Alma, Michigan
—  City  —
Location of Alma, Michigan
Coordinates: 43°22′42″N 84°39′34″W / 43.37833°N 84.65944°W / 43.37833; -84.65944
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Gratiot
Area
• Total	5.5 sq mi (14.2 km2)
• Land	5.4 sq mi (13.9 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	735 ft (224 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	9,275
• Density	1,729.7/sq mi (667.8/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	48801-48802
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-01540[1]
GNIS feature ID	0620002[2]

Alma is the largest city in Gratiot County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,275 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated as the Village of Alma in 1872 and became a city in 1905.

Alma's claims to fame include the annual Highland Festival which brings members of Scottish clans and interested onlookers together for a weekend of Highland dancing, bagpipes, kilts, and camaraderie. The Highland Festival is held each year over Memorial Day weekend. Alma College, a small liberal-arts institution of approximately 1,300 students, is located in town and focuses on multidisciplinary learning in a residential setting.

Alma is the birthplace of both the world-renowned modernist architect Ralph Rapson and writer/composer/lyricist Dan Goggin (Nunsense).

Geography[link]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which 5.4 square miles (14.0 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) (1.83%) is water.

History[link]

Alma was founded in 1853 by Ralph Ely. Perhaps first known for the Alma Springs Sanitarium, built and promoted in the 1880s by millionaire lumberman and capitalist Ammi Willard Wright, it achieved its greatest prominence nationally in the 1910s and 1920s as home of the Republic Motor Truck Company, briefly the largest exclusive truck manufacturer in the world.^[3]

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 9,275 people, 3,220 households, and 2,022 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,729.7 per square mile (668.1/km²). There were 3,476 housing units at an average density of 648.2 per square mile (250.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.75% White, 0.53% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.57% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.21% of the population.

There were 3,220 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 20.4% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 81.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,536, and the median income for a family was $44,229. Males had a median income of $35,013 versus $20,655 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,218. About 8.5% of families and 11.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation[link]

• US 127
• 
  BUS US 127
• M-46

Local media[link]

The Morning Sun newspaper, based in Mt. Pleasant, serves the Alma area as its daily newspaper. Alma is home to three commercial radio stations. WQBX (104.9 FM) plays satellite-fed hot adult contemporary music, and sister station WFYC (1280 AM) is a ESPN Radio affiliate.

Standalone AM WMLM (1520 AM), licensed to nearby St. Louis, plays classic country music, also satellite-fed. Other local broadcasters include Alma College's student-run radio station, WQAC (90.9 FM), and WBSQ-LP (105.9 FM), an oldies station based in St. Louis.

The Alma area is located about midway between Saginaw and Grand Rapids, and thus also receives TV and radio signals from both cities, as well as Mt. Pleasant and Lansing.

Notable people[link]

• Randy Ebright (drummer for Mexican band Molotov (band))
• Ralph Rapson (modernist architect)
• Dan Goggin (Nunsense)
• Kevin Puts, 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner for classical music composition (born in St. Louis, MO, but grew up in Alma)

See also[link]

• Alma High School

References[link]

External links[link]

• City of Alma
• Alma Public Schools
• Alma College

v t e Municipalities and communities of Gratiot County, Michigan, United States County seat: Ithaca Cities Alma Ithaca St. Louis Villages Ashley Breckenridge Perrinton Townships Arcada Bethany Elba Emerson Fulton Hamilton Lafayette New Haven Newark North Shade North Star Pine River Seville Sumner Washington Wheeler Unincorporated communities Bannister Beebe Edgewood Elm Hall Elwell Forest Hill Galloway‡ Langport Middleton New Haven Center Pompeii Rathbone Riverdale Sethton Sickles Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Coordinates: 43°22′44″N 84°39′35″W / 43.37889°N 84.65972°W / 43.37889; -84.65972

Vicente Fernández Gómez (born February 17, 1940) is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera (The king of ranchera music) throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to many movies. He is the father of the popular singer Alejandro Fernández and Vicente Fernandez Jr.

