Felipe Lopez, passenger killed in Texas plane crash, remembered for love of singing
Felipe Lopez, a singer and contestant on the Spanish musical competition “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento,” died June 24 in a plane that crashed near Cleburne Regional Airport. He was 20.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified Lopez as the passenger in the single-propeller plane that crashed, killing him and the pilot, Air Force Academy cadet Nick Duran.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help raise money for funeral expenses.
His brother, Jesus Lopez, said Felipe Lopez was the kind of person whose actions made others want to be good to those around them. The hardest part of losing him, Jesus Lopez said, is that they’ve been together their whole lives.
“Ever since I can remember he’s been right there next to me,” Jesus Lopez said. “Even when we fought, we still knew we loved each other. Even if it wasn’t something we said, we didn’t have to say it. We just knew it.”
Felipe Lopez, a graduate of Cleburne High School, started singing when he was 16 or 17 years old, the Cleburne Times Review reported in 2020. His dad, who also loves to sing, bought Lopez a karaoke machine.
Lopez, known to many as Pancho, played soccer and ran cross country while in high school, but his true passion was singing, Edalia Aguilar wrote on the GoFundMe page she created.
The Times Review reported in 2020 that Lopez became serious about music when he was introduced to a music producer and talent manager.
The producer said he was shocked when he heard Lopez sing. He could perform opera, R&B, reggaeton and mariachi. Lopez sang at quinceañeras and local restaurants.
While Lopez’s passion for singing may have been kicked into high gear by meeting that producer, his brother said Lopez did all the work that got him to where he was. In 2019, he auditioned for “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento” in Fort Worth.
Lopez announced on Feb. 5, 2020, that he’d been selected for the competition.
“Everyone that’s been with me since the start will know how long and hard it’s been to keep following my dreams no matter what anyone else thinks,” he wrote on his Instagram.
He was flown to California for the production of the show, posting on March 9 that he’d completed his on-camera audition and was excited for people to see the results. And he made it.
Then he had to wait. Because of the pandemic, production of the show was put on hold.
Lopez performed on several episodes, according to the GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe, which originally had a $10,000 goal, has raised more than $12,000 as of Wednesday.
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 12:57 PM.