President Clinton and then first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton honored Mexican singer Lydia Mendoza after he gave her the National Medal of Arts on Sept. 29, 1999.

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Lydia Mendoza, the "Lark of the Border," is silent now. Mendoza was born and raised in Texas, yet her voice and sentiments soared along both sides of the border for nearly 60 years.

She was 91 and died Dec. 20 in San Antonio. Her passing was hardly noticed in Tucson, if at all.

That's a shame.

Mendoza, who was born in 1916, was more than a guitar playing Mexican-American singer: She was a pioneering woman singer-songwriter who sang about real people in everyday life. She achieved international fame, probably the first Chicana artist to achieve global recognition. She received numerous awards including the National Medal of Arts in 1999, our country's highest award for artists.

"It is no exaggeration to state that Lydia Mendoza's sustained popularity and legendary status remain virtually unmatched by any other U.S.-Mexican woman of the 20th century — from any walk of life — and by but few other American musicians," wrote Tucsonan Yolanda Broyles-González in her 2001 oral biography of Mendoza. Broyles-González gave the eulogy at Mendoza's funeral last week.

Mendoza's life and passing are more than worthy of mention in this space. Her legacy demands it.

Mendoza, who was no stranger to Tucson, epitomized the struggle and story of many Mexican-Americans. She grew up poor, worked hard with her family and found success.

The songstress projected the dreams and sorrows of working-class Mexican-Americans, wrote Broyles-González, who until recently was department head of Women's Studies at the University of Arizona.

Mendoza drew from the oral tradition and "became a living embodiment of U.S.-Mexican culture," wrote Broyles-González in "Lydia Mendoza's Life in Music," published by Oxford University Press.

Mendoza began singing for pennies with her family in San Antonio before the Great Depression. Later the family moved northward picking crops like thousands of Mexican families from South Texas. Her career took off in 1934 and she performed throughout the Southwest, Midwest and abroad. A stroke in 1987 ended her career.

For singers and musicians, Mendoza's music and style served as an inspiration.

Mendoza blazed a path for women musical artists, said Tucson-born Lisa Morales, who with her sister Roberta form the Sisters Morales. Mendoza's songs were honest and spoke of topics not often heard in music at the time.

"Her music was not always about the pining of the heart," said Morales who, along with her sister, lives in Texas.

Mendoza was 17 years old in 1934 when she recorded her first solo hit, "Mal Hombre." It became one of her signature songs and was popular on both sides of the border.

Mendoza's popularity in Mexico and throughout Latin America was unheard of then — and now. Her global reach was similar to that of the late Tucson-born Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero, who like Mendoza was feted for his musical achievements.

"She was like Lalo. They transcended borders," Morales said.

Mendoza was also like Woody Guthrie, said Tucson singer-guitarist Ted Ramirez of the Santa Cruz River Band.

She was a troubadour who sang ballads, combining poetry and music, said Ramirez.

With her 12-string guitar, Mendoza represented what a true Southwestern folk musician sounds like, he added.

Mendoza was elegant, whether she performed in a theater, in someone's home or on a plaza, Ramirez said. She earned her fans' respect because her music was grounded in their reality and dreams.

Ramirez said, "Her voice reflected all those things and offered an amazing glimmer of hope."