Mexicans say 'adiós' to beloved singer Juan Gabriel

Juan Gabriel was more than just a songwriter and singer for the hundreds of fans in his native Mexico who thronged Mexico City's Garibaldi square to wish him farewell.

He was a legend, an artist who marked an era in people's lives.

"We work nights; when I got up I heard people singing Juan Gabriel songs in the streets," said mariachi musician Alvaro Hurtado, 52, who was busy playing favorites like "Amor Eterno" and "El Noa, Noa" for clients who had come to Garibaldi to mark the singer's death Sunday.

Garibaldi is a national shrine to mariachi music, and a statue of Juan Gabriel stands in the plaza.

The statue was adorned with flowers, candles and serenades.