. He . After prison came a few years in New Orleans and a then an everyday life taking college classes, working as a mechanic and playing an occasional local gig. On December 31, 2005, Fender performed his last concert and resumed chemotherapy. Biography - A Short Wiki Texas-based Tejano country singer who sang the 1970s singles "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." He was given a kidney by his daughter in 2002. He was born Baldemar Garza Huerta on June 4, 1937, in the south Texas town of San Benito and raised around traditional ranchera music, which is heavily influenced by polka. He was buried in his hometown of San Benito, Texas, United States. It was written by rhythm and blues artist Barbara Lynn in 1962, and she was the first person to release this song. The pair had known each other since1958. Four years before Freddy Fender released this track, the most popular version of the song was released by Donny and Marie Osmond. He found fame on the national stage in the mid-1970s when record producer Huey Meaux persuaded Fender to bring his soulful tenor to country music. We love more, and we hurt more. Among his other achievements, Fender appeared in the 1987 motion picture "The Milagro Beanfield War," directed by Robert Redford. Two years later he recorded "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" forDuncan Records for a $500 advance, but the following year was convicted for marijuana possession in Baton Rouge and served nearly three years in Louisiana State Penitentiary. "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" rose to No. Freddy Fender, who has died of lung cancer aged 69, was one of the first Mexican-Americans to cross over successfully to mainstream pop. Born Baldemar Huerta, Fender was proud of his Mexican-American heritage and frequently sung verses or whole songs in Spanish. Three other people were seriously injured, including another of Fenders sons, Danny Huerta, 23, officials said. Not only did Vaya Con Dios top the Canadian country chart, but it also reached number seven on the country chart in the United States. William L. Nance of Kimberling City died at St. Johns Regional Medical Center a few hours after the accident Monday night, officials said. All rights reserved. He died on October 14, 2006 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. ", "I lost a bunch of years I could have been really happy withinstead of acquiring material wealth," he said. His wife and friends persuaded him to seek treatment, and he spent time in a drug rehabilitation center in 1985. But his career really began in the late '50s, when he returned from serving in the Marines and recorded Spanish-language versions of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell." He underwent chemotherapy treatments but in June doctors discovered more inoperable cancer. He died from lung cancer in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 14, 2006. Texas has been blessed with a handful of singular voices that define the sound of our state and the pinnacle of artistic expression, Casey Monahan, director of the Texas Music Office in Austin and a former music critic, told the Dallas Morning News in 1997. He renamed himself Freddy Fender after the Fender guitars and amplifiers he used. Family Spouses The song was then recorded in 1965 by Sir Douglas Quintet. Legal Statement. Hank Thompson was the first artist to record The Wild Side of Life, which was written by Arlie Carter and William Warren. Your email address will not be published. At that time, he was combining the rockabilly and Tejano genres, and this song showcased his unique style. Had a kidney transplant from his daughter, adopted daughter Marla Garcia, in Ms. Diimig and Nances brother-in-law, who was visiting from out of town, were hospitalized at St. Johns, officials said. With his pompadour haircut and Spanish-language cover of Dont Be Cruel (No Seas Cruel) and other songs, Fender was considered the Elvis of the Rio Grande., I was the first to take Hispanic rock n roll south of the border, Fender told the Sacramento Bee in 2002. Three-time Grammy-winning country musician Freddy Fender, best known for his '70s country hit "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died at noon Saturday at his Corpus Christi home with his. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Fender, who . He laughed off the magazine's error. cross over to the mainstream pop market and who helped introduce Tex-Mex music to a wider audience in the 1990s, has died. Sentenced to prison in 1960 for possession of marijuana. He won a Grammy of Best Latin pop album in 2002 for La Musica de Baldemar Huerta. He also shared in two Grammys: with the Texas Tornados, which won in 1990 for best Mexican-American performance for Soy de San Luis, and with Los Super Seven in the same category in 1998 for Los Super Seven.Among his other achievements, Fender appeared in the 1987 motion picture The Milagro Beanfield War, directed by Robert Redford.Fender was born in 1937 in San Benito, the South Texas border town credited for spawning the Mexican-polka sound of conjunto. Mini Bio Freddy Fender was born on June 4, 1937 in San Benito, Texas, USA. Market data provided by Factset. or redistributed. He laughed off the magazines error. "', "I felt there's no great American dream for this ex-Chicano migrant farm worker," he told the AP. The relatives name was not known. Then he, Read More PINK FLOYDs Nick Mason for Syd Barrett: A lot of mixed emotions with the whole Syd thingContinue, Apple has shared a first teaser trailer for its upcoming Beastie Boys Story documentary also a director with Spike Jonze. Im not bitter, but if friends ask, I still say the three years I had to spend in Angola state prison was a long time for a little mistake, he told the Associated Press in 1975. "There will never be anotherFreddy Fender," said fellow Texas Tornado Augie Meyers