( CNN ) -- Mainstream America was supposed to get to know Jenni Rivera in the coming months , but not like this . Not because of her tragic death in a plane crash at just 43 years old . The Mexican-American singer , who died in Mexico on Sunday , had recently signed a deal with ABC to star in a sitcom about a single mom with quirky parenting skills who juggles family and business : a reflection of her real life . It would have been a chance for the country to get to know a remarkable superstar and woman who was talented , refreshingly down to earth and even inspiring . Rivera had a big voice , a big personality and an undeniably big presence , whether she was onstage , belting out songs about heartache in traditional Mexican dress or a sexy leather outfit , or off it , talking openly about her personal struggles and success . She was a luchadora , or fighter , who had overcome considerable personal strife , and she drew on her strength to climb to the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men . She started out in music as a young mother and eventually became a mogul who sold more than 15 million albums worldwide , including 1.2 million albums and nearly 350,000 digital tracks stateside ; sold out venues like the Staples Center in Los Angeles and had a bilingual TV show , a radio program , several businesses , a foundation for battered women and millions of followers online . Fans and our readers -- Latina magazine first put her on the cover in May 2011 -- connected not just to her background as the daughter of immigrants who made something of herself , but her openness : She was neither perfect nor pretended to be so . She once brawled with a fan , but later made amends and invited the fan to an all-expenses paid trip . She had run-ins with the law and rocky relationships : She was married three times and was divorcing former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza at the time of her death . `` I 'm not faking it in any way , '' she told us last year about her life as reflected in her show , `` I Love Jenni , '' which aired on the Latino-aimed bilingual cable network mun2 , adding that she wanted fans to `` see the human being behind the celebrity name , the lights and sold-out concerts . '' Instead , Latino journalists like me are left to introduce her to a larger audience by writing about her in the past tense . Hearing the news of her death on Sunday , I could n't help but think of another star , Tejano singer Selena , who was poised to make an impact on American culture when she was killed 17 years ago . In both cases , we not only mourn the artist , but the moment , the lost opportunity to have one of us tell his or her own story beyond songs . But at least we 'll always have those . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Damarys Ocaña .
Damarys Ocaña : We mourn the death of rising Mexican-American star Jenni Rivera . Ocaña : She overcame strife to reach the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men . She was talented , down to earth and inspiring , Ocaña writes . Ocaña : We mourn the lost opportunity to have Latina tell her story .