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Freddy Fender is the greatest and most significant singer, writer and musician in Mexican American musical history. After nearly five decades of giving his music to the world, millions of Tejano music fans are still happy to know he continues to record, appear on television, and be written about in magazines in at least five different languages. There’s a lot to write about Freddy and it wouldn’t be so surprising if one day soon a producer like Robert Redford called him and said, “Hey, Freddy … would you mind if we’d do a movie about your Life?”

He was born to a poor but romantic family who lived in San Benito, Texas, a tiny town in the Rio Grande Valley. Freddy was given the birth name of Baldemar Huerta but at various stages in his early musical development, he was known as El Be- Bop Kid (1957), Freddy Fender (1958), Eddie Medina (1961), and Scotty Wayne (1%2) before he settled on the stage name, Freddy Fender.

Although Freddy’s music speaks for itself, one cannot write about him without learning about some of the apogees and perigees of his life, for it is those collective extremes that give him his flair for living life to its fullest, on stage and off.

While still a child, Freddy was a farm laborer hut he had already made his first appearance on radio, singing a current hit “Paloma Querida” on KGBT in Harlingen, Texas. He also won a tub of food, worth about $10, as first prize in an amateur talent contest at the Grand Theater in Harlingen. It was, however, the long hours he spent working with his family and with fellow workers in the fields that gave him the time he needed to think and dream about music, and life beyond the border. Often it was the blues music he heard sung by black workers that helped him get through the days and nights. To this day, Freddy recalls that some of those workers were so great they should have been on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York instead of in fields in Michigan.

At the age of 16, he traded school for a three year stint in the Marines, where he was frequently found having fun and playing guitar in the barracks. He soon returned to San Benito and by the late 1950s, his music was contagious to many who frequented his performances. His first two recordings were done during this era. He wrote Ay Amor (Holy One) in 1955 which was released by Falcon Records on the flip side of “No Seas Cruel” (Don’t Be Cruel) in the Spring of 1957. These recordings were distributed by Peerless Records in McAllen, Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America and were credited with initiating a wonderful cultural change in music. “No Seas Cruel” went to number #1 in Mexico and South America. Hispanic rock and roll was born, and Freddy Fender was its proud father.

Freddy’s got a great sense of humor, but behind his laughter is a strong intellect combined with the insight of a poet and the wisdom of someone who has known life inside castles, as well as life inside prison. Although today one would not even be slapped on the wrist for having a few joints in their possession, it was on a Friday the thirteenth in 1960 that Freddy and his bass player were arrested in Baton Rouge for just that. They wound up being guests of the State of Louisiana at Angola State Penitentiary. After serving three years and cutting at least three songs for Goldband Records while an inmate, Freddy was released by then-Governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis. Two of the songs he recorded while Angola’s guest were “My Train of Love” and “Bye Bye Little Angel.”

Many Latin and Spanish artists followed Freddy’s initiation of Hispanic Rock and Roll. In 1961, well known Mexican actor, comedian and singer, Tin Tan, used two of Freddy’s songs from his rock and roll album, “Eddie con Los Shades” in two motion pictures. The songs were “No Esta Aqui” and “Acapulco Rock”. These recordings are now valuable collector’s items and are easily identified by the cover which is a silhouetted illustration of comic book characters Archie and Veronica, done by Paco Betancourt, owner of Ideal Records in San Benito. Not so surprisingly, the songs were released in San Benito on Ideal Records, and on Doniinañte Records which were located in Matamoros and Monteitrey, Mexico.

As his parole had called for him to not he involved with the music industry for a while, Freddy had dutifully returned to San Bemto where he went back to school and became a sociology major. Wake up from your siestas, Amigos. There was no way that Freddy would or could stay away from music. Music is in Freddy’s soul and in the air that he breathes.

It was in 1974 while Freddy was living in Corpus Christi, Texas that he was introduced to Huey P. Meaux, who ran the Houston-based Crazy Cajun label. Huey not only loved Freddy’s music, he also knew that Freddy’s music was meant for the world. Meaux insisted that Freddy record “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” and before long, it stated to gain regional attention. ABC/Dot licensed the song and within a few months it jumped to Number #1 on both the Country and Pop charts. Freddy’s life had a whole new meaning by the time it was certified Gold.

His follow up single “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”, was originally recorded for Imperial Records, but released on ABC/Dot. It shot to the top of the Country charts and wound up in the top ten on the Pop charts. It also went Gold.

By the end of 1975, Freddy had two more singles on the Country Top 10. One was released by ABC/Dot, the other on GRT, the same record company that licensed Meaux productions. Interestingly enough, they entered the Country charts in the reverse order to their impact on the Pop charts.

His all-time favorite, “Since I Met You, Baby” was Freddy’s third cross-over single. As if landing in Country and Pop charts wasn’t enough, Freddy penned “Secret Love” which was recorded and made a number #1 hit by America’s-girl-next-door, Doris Day.

Also in 1975, Freddy was named “Most Promising Male Vocalist” by the Academy of Country Music. The Country Music Association named “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” its Single of the Year. Between 1975 and 1977, he had nine songs in the top 10 country charts. This Freddy Fender era resulted in endless appearances on television, international tours, and writers from Rolling Stone chasing the rise-and-fall- and-rise-again saga of the migrant worker whose career had been submarined by a low-rent marijuana conviction.

In the 1980’s, times were good, and times were not-so-good, but times were always exciting for Freddy. In 1988, Robert Redford asked Freddy to accept the co- starring role of the Mayor in The Milagro Beanfield War. Freddy said, “yes.” His popularity was once again on the road to big-time.

A year later, music industry executives put together a dream project and asked if Freddy wanted to be part of the dream team they wanted to develop. It involved teaming up with three other Texas roots legends to form the Texas Tornados. Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm, and Flaco Jimenez. Again, Freddy said, “yes.” His popularity continued to increase.

The Texas Tornados released three albums between 1990 and 1992 for Reprise Records. “Texas Tornados,” “Zone Of Our Town,” and “Hangin’ on by a Thread.” Reprise Mexico also released “Texas Tornados” in South America. Critics love the Texas Tornados for their classic mix of country, rock and Tejano! Presidential performances, European tours, Gramnües, music videos, and soundtracks followed release of their Reprise records. Today, the Texas Tornados are an on-again-off-again project but there is and always will be only one Freddy Fender.

It is important to the history of Tejano music that all aspects of Freddy’s career are recognized and respected. He is the most unique pioneer of all Tex Mex music which sprouted in Texas and spread to the rest of the world.

Casey Monahan, former music critic and director of the Texas Music Office in Austin, has this to say about Freddy, “Texas has been blessed with a handful of singular voices that define the sound of our state and the pinnacle of artistic expression. Freddy is in the company of a very few that includes Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly.”

Freddy Fender band keyboardist Conrad Askland said in an interview the answer Freddy gave when he asked him what life was all about - Freddy replied: “I know two things: I know theres a God, and I know I ain’t him.”

Freddy is one of the most talented artists God ever created. He is like a Renoir except that the world is his canvas and his pen is his brush. His presence is as powerful as the force of two trains colliding at full speed. A movie producer might look at Freddy’s life and see that it includes everything from romance and danger to artistic revelation and songs that initiated a cultural change in music. Yet when asked to sum up his own career, Freddy might laugh as only he can and say, “Life is just a matter of what kind of day you are having. My life is my life and I am who I am. I like keeping the tortillas hot.”