Although less well known to English-speaking audiences, he has consistently filled stadiums and venues throughout his 35-plus years of performing. His repertoire is pure ranchera, a style described by the Miami Herald as representing "the Mexico of old – a way of life romanticized by rural ranches, revolution, and philandering caballeros". He has sold over 65 million copies worldwide.^[1]

Early life[link]

Born in Huentitán El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico, Fernandez spent the early years of his life on his father Ramon's ranch on the outskirts of Guadalajara. As a little boy Vicente also worked at a young age for his uncle as a waiter, dish washer, cashier, and finally the manager of his uncle's restaurant. He was known to all the people as "Chente". fdd the idyllic ranchera lifestyle was instilled in him. His mother often took him to see the films of Pedro Infante. Fernandez told of the significance of these films: "When I was 6 or 7, I would go see Pedro Infante's movies, and I would tell my mother, 'When I grow up, I'll be like him.'" By age eight he had taken up the guitar and was practicing his singing in the style of the ranchera singers he heard on the radio.

Early musical influences[link]

Vicente Fernández in the center

As a boy he sang at a festival in Arandas, Mexico where he won the contest. Later in his life at the age of twenty-one he competed in a contest where he won thirty-one pesos. But In 1954, Fernandez won an amateur contest sponsored by a Guadalajara television station. It was his first break into performing and he began to play at local clubs and gatherings. Around this time, however, Fernandez's father lost the ranch and the family moved into the city of Tijuana. Fernandez, who had dropped out of school in the fifth grade, began working odd jobs in the city such as janitor, dishwasher, waiter – whatever he could find. All the while, he still held to his musical aspirations.

In 1960 Fernandez devoted himself to music full time. He went back to Jalisco, where he performed as a busker while also appearing occasionally on the television show La Calandria musical. After a couple of years Fernandez tried his luck in Mexico City, where he found a job singing in a restaurant called El Amanacer Tapatio. When he wasn't working he was auditioning for recording companies, and constantly being turned down.

The time Fernandez spent in Mexico City was discouraging. By 1963 he left to marry a former neighbor, Maria del Refugio "Cuca" Abarca Villasenor. They now have three sons: Vicente, Jr., Gerardo and Alejandro.^[2] The oldest, Vicente, Jr., was born three months premature in 1963; Fernandez's mother died within a week of Vicente, Jr.'s birth.

Breakthrough[link]

In 1966, in the spring of that year, Javier Solís, Mexico's most popular traditional singer, died. CBS Mexico, now Sony Discos, offered Fernández a recording contract. He released his first recording, "Perdóname", with the company in 1966; Fernández still records for Sony Discos.

Fernández's career took off and has been nonstop ever since. He branched into acting with the film Tacos al Carbón, released in 1971. His first hit movie, for which he did the soundtrack, was La Ley del Monte, released in 1974. In the span of 20 years Fernández has acted, sung, and worked behind the scenes on more than 40 films. He stopped acting in 1991, feeling that he was too old to maintain the proper image for his movies.

Fernández was involved in a scandal where it was made public that he maintained a ten-year relationship with Patricia Rivera. Fernández met her while filming "El Arracadas" in 1977. Years later, she declared that her son Pablo Rodrigo was a product of their relationship, and Fernández gave him his last name; however, DNA tests have disproved this declaration.^[2]

Fernández works hard for his audiences and his performances are legendary. His adoring fans consistently pack the house, whatever the venue, from city squares to large arenas in the United States. He promises each audience that he'll sing until they are tired, making his concerts last from two and a half to four hours. Maintaining the ranchera tradition, Fernández always performs wearing the charro, an embroidered suit and sombrero.

To me it's (the charro) Mexico's second flag. When I put it on, I become an ambassador.

—Vicente Fernández, as quoted by Matt Weitz, Dallas Morning News

His pride in tradition and dedication to his fans has led to him to perform when many other artists would have canceled. He still reminds his people and fans with his famous phrase

Mientras ustedes aplaudan yo les seguiré cantando. (As long as you keep applauding, I'll keep singing to you.)

