Mendoza, who sang about working-class life, died Dec. 20 of natural causes, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

Mendoza was the "greatest Mexican-American female performer ever to grace a stage" Texas Monthly magazine reported in a 1999 story that named Mendoza "the voice of the century" in Texas.

"She was a rebel, in that she did what no other woman artist singer had done before her; that is, she sang about the 'machismo' culture in a way that set the course for many women today," Lupe Saenz, president of the South Texas Conjunto Association, told The Times.

By 1940, Mendoza had recorded more than 200 songs, including many she wrote, and in 1999 she received a National Medal of Arts from then-President Bill Clinton for outstanding contributions in her field.

"Lydia Mendoza is a true American pioneer," Clinton said, "and she paved the way for a whole new generation of Latino performers who today are making all Americans sing."

Mendoza, who was born in Houston, was married and widowed twice. She is survived by her daughter, Yolanda Hernandez.