Jenni Rivera’s family wanted to give her a Mother’s Day gift — the first without their matriarch and star — and decided to open an exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, which includes concert outfits, mementos and even her trusty bible.

Pete Salgado, the late-singer’s business manager and friend, says it was her kids who wanted this to happen.

“Her children decided that they’d like to give this to her mom– their mother — on Mother’s Day,” he says. “This is their gift to their mom.”

RELATED: Jenni Rivera’s son has Kat Von D tattoo his mom’s likeness on his arm

The Grammy Museum’s exhibition is the first major public testimonial to Rivera since her memorial service last year at Universal CityWalk and the very first exhibition that the museum has devoted entirely to a Latino or Latin American artist.

Salgado says many of her personal effects have true importance.

“Everything has a meaning here– you have things that are so small from a Costco card to the obvious — which are sold out — gold and platinum plaques,” he says.

“You have fan mail that she addressed– to her bible. That bible — if you look at it was really used,” he adds.

The bible, like many of the items on display, tells a story through its existence.  According to the LA Times, the Spanish-language bible was a Christmas gift from her parents, who inscribed it with these words: “Make sure you carry this Bible with you everywhere you go. The Lord will bless you.”

Sadly, the bible is able to be included in the exhibit because she didn’t have it with her on the fateful day of her crash.

The exhibit runs for a year and will end in May 2014.

Salgado says its been a difficult stretch for the family, with 5 months since the accident passing and being surrounded by all of her personal items, but they know they have to soldier on because she would want them to.

“She taught us all well — as much as we’d like to stop, we gotta keep marching,” he says.

“And we’re all dedicated to making sure her legacy continues.”

RELATED: “I Love Jenni” premiere ratings proves Jenni Rivera’s lasting popularity

As a Christian, Jenni took her bible with her everywhere when she traveled, and at home it was kept on top of her desk. In the bible there is a picture of her granddaughter. The bible was marked with Jenni’s favorite passages. The bible is in display in the exhibit courtesy of Jenni Rivera Enterprises.

This is some of the many fan mail letters Jenni received throughout her career. Jenni kept everything that was sent to her displayed in her home, along with some of the photographs and art her fans would send her. Courtesy of Jenni Rivera Enterprises.

One of Jenni’s most recognizable dresses, which was designed by Adan Terriquez, who had been Jenni’s personal tailor for over 13 years. Courtesy of Adan Terriquez.

Jenni’s J-Unit Jumpsuit was created by her. Her “J-Unit” represented Jenni as a warrior of life and when she wore it she wanted her fans to feel united and empowered. Each of Jenni’s fans who joined her fan club received a “J-Unit” jumpsuit and there are now over 6000 members. Courtesy of Jenni Rivera Enterprises.

Jenni wore this dress in 2010 when she married Esteban Loaiza. She chose to work with designer Eduardo Lucero for her wedding dress since he had already previously designed her red carpet styles. Courtesy of Jenni Rivera Enterprises.

As a great singer, Jenni Rivera won many of awards throughout her career. These three awards are some of her awards. The Premio Lo Nuestro was awarded to her in 2008 for Regional Mexicano Artista del Año. Premios Juventud awarded her in 2011 for Mi Artista Regional Mexicano and in 2010 Monitor Latino awarded her for Artista Femenino Mas Aclamado Del Espectaculo.

To get the work done, Rivera chose famed tattoo artist and reality show star Kat Von D.

“I love this picture because my mom looks so at peace and triumphant, and it’s from the album she released when I was young and always on the road with her, also my favorite album of hers,” he wrote in the Instagram caption when he posted the photo this week.

RELATED: Jenni Rivera: Queen of the Billboard Awards

Fans of Mikey Rivera have shown their love for the tattoo photo he posted to the tune of more than 21,000 likes and 800 comments.

Rivera also explained that his mom’s likeness was flipped from the image Von D was using. “I flipped the image because I wanted her facing me,” he wrote. “I don’t need to see her mole to know it’s my mother or for the image to mean what it means to me,” he wrote, adding the hashtag #JenniVive, or Jenni Lives.

Rivera also posted a photo of him with his child and his new tattoo, pictured.

As for Von D, she posted an image of the tattoo along with her thoughts. “Loved tattooing this portrait today!” she wrote on Instagram. “Flowy-hair-city!”