His father died in 1970, just as Fernandez was about to go onstage. Overwhelmed by the tragic news but determined not to let the crowd go without a show, Fernandez went onstage and performed. By the end of the night the critics were comparing him to other famous ranchero artists like José Alfredo Jiménez, Jorge Negrete, and Javier Solís. Since that moment his music has expanded very rapidly. In 1998 Fernández continued to tour despite the kidnapping of his oldest son. (He was released four months later when ransom was paid.)^[3]

Fernández has recorded more than 50 albums in 35 years and claims to have 300 more songs recorded, making another 30 albums possible even if he retires. When he records an album he spends 12–13 hours in the studio recording up to 18 songs. He takes a day off and then returns for another marathon session, recording another 15 or more songs. From those recordings, he and his producer choose 12. Fernández's greatest hit was "Volver, volver," released in 1976; his first million-selling album was 1983's 15 Grandes con el número uno. In 1987 he launched his first tour outside the United States and Mexico when he traveled to Bolivia and Colombia.

Awards and nominations[link]

Vicente Fernandez

By the end of the 1980s, Fernández had been famous more than 22 years, yet he had never earned a major award and was beginning to think he would have to die before he was recognized. His patience was rewarded in 1990 when he released the album Vicente Fernandez y las clasicas de José Alfredo Jiménez, a tribute to Mexico's most famous songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez. The album earned him Billboard and Univision's Latin Music Award for Mexican Regional Male Artist of the Year, which he won 5 times from 1989 to 1993.^[4]

In 1994, Fernández was nominated for a Best Mexican-American album grammy for his album Lastima Que Seas Ajena, but he lost the award to Selena for her album Selena Live!.

In 2002, Fernández was recognized by the Latin Recording Academy as Person of the Year. The same year he celebrated his 35th anniversary in the entertainment industry, a career in which he has sold more than 50 million records. He has 51 albums listed on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) registry for gold, platinum, and multiplatinum selling records. With 35 years of experience under his belt, Fernandez has helped maintain a Mexican tradition that may very well pass away when he does. For someone who was told he'd be better off selling peanuts than singing professionally, Fernández has made a tremendous impact on the music of his homeland. He also has a star placed with his name at the walk of fame in Hollywood, California. Over 5 thousand people attended the ceremony when he got his star, which is a record in itself.

Fernández also has an arena in Guadalajara named in his honor. He also has had a star placed with his handprints and name at the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City. In 2010, Fernández was awarded his first Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Album for the album Necesito de Tí.^[5]

In 2011, production began on The Man Who Shook The Hand of Vicente Fernández, a narrative feature film that pays homage to Fernández's enduring legacy.

Discography[link]

