GRAMMY-nominated and Latin GRAMMY-winning Argentine rock vocalist/musician Gustavo Cerati died Sept. 4 following a stroke in 2010 that placed him in a coma. He was 55. A native of Buenos Aires, Cerati gained fame as the frontman for Soda Stereo, considered among the most influential Latin rock groups of the '80s and early '90s. Cerati toured the globe and released several albums with Soda Stereo, including the 1998 double-album compilation Chau Soda, which was released after the band announced their breakup in 1997. The album cracked the Top 50 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart. In 1999 Cerati released Bocanada, his first post-Soda Stereo solo set. The album garnered a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and a Best Rock Song nomination for "Puente." Several albums followed, including 2002's Siempre Es Hoy, which earned a 2003 GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. Cerati went on to earn six Latin GRAMMYs throughout his career, including the 2006 Album Of The Year award for co-producing Shakira's Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and, most recently, the 2010 Best Rock Album honor for Fuerza Natural. "Gustavo Cerati was a not only a talented singer/songwriter, musician, composer, and producer but undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures in Latin rock history," said Latin Recording Academy President/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr.
