key figure in the early days of American rock ‘n’ roll at the tender age of 17. Hailing from Pacoima, California, the Mexican-American singer, songwriter, and guitarist is renowned for turning a Spanish-language Mexican folk song, “La Bamba,” into a rock ‘n’ roll sensation (featured as the b-side to his hit “Donna”). Tragically, he perished in a plane crash at the age of 18 in 1959. Imagining him today, Richie Valens would have been 82 years old.
Freddie Prinze, at 69 years old.
Freddie Prinze, whose full name was Frederick Karl Pruetzel, lives on in the minds of many as Chico Rodriguez from the television sitcom “Chico and the Man.” The stand-up comedian and actor, of Puerto Rican descent was born in New York City, in 1954. Tragically, Prinze’s life was marked by personal struggles, and, on January 29, 1977, at the age of 22, Prinze died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This AI image shows him at the age of 69, as if he’d be alive today.
Roberto Clemente, at 89 years old.
Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest outfielders in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB). The baseball legend was born in 1934, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and played as a right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates for most of his career. Off the field, he was also a very vocal activist regarding civil rights, discrimination and helping less fortunate people not only in his home country, but over Latin America. The humanitarian died in a plane crash in 1972, en route to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. Here he appears in an image if he’d be 82 today.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, at 52 years old.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, widely known as Selena, was a transformative Mexican-American figure in the music industry. Born in 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas, she earned the title “Queen of Tejano Music” and was hailed by Billboard as one of the “Greatest Latino Artists of All Time.” Tragically, her life was cut short in 1995 at the age of 23. Imagine Selena today, she would have been 52 years old.
Pedro Infante, at 76 years old.
José Pedro Infante Cruz, known simply as Pedro Infante, was a Mexican singer and actor and icon of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. His film career began in 1939 with him appearing in more than 60 films, and he recorded about 350 songs – accomplishments that earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1993. Born in 1917, in Mexico, Infante tragically died in 1957, in a plane crash during a flight that he was piloting himself en route to Mexico City. This portrait is Infante imagined at the age of 76, or how he would have looked in 1983.
Frida Kahlo, at 76 years old.
Frida Kahlo is arguably the most renowned Mexican artist in history and is known for her distinctive and symbolic surrealist style. She was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, a borough of Mexico City, Mexico. Kahlo is celebrated for her powerful and emotionally charged self-portraits, which often depicted her physical and emotional pain. Frida Kahlo died on July 13, 1954, at 47 of a pulmonary embolism, a blockage of one or more pulmonary arteries in the lungs. Just Like Pedro Infante, Frida wouldn’t likely be alive today because she would be 113 so we asked AI to show us Frida at 76, which means she would have passed away at the average age for her time in 1986.