The new tattoo comes ahead of Mother’s Day, when Jenni Rivera will be celebrated once again. An exhibit, Jenni Rivera, La Gran Señora will open at the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live on Sunday. It will include stage costumes worn by Rivera, photographs, handwritten notes and video footage tracing her legacy.

Bruno Mars and teen star Selena Gomez are also confirmed to take the stage at the Billboard Music Awards, joining fellow performers Taylor Swift, Prince and Justin Bieber.

Latinos are also well represented as nominees during the music awards event. Mars is a finalist for Top Male Artist, in a category that includes rappers Drake and Flo Rida, as well as country crooner Jason Aldean and Justin Bieber. Mars is also up for Top Pop Artist and Top Pop Song (for “Locked Out of Heaven”), while Latino fan fave Pitbull is a finalist for Top Rap Artist against the likes of Nicki Minaj and Korean sensation PSY.

RELATED: Bruno Mars reveals the reason for changing his Latino last name

“Adorn” by Miguel – who made a splash earlier this year as the first R&B artist of 2013 to perform on Saturday Night Live – is a contender for Top R&B  Song against hits by Alicia Keys, Trey Songz, Rihanna and Frank Ocean.

There’s also an entire category for Top Latin Artist; with finalists Don Omar, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos, Shakira and Jenni Rivera, the competition is the definition of fierce. Rivera is also a finalist for Top Latin Album, with three of her records – “Joyas Prestadas: Banda,” “Joyas Prestadas: Pop” and “La Misma Gran Senora” – in the running against Prince Royce’s “Phase II” and “Formula, Vol. 1” by Romeo Santos.

RELATED: Don Omar comes out on top at the Billboard Latin Music Awards

A host of some of Latin music’s hottest men – think Juan Magan Michel Teló and Wisin Y Yandel – are competing against each other for Top Latin Song. Don Omar is also a contender in that category, with two of his recent tunes – “Hasta Que Salga El Sol” and “Dutty Love” – named as finalists.

Hosted by comedian Tracy Morgan, the 2013 Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Sunday, May 19 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

Rivera took home six awards, including Artist of the year, and her life was both remembered and celebrated.

“We simply miss her on this stage tonight,” said Edward James Olmos, who lead the tribute to Rivera. “But Jenni is still alive and she will continue to harvest success, like the one from her magnificent acting skills in her upcoming film.”

Some of Rivera’s greatest moments were remembered though clips of her show “I love Jenni,” as well as some of her greatest performances, including when she sang in last year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards.

“That night she stole the audience’s heart, the way she usually did,” Olmos said, remembering the 2012 performance. “Jenni knew how to do it.”

In the video tribute, artists like Thalia, Larry Hernandez, Paulina Rubio and Gerardo Tapia talked about her legacy, one that will never be forgotten.

Rivera’s father, mother and daughters Janney “Chiquis” Marín and Jacqueline Marín were present to receive the six awards which included Female Artist of the year, Latin Pop Solo Album of the year and Regional Mexican Album of the year.

“Thank you to everyone who has made my daughter’s dream possible,” Rosa Saavedra, her mother, said. “We know that she is still living in our hearts and in her music. Thank God for that great lady.”

Rivera received a standing ovation from the artists who were present, as well as from the fans. Many were seen with tears in their eyes as the tribute highlighted some of Rivera’s greatest moments.

“You’re a queen, you’re my Diva. May God bless you my daughter,” father, Pedro Rivera, said.

The crowd cheered her name and her daughters gave a brief thank you.

“I want to specially thank her entire team,” her daughter, Chiquis, said as she listed the names of the others who died on the crash.

To give an end to the tribute, her brother Juan Rivera, who was the opening act in many of Rivera’s concerts, sang her song “No Llega el Olvido.” He sang accompanied by a Mariachi band and images of Jenni played in the screens.

This year’s Billboard Latin Music Awards marked the 15th anniversary of the awards on the Telemundo network, and Don Omar was the most awarded of the night. He received 10 awards and thanked God, the fans and others in the industry.

Don Omar closed the show with a performance of his song “Zumba,” which included fireworks, dancers and stunts.

Other  performances that received standing ovation included Marc Anthony’s new single “Vivir Mi Vida,” and performance with Tito El Bambino; Carlos Vives’s musical comeback with Michel Teló; and Juan Luis Guerra’s “Frio Frio” with Romeo Santos.

