Diomedes Diaz dies of heart attack at 56

Colombian singer Diomedes Diaz has died of a heart attack at the age of 56.

Diomedes Diaz was widely regarded as one of the best singer-songwriters of vallenato, a Colombian folk music style.

He won a Latin Grammy award for the best vallenato album in 2010 and had just released a new CD, La Vida del Maestro (Life of the Master).

Diomedes Diaz led a tempestuous life, serving time in jail over the death of a fan at a party in his home.

His wife found him dead in his bed in his hometown of Valledupar.

Diomedes Diaz often showed up late to concerts or not at all, something his fans put down to his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

In 1993, concert-goers trashed the stage and stole valuable equipment when Diomedes Diaz failed to show up at a concert in the town of Baranoa.

Despite his frequent no-shows, he was one of Colombia’s most popular artists, whose devoted fans became known as Diomedistas.

Diomedes Diaz sold more than 20 million albums over the course of his career, which began at an early age on the Caribbean coast.