Joan Sebastian Coming to Gallo Center, 11/15

Mexican pop, ranchera and grupera singing star Joan Sebastian will be performing at the Gallo Center for the Arts on Saturday, November 15. The show, just added to the performing arts venue's schedule, is at 8 pm.

Tickets for the event range in price from $89 to $139, and are on sale now. They may be purchased online at www.galloarts.org, by calling (209) 338-2100, or from the Gallo Center ticket office at 1000 I Street in downtown Modesto.

"We're honored to present Mr. Sebastian," said Gallo Center chief executive officer Lynn Dickerson. "He typically performs in much bigger venues, so this is a wonderful opportunity for our patrons to see him in a more intimate setting." Dickerson indicated that the booking came about when a date opened up on Sebastian's current U.S. tour. "He was going to perform in Bakersfield on our date, but for some reason that is not happening. We were happy to jump in, because he is a huge star," she said.

A regular staple on the top-40 charts in Mexico since his career began in 1977, Sebastian performs a mixture of pop, ranchera and grupera musical styles. Known as "The Poet of Juliantla," after his hometown in the state of Guerrero, Sebastian has composed hundreds of songs, sold millions of recordings, and won four Grammy Awards and seven Latin Grammy Awards. He also enjoyed a short acting career. In 1996 he starred in the Mexican television soap opera "Tú y Yo" ("You and I"), sharing credits with Maribel Guardia, his former wife and mother to one of his sons. The soap opera became an instant hit.

Sebastian has been battling bone cancer since 1997. In July 2012, he announced at a concert that the cancer had recurred for a third time.