When Santos went on stage to receive his award for tropical album of the year, he dedicated his win to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

To incorporate the English crossover, Vin Diesel, who promoted Fast and the Furious Six, made an appearance with co-star Michelle Rodriguez.

“I came here tonight because of you,” Diesel said. “This is for my people that I love.”

The show included two important honors: Jose Jose, who received the lifetime achievement award for his 50-year career in music and Mana, who was honored for their active roll in preserving the environment through their foundation Selva Negra.

During the three-hour live broadcast of the show, the hashtag #Billboards2013 became worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

Don Omar took home 10 prizes at the annual show Thursday honoring Spanish-language songs and performers. Rivera won six prizes, including artist of the year. The California-born superstar was killed in a plane accident last year in Mexico.

The show paid homage to Rivera with a tribute that included clips from live performances and her reality television show. Her brother Juan Rivera sang his sister’s song “No Llega el Olvido” accompanied by a mariachi band.

“You are my diva,” Rivera’s father, Pedro Rivera, said in accepting the prizes. “May God bless you, my daughter.”

Rivera sold more than 15 million copies of her 12 major-label albums during her career, which was cut short in December in a crash that killed her and six other people. She was born in Los Angeles and started her career by selling cassette tapes at flea markets. She went on to become adored by millions on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border drawn to her soulful singing and honest portrayal of her tumultuous personal life.

“We know she continues living in our hearts and through music,” Rosa Saavedra, her mother, said.

The audience gave a standing ovation, many with tears in their eyes.

Mexican singing legend Jose Jose received the lifetime achievement award and Italian operatic singers Il Volo performed a moving rendition of his song “El Triste.”

“Bless the Lord because he has converted me into a friend and accomplice of many couples, many hearts, and many marvelous souls who fall in love, and who suffer because of love,” Jose Jose said in accepting the prize.

Other winners included bachata star Romeo Santos, who won three awards, including album of the year for “Formula: Vol. 1.” He dedicated his prizes to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Santos sang a duet with Juan Luis Guerra that drew cries and screams from fans in the audience.

Salsa singer Marc Anthony, rock group Mana and Colombian pop artist Carlos Vives, who is making a comeback with his first album in eight years, also performed during the three-hour show, which was broadcast live on Telemundo.

Shakira, La Arrolladora Banda el Limon de Rene Camacho, and Natty Natasha took home three prizes each.

Latin music is starting to bounce back after a big dip in album sales during the recession. The rebound is thanks in large part to the growing Hispanic demographic in the U.S. and the rise of digital sales through online and cell phone services and subscriptions.

“Digital is over half our sales right now, and it continues to grow fast for Latin music,” said Skander Goucha, senior vice president for Universal Music Latin Entertainment.

The awards show followed several days of panels and performances during the Billboard Latin Music Conference, a gathering of industry artists and professionals. This year’s conference featured Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler, who presented a mobile phone app that allows users to compose new songs using his lyrics and voice. Gloria Estefan also sat down for an extended interview in which she discussed her career and shared advice with aspiring artists.

“Stick to your guns,” she said. “When one door closes, find another way to do what you want to do.”

RELATED: Jenni Rivera’s legacy: 3 books tell her story, who does it better?

The final season of the hit show will include a total of six episodes featuring footage of Rivera filmed in November 2012, just one month before she passed away in a plane crash in Mexico. From Rivera chatting with her sister Rosie to attending an awards show to sharing special, intimate moments with her daughter Jacqui, it’s a revealing, last look at the regional superstar.

“I Love Jenni” will premiere on mun2 on April 14 at 9pm EST.

“Jenni Rivera: The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly”

Jenni Rivera: The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly

(CA Press, Spanish language version available now; English version to be released April 23, 3013)

Jenni Rivera entered the male-dominated world corrido and banda music with cheeky, feminist lyrics and as Rivera rose in fame, she made sure to publicize issues that made her a tireless champion for Latinas. This story – how Rivera made a name for herself as outspoken advocate, political activist and business woman – is the “girl power” narrative for an unauthorized book by Leila Cobo, a novelist and the Executive Director of Latin Content and Programming for Billboard magazine.

