Singer Manolo Escobar dies

October 26, 2013: Singer Manolo Escobar, aged 82, has died at his home in of Benidorm, Spain. Escobar had suffered cancer from a long time, leading to his death on October 24, 2013. He was undergoing treatment, reportedly for colon cancer, at Benidorm's Hospital Clinica, but is understood to have left on October 22 and died two days later. Born in a small village outside Almeria in October 1931, Escobar had a huge following in Spain in the 1960s and 1970s with hits such as El Porompompero and Mi Carro. Y Viva Espana was his best-selling track which became part of Spain's cultural identity in the 1970s and made him an international star. Escobar's best-selling single coincided with a boom in international tourism, sold an estimated six million copies. The track was based on Eviva Espana, the 1971 song written by Belgian duo Leo Rozenstraten and Leo Caerts, and performed, in Dutch, by Samantha. He also starred in films including The Guerrillas and Father Manolo, in which he played a singing priest. One of Escobar's last big acts was in July 2010 when he sang with the Spanish football team to celebrate their victory in the World Cup in South Africa. He announced his retirement from music at the end of 2012 after 50 years on the stage.

What: Singer Manolo Escobar died When: October 24, 2013 Where: at his home in of Benidorm, Spain Why: Due to Cancer