• 2011: Otra Vez
• 2010: El Hombre Que Más Te Amó
• 2010: Un Mexicano en la México
• 2009: Necesito de Ti
• 2008: Primera Fila
• 2007: Para Siempre
• 2006: La Tragedia del Vaquero
• 2006: The Living Legend
• 2005: Y Sus Corridos Consentidos
• 2005: Mis Duetos
• 2004: Se Me Hizo Tarde La Vida
• 2002: Vicente y Alejandro Fernández En Vivo Juntos Por Última Vez
• 2002: Historia de un Ídolo, Vol. II
• 2001: Más Con El Número Uno
• 2000: Historia de un Ídolo, Vol. 1
• 2000: Lobo Herido
• 1999: Y Los Más Grandes Éxitos De Los Dandys
• 1998: Entre El Amor Y Yo
• 1997: Estatua De Marfil
• 1996: Y Sus Canciones
• 1995: Aunque Me Duela El Alma
• 1994: Recordando A Los Panchos
• 1993: Lástima Que Seas Ajena
• 1992: Que de Raro Tiene
• 1991: El Charro Mexicano
• 1990: Y Las Clásicas De José Alfredo Jiménez
• 1990: Mientras Ustedes No Dejen De Aplaudir
• 1989: Por Tu Maldito Amor
• 1988: Mujeres Divinas/El Cuatrero (same album but different titles and track listing)
• 1988: Lo Mejor De La Baraja Con El Rey
• 1987: Motivos Del Alma
• 1987: Dos Corazones (with Vikki Carr)
• 1986: Le Canta A América Latina
• 1986: Hoy Platiqué Con Mi Gallo
• 1985: De Un Rancho A Otro
• 1984: Un Mexicano En La México
• 1984: 15 Nuevos Éxitos Con El Ídolo de México
• 1983: 15 Grandes Con El Número 1
• 1982: Es La Diferencia
• 1981: El Numero Uno
• 1981: Alejandra y Los Valses Clásicos
• 1980: De Que Manera Te Olvido/El Tapatío (Same album but under two different names)
• 1979: El Tahúr
• 1978: Mi Amigo El Tordillo
• 1978: A Pesar De Todo
• 1977: Canta Para Recordar
• 1977: La Muerte De Un Gallero
• 1976: A Tu Salud
• 1975: ¿Gusta Usted? Joyas Rancheras al Estilo de Vicente Fernández
• 1974: El Hijo Del Pueblo
• 1973: El Ídolo de México
• 1973: Toda Una Época
• 1972: Vicente Fernández (Con La Misma Tijera)
• 1972: ¡Arriba Huentitán!
• 1972: Vicente Fernández (Lo Siento Por Ti)
• 1971: Camino Inseguro
• 1970: Vicente Fernández (Me Está Esperando María)
• 1970: Ni En Defensa Propia
• 1969: Palabra de Rey
• 1968: Vicente Fernández (El Remedio)
• 1967: La Voz Que Usted Esperaba

Filmography[link]

• 1991 - Mí querido viejo (My dear old man)
• 1990 - Por tu maldito amor (For Your Damned Love)
• 1989 - El cuatrero (The Rustler)
• 1988 - Entre Compadres Te Veas (You Find Yourself Among Friends)
• 1987 - El Diablo, El Santo Y El Tonto (The Devil, the Saint, and the Fool)
• 1986 - El Macho (The Male One)
• 1985 - El Embustero (The Liar)
• 1985 - Sinvergüenza pero honrado (Shameless but Honorable)
• 1984 - Acorralado (Cornered)
• 1984 - Matar O Morir (Kill or Die)
• 1983 - Un hombre llamado el Diablo (A Man Called the Devil)
• 1983 - Una Pura y Dos Con Sal (One Pure and Two with Salt)
• 1983 - El Sinverguenza (The Shameless One)
• 1982 - Juan Charrasqueado & Gabino Barrera
• 1981 - Todo un Hombre (All a Man)
• 1980 - Como Mexico no Hay Dos (Like Mexico there is no other)
• 1980 - Picardia Mexicana Numero Dos (Mexican Rogueishness Number Two)
• 1979 - El Tahúr (The Gambler)
• 1978 - El Coyote y la Bronca (The Coyote and the Row)
• 1977 - Picardia Mexicana (Mexican Rogueishness)
• 1977 - El Arracadas (The Earringer)
• 1975 - Dios los Cria (God Raises Them)
• 1974 - Juan Armenta el Repatriado (Juan Armenta, The Repatriated One)
• 1974 - El Albañil (The Bricklayer)
• 1974 - La Ley Del Monte (The Law of the Woods)
• 1973 - Entre Monjas Anda El Diablo (The Devil Walks Between Nuns)
• 1973 - El Hijo del Pueblo (Son of the People)
• 1972 - Jalisco Nunca Pierde (Jalisco Never Loses)
• 1971 - Tu Camino Y El Mio (Your Road and Mine)
• 1971 - Uno Y Medio Contra El Mundo (One and a Half Against the World)
• 1971 - Tacos Al Carbon (Grilled Tacos)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Vicente Fernández on Myspace}
• Sony Music