“Jenni Rivera:  The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly” tells Rivera’s story as a woman who persevered against all odds to become a successful musician, entrepreneur and legend. Through interviews Rivera gave, Cobo paints a vivid account of a Latina whose hit “Mariposa Guerrera” revealed someone who had been “a warrior in her childhood and adolescence” and would be known as one in her womanhood.

“We Love Jenni: An Unauthorized Biography of Jenni Rivera”

We Love Jenni: An Unauthorized Biography of Jenni Rivera

(Riverdale Avenue Books)

In “We Love Jenni” – one of the first English language unauthorized biographies of the singer to be released after her death on Dec. 9 – co-authors Marc Shapiro and Charles Vázquez share with readers an in-depth look at the legacy the mother of five left behind.  It’s a book meant to shed light on a star who was still unknown to so many, says Vázquez.

“She enjoyed helping the people around her and was very generous – and I think that might have been something that was lost in the sensationalism surrounding her death …which for many people, was their first introduction to the woman that was Jenni Rivera,” says Vázquez, a poet and journalist based in New York City. Like some of the other biographies of the singer – like “Jenni Rivera: La Diva De La Banda” and the “Jenni Rivera: The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly” – the book relies heavily on the use of print, television and radio interviews the singer gave during her lifetime.

Jenni Rivera’s authorized memoir, ‘Unbreakable.”

Unbreakable: My Story, My Way

(Atria Books, English and Spanish editions to be released July 2, 2013)

Jenni Rivera was notoriously open about her personal life, whether it be her relationships, her music or her family. In fact, that’s how biographers were able to write their accounts of her life so quickly after her passing: the singer gave hundreds of candid interviews during her lifetime, creating a compelling, up- to-the-minute storyline about herself that kept her in the public’s eye. And although the plans for an autobiography were kept secret from her fans, Rivera – ever the savvy businesswoman – had actually worked on a memoir and completed it before her death.

Rivera had been in talks with Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, since 2011 and the company will publish her memoir simultaneously in English and Spanish this summer. The book – about Rivera’s rise as a “self-made woman” – is the only one to have been authorized by Rivera’s family and sister Rosie said that the family decided to share her story so her fans could “enjoy her as we have.”

“I miss my sister every moment, but on days that I want to feel her close, I open her book written in her own words, and feel her right next to me,” Rosie Rivera said in a statement issued by Atria.

In an exclusive interview with Noticiero Telemundo on Monday, Isabel Carrero Gomez alongside her two sons Miguel Perez Carrero and Mauricio Perez Carrero gave their side of the story regarding the man who has been a central figure in the plane crash that killed Rivera and five others.

“My father was famous for adhering to safety measures,” said son Miguel.

The lawsuit the family filed March 8 maintains that the fatal crash was due to the plane’s condition. They intend to disprove that the Mexican citizen suffered a heart attack or was incapacitated in some way, as Starwood’s Director of Operations Christian Esquino Núñez suggested was a possibility in an interview on “Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste.”

“He had flown with Jenni Rivera before, but he didn’t fly the plane just because he knew her,” said Mauricio, who said his father had mentioned Rivera’s interest in purchasing the Learjet25 before its crash. “The company that owns the plane had to hire the best pilot in the world to fly the best artist.”

RELATED: New Jenni Rivera biography reveals deeper look at the singer’s scandals, career and family

A separate civil lawsuit previously filed in Los Angeles by relatives of four of the deceased victims – Arturo Rivera, a publicist; Jacob Yebale, makeup artist; Mario Macias Pacheco, attorney; and Jorge Armando Sanchez Vasquez, Rivera’s hairdresser – states that Perez Soto did not have the instrument flight rule license needed to fly the plane at 35,000 feet and according to the filed suit, he was not licensed to fly “passengers for hire.”

But Soto’s widow maintains that the flight was business as usual for the pilot. She says even after she learned of the crash, she thought her husband had survived – and even prepared for his homecoming.

“I had his pajamas, slippers, a glass of milk and a sandwich ready in case he arrived hungry,” said Carrero Gomez, whose sons are both commercial pilots.

RELATED: Jenni Rivera’s voice “lives on” in new song

Soto’s son Miguel said that the family has never thought Soto was incapacitated in any way before taking the pilot’s seat after Rivera’s sold out concert at Monterrey Arena.

“The truth is we never doubted his ability to fly; we never thought anything would happen,” said Miguel.

“But we’re sure he fought for his life and did everything possible to remedy any failure with the plane.”