Johnny Ventura Tragic Cause of Death Confirmed: Merengue Legend Dead After Medical Facility Visit

Johnny Ventura has died at the age of 81, his son confirmed.

In an exclusive report to CNN, Jandy Ventura confirmed that his father passed away in the Dominican Republic.

Johnny Ventura Cause of Death

The 81-year-old reportedly suffered from a heart attack that eventually claimed his life.

The news outlet detailed that the singer was rushed to the emergency room at the Clínica Unión Médica del Norte. He reportedly lost consciousness during his private medical appointment.

It remains unknown whether he visited the medical facility to check his heart problems or due to other existing diseases.

Following the news about his death, the country's Ministry of Culture paid a tribute to the late singer and politician.

"The Ministry of Culture deeply regrets the death of the great Dominican musician Johnny Ventura. We join the pain that overwhelms his family in these difficult times. His legacy will live on forever in his songs and Dominican culture," the officials tweeted, as quoted by NBC News.

Meanwhile, Dominican First Lady Raquel Arbaje also paid tribute to the late singer and shared a message in Spanish to honor him.

"Johnny Ventura, El Caballo Mayor, has physically left us, but his legacy and joy will always be with us. My solidarity hug to his loved ones," she said.

No official statement from the family has been released yet.

RIP, Johnny Ventura

Ventura, whose real name was Juan de Dios Ventura Soriano, rose to fame due to his notable styles of merengue and salsa.

Born in Santo Domingo, he found a passion for music at the age of 16. At that time, he joined the talent show on TV "La Voz de la Alegria" and won first place. He also topped the list on the TV show La TV Busca Una Estrella.

The young singer eventually began his music career in the 1960s and joined several Latin music orchestras including the groups led by Rondon Votao, Donald Wild, and Combo Caribe De Luis Pérez.

From there, he gave birth to "Combo Show", his own salsa and merengue orchestra. It then became one of the most popular Dominican performing artists in history.

He played with the other notable salsa creators of his generation in the late sixties.

After his successful stint in the music industry, he became the mayor of Santo Domingo from 1998 to 2002.