Spanish singer Gloria Lasso dies at 83

Spanish singer Gloria Lasso, who made her name recording romantic ballads in Latin America and Paris, died in her sleep at her home in Cuernavaca. She was 83. Friends and family on Monday planned to hold a Mass with mariachis for Lasso, whose birth name was Rosa Maria Coscolin. Her remains were cremated. She died on Sunday.

Lasso's song, "Extranos en el Paraiso" or "Strangers in Paradise," was one of her most popular. Her 1956 recording of the French song "Padre" was later recorded in English by Elvis, who said in a 1958 interview that it was his favorite song. She last performed in Cuernavaca in central Mexico on Nov. 11.

Mexican painter Jorge Cazares Campos, a close friend, said Lasso spent her last weeks of life doing what she loved. In a recent interview with the Mexico City newspaper La Jornada, Lasso said she had a tough childhood in Spain but was grateful she could go to France and make it as an artist. Lasso is survived by three daughters, six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, AP reports.

A. A.