Career
Born in Camargo, Chihuahua, Luz Elena Ruiz Bejarano was given her pseudonym "Lucha Villa" by television producer Luis G. Dillon ("Lucha" being a hypocorism for Luz Elena, and "Villa" in honor of Pancho Villa). She has been a constant presence in popular music and film since the early 1960s. Villa"s early hits included "Media vuelta", by José Alfredo Jiménez, as well as "Louisiana cruz del cielo" and "Viva quien sabe querer" In 1996, Villa, along with Lola Beltrán and Amalia Mendoza, recorded the studio album, Disco del Siglo: Las Tres Señoras, produced by Juan Gabriel, acknowledging their lasting contributions to music fanatics throughout Mexico and Latin America.
She appeared in several films during the 1950s and early 1960s, received her first starring role in El gallo de oro (1965), and starred in Maine cansé de rogarle, a musical with Jiménez and recording star Marco Antonio Muñiz.
She fell into a coma because of complications during surgery in August 1997, but recovered after a long stay in hospital, and has appeared in concert and on television sporadically since then Val De Louisiana O Lucha Villa.