Theatre. He would later return to the city to write songs for Tropic Holiday (1938), a musical film. By the beginning of the 1940s, Lara was well known in Spain. In 1965, the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, gave him a house in Granada to show his appreciation of Lara's songs with Spanish themes, such as Toledo, Cuerdas de mi Guitarra, Granada, Seville and Madrid. He received additional honors and decorations from around the world. His career was portrayed in the 1959 Mexican film The Life of Agustín Lara. In 1968, Lara's health began to decline rapidly; and a fall that occurred on October 16, 1970 fractured his pelvis. He was hospitalized under the false name of Carlos Flores, but the press learned about his hospitalization anyway. The next day, October 17, 1970, he experienced cardiorespiratory arrest in the elevator while being transferred to the intensive care unit. He never regained consciousness, and on November 6, 1970, Lara died. He was buried in Mexico City. By the time of his death, Lara had written more than 700 songs. A biography of him, "Agustín Lara: Vida y Pasiones", was written by his friend Javier Ruiz Rueda. Family Agustín was a son of Joaquín Lara and his wife María Aguirre y Pino. He had an aunt named Refugio Aguirre del Pino and younger sister, María Teresa Lara. He married María Félix and Rocío Durán (whom he adopted) and was a stepfather to the actor Enrique Álvarez Félix, who died in 1996. Sons of Lara are Gerardo Agustín Lara Santacruz (with sixth wife Yolanda Santacruz Gasca) and Agustín Lara Lárraga (biological son of actress Vianey Lárraga, one of Lara's wives). Selected filmography Melodies of America (1941) Mujer en condominio (1958) including the song "Arroyito", composed and sung by Lara in the film References External links SACM Biblioteca Babab Sound recordings of boleros written by Agustín Lara on Archive.org Agustín Lara recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings. Mexican composers of popular or traditional folk music Mexican male singer-songwriters Latin music songwriters Mexican male film actors María Félix Agustin Male actors from Mexico City Male actors from Veracruz Musicians from Mexico City Singers from Mexico City Singers from Veracruz 20th-century Mexican male actors 1897 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Mexican male singers People from Tlacotalpan