following Fender's death in 2006. Lung Cancer. His best known song was Before the Next Teardrop Falls, a No. If you choose to Reject all, we will not use cookies for these additional purposes. Fender, who had lung cancer, died around noon at his home in Corpus Christi with his family at his bedside, said Ron Rogers, a family spokesman. His best known hit song was Before the Next Teardrop Falls, a No. "Teardrop" had a verse in Spanish. It was the second single that Freddy Fender released from his album Rock N Country. The name of the track translates as may God be with you, and it was written by Larry Russell, Buddy Pepper, and Inez James. I really believe I'm OK. Instead they found two tumors. He's got a voice that nobody else has. ", Allison Ehrlich writes about things to do in South Texas and has a weekly Throwback Thursday column on local history. "Whenever I run into prejudice," he told The Washington Post in 1977, "I smile and feel sorry for them, and I say to myself, `There's one more argument for birth control. I guess we all want it.. hit on both Billboard magazine's country and Hot 100 charts in 1975. He re-released "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" and it climbed to the top of the charts as well. Fender, who wasn't on the bus, was wracked with guilt over giving up his seat on the bus that 20 minutes later hit a tractor-trailer head on and killed driver Joseph "Sonny" Parker and drummer. Robert Redford called to ask him to appear as the mayor in the 1988 film The Milagro Beanfield War. Fender also acted in several other movies. Inspired by the 1949 John Wayne movie Sands of Iwo Jima, Fender lied about his age -- he was 16 -- and joined the Marines. 1 in the country charts.More recently, he played with Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez and others in two Tex-Mex all-star combos, the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven. The group won a Grammy Awardin 1990 for Best Mexican American Performance for "Soy de San Luis.". He recalled relaxing after long days in beer joints, listening to blues musicians. The group's album earned Fender another Grammy in 1998, and in 2001 Fender earned a solo Grammy for "La Msica de Baldemar Huerta," a collection of rancheras and boleros that won in the Latin Pop Album category. He died on 14 October 2006 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. Living It Down topped the Canadian Country chart and peaked at number two on the country chart in the United States. With his pompadour haircut and Spanish-language cover of Dont Be Cruel (No Seas Cruel) and other songs, Fender was considered the Elvis of the Rio Grande., I was the first to take Hispanic rock n roll south of the border, Fender told the Sacramento Bee in 2002. Huerta turned his skill and voice into a decades-spanning and multi-genremusical career, but most people know him under his stage name, Freddy Fender. Well, were the old farts in the neighborhood, Fender, then 54, joked to People magazine in 1991. All Rights Reserved. His marriage nearly ended, and he was embroiled in a bankruptcy suit in the early 1980s from a bus crash that killed two bandmates. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. The world music singer Freddy Fender died at the age of 69. In June 2004, the South Texas Music Walk of Fame at Water Street Market in downtown Corpus Christi debuted, with Fender doing the honors at the ribbon-cutting and also receiving the first star. Freddy Fender was a singer and musician who was born in San Benito, Texas, on June 4, 1937, and his real name was Baldemar Garza Huerta. Freddy Fender's death was caused by Lung Cancer. With his large extended family, Fender started traveling north when he was about 10 to pick cherry orchards, tomato patches and cotton fields. 1 on the country charts and Billboard named Fender its Top Male Artist of 1975. When I open my mouth and I start singing like a little bird, everything is OK., From the Archives: Renowed Jazz Bassist Charles Mingus Dies at 56, From the Archives: Ella Fitzgerald, Jazzs First Lady of Song, Dies, From the Archives: Don Ho, 76; singer was best known for 66 hit Tiny Bubbles, From the Archives: The Voice of Everyman in Black, From the Archives: Frank Sinatra, Premier Vocalist of His Time, Dies at 82. With his large extended family, Fender started traveling north when he was about 10 to pick cherry orchards, tomato patches and cotton fields. Fender then recorded his version of the song in 1976. He was previously married to Evangelina (Vangie) Muniz. He began in the 1950s as "El Be-Bop Kid" performing Spanish . Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. One hit was Little Bit Is Better Than Nada, which was featured on the soundtrack of the 1996 film Tin Cup.. "When I became an international success, that's when the pressure started," he told the Caller-Times in a 1986 interview. But the singer's drinking and partying became a problem as his fame rose. Recorded for a regional label in Texas, Before the Next Teardrop Falls became the nations No. (November 23, 1976 - October 14, 2006) (his death), (August 9, 1957 - 1963) (divorced, 4 children), The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. The latter was inspired to write the song after a personal experience with a woman when he was younger. The song sold one million copies and was awarded the Country Music Association's Single of the Year in 1975. Fender, who had been fighting lung cancer since early this year, died Saturday at his longtime home in Corpus Christi, Texas, a family spokesman said. After he emerged, his career took a mild Hollywood turn. He died of lung . Originally, Secret Love was written by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webber for the 1953 film Calamity Jane and was sung by Doris Day. In my mind and in my heart, I feel OK. He was previously married to Evangelina (Vangie) Muniz. Fender initially recorded "Wasted Days" in 1960. She has been a reporter and editor at the newspaper for 25 years. Fender continued to perform in the 1960s in Louisiana and Texas, though he took classes at Del Mar College and worked as a mechanic as well. . I feel very comfortable in my life. Although Im Leaving It All Up to You was not a top ten hit for Freddy Fender, it remains one of his best-known songs. After his military discharge, he decided to pursue a career as a rocker and was advised to change his name to soften his ethnicity to appeal to a wider audience. Still, Fender remained committed to a career as a solo artist, alternately touring alone and with the Tornados. His father, who sang casually, died of tuberculosis in 1945. ", More:#TBT: Freddie Records started in Freddie Martinez's Corpus Christi garage 50 years ago, Fender continued to record and in 1989 formed Texas Tornadoes with fellow musicians Doug Sahm,Flaco Jimnez, andAugie Meyers. "', "The Old Man upstairs rolled a seven on me," he told The Associated Press in 1975. I would cocaine it away, Fender told the Morning News. The couple divorced after he got out of prison in 1963 and remarried two years later. He originally wrote and recorded the song in 1959, which was right at the beginning of his career. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. But he did learn to pick a guitar. It is included in the list of the Top 100 Western Songs of All Time that was compiled by the Western Writers of America. Cause of death. Track outages and protect against spam, fraud, and abuse, Measure audience engagement and site statistics to understand how our services are used and enhance the quality of those services, Deliver and measure the effectiveness of ads, Show personalized content, depending on your settings, Show personalized ads, depending on your settings. Fender, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2006, died at noon at his Corpus Christi home with his family at his bedside, said Ron Rogers, a family spokesman. When I open my mouth and I start singing like a little bird, everything is OK.. 1 on the country charts. He signed with Imperial Records in 1959, renaming himself "Fender" after the brand of his electric guitar, "Freddy" because it sounded good with Fender. I cannot complain that I haven't lived long enough, but I'd like to live longer.". The curtain fell hard on Fenders early career when he was arrested in 1960 in Baton Rouge, La., for possession of a small amount of marijuana. He began as a 1950s balladeer who performed rock covers in Spanish as El Be-Bop Kid, then came back in 1975 as a country act with the chart-topping hit Before the Next Teardrop Falls. In the 1990s, he earned high praise as a member of the Texas Tornados, a Tex-Mex group of all-stars. Freddy Fender, a Grammy-winning . All rights reserved. Introduction to Freddy Fender. He died from lung cancer in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 14, 2006. Born in Texas to a Mexican father and American-born mother, Huerta made his first public appearance at age 10, when he sang "Paloma Querida . It got me out of a lot of predicaments, Fender told the Morning News in 1997. It was the first single Fender released from his 1976 album If Youre Ever in Texas. Freddy Fender was the sole writer of this track. The musician was buried in San Benito Cemetery with military honors. Texas has been blessed with a handful of singular voices that define the sound of our state and the pinnacle of artistic expression, Casey Monahan, director of the Texas Music Office in Austin and a former music critic, told the Dallas Morning News in 1997. ", "Today, if something goes wrong, I can handle it," Fender said in 1986. In 1957, he married the former Evangelina Muniz, who survives him. "I hope he keeps it up.". Im one year away from 70 and Ive had a good run, Fender told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in August after his cancer was diagnosed as incurable. Freddy Fender, the Bebop Kid of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad Before the Next Teardrop Falls, died yesterday. When were hurt, we hurt for a long time., I was dreaming I was on the Sullivan Show., I was separated from my wife at the time. He was an actor and composer, known for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), Hancock (2008) and The Forever Purge (2021). But, then again, he never left it. Freddy Fender, the "Bebop Kid" of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died yesterday. After his military discharge, he decided to pursue a career as a rocker and was advised to change his name to soften his ethnicity to appeal to a wider audience. Keep track of how much of Freddy Fenders work you have seen. He had just returned from Texas after the funeral of his mother, Margaret Huerta, who died of a heart attack Aug. 1, said Sandra Lemons, assistant general manager of Freddy Fenders Theater. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. 20 on the charts, and remade his late 1950s recording Wasted Days and Wasted Nights, which climbed to No. Singer-songwriter Freddy Fender, acclaimed for his work as a solo artist and with the Texas Tornados, died Saturday (Oct. 14) at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas, following a lengthy battle with . Open about his battles with drug and alcohol abuse, Fender also had struggled with diabetes and hepatitis C. He had a kidney transplant in 2002 using an organ donated by a 21-year-old daughter. SAN BENITO, Texas Freddy Fender, the "Bebop Kid" of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died Freddy Fender, the "Bebop Kid" of the Texas-Mexico border who later turned his twangy tenor into the smash country ballad "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," died Saturday. In June doctors discovered more inoperable cancer genres, and she was the second that. 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