Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender (* 4. June 1937 in San Benito , Texas as Baldemar Garza Huerta ; † 14. October 2006 in Corpus Christi , Texas) was an American country - singer of Mexican descent .
Career
Beginnings
Born the son of Mexican immigrants, Baldemar Huerta moved as a child with his parents through the United States as a farm worker. At the age of five he began to play the guitar - initially on a homemade one, the main part of which was an empty sardine can. Baldemar Huerta dropped out of school at the age of 16 and joined the navy for three years. In 1958 he made his first records in Spanish under his birth name and as "El Bebop Kid", including a version of the Elvis hit Don't Be Cruel . To appeal to a wider audience, he adopted the name "Freddy Fender" a year later. In 1959 he had his first minor hit with Wasted Days And Wasted Nights . Immediately after the single was released, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and sentenced to five years in prison.
After three years in prison, he was released early with the support of the music-loving Louisiana Governor , former country singer Jimmie Davis , on condition that he would stay away from the music business for the remaining two years. Fender then played in the New Orleans club scene for a few years before returning to Texas in the late 1960s. Here he worked as a car mechanic and finished school.
Breakthrough as a country singer
In 1974 he was signed by producer Huey Meaux . The single Before The Next Teardrop Falls was released on a small label . The song, recorded partly in English and partly in Spanish, became a huge success and reached number one in both the country and pop charts. Immediately his first hit from 1959 Wasted Days And Wasted Nights was re-released in a new version and also reached number one. Fender was named Best Male Artist of 1975 by Billboard magazine , i.e. the best singer of 1975. His streak of success continued through the seventies, with titles like Secret Love and You'll Lose a Good Thing , he had more hits. Only then did the sales of his records decline.
In the 1980s, Fender took on a number of film roles. After massive alcohol and drug problems, he underwent drug rehab in 1985.
Comeback as a Texas tornado
Fender gained new popularity when he founded the Tex-Mex band Texas Tornados in 1990 with Doug Sahm , Augie Meyers (both from Sir Douglas Quintet ) and Flaco Jimenez . By 1999 the Texas Tornados had produced four studio albums, a best-of album and a live record. In 1998 Fender was also a member of Los Super Seven, a supergroup from the Los Lobos area . Both the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven each won a Grammy in the Best Mexican-American Performance category .
With his album La Musica de Baldemar Huerta , Fender returned musically to his youth in 2002 and interpreted classic Mexican pop songs from the pre-rock'n'roll era. The album won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop . With Dos Amigos a joint album with Flaco Jimenez was created in 2005 in a classical conjunto line-up with vocals, accordion and bajo sexto .
Sickness and death
Fender, who was diabetic and had had hepatitis C for some time , had to undergo a kidney transplant in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004. In August 2006, it was announced that he had lung cancer. Freddy Fender, who lived for a long time in the southern Texas city of Corpus Christi , died there on October 14, 2006.
His hometown San Benito is planning to open a Freddy Fender Museum. The idea for this came up during Fender's lifetime. An oversized portrait of Fender with the words "Hometown of Freddy Fender" has graced the city's water tower since 2005.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1974 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
US20th
gold
(43 weeks)US |
Country1 (47 weeks) Country |
Dot 2020
|
1975 | Are You Ready for Freddy? |
US41 (18 weeks) US |
Country1 (24 weeks) Country |
Dot 2044
|
Since I Met You Baby | - |
Country10 (15 weeks) Country |
GRT 8005
|
|
1976 | Rock 'n' Country |
US59 (11 weeks) US |
Country3 (18 weeks) Country |
Dot 2050
|
If You're Ever in Texas |
US170 (3 weeks) US |
Country4 (18 weeks) Country |
Dot 2061
|
|
1977 | The Best of Freddy Fender |
US155 (7 weeks) US |
Country4 (30 weeks) Country |
Dot 2079
|
If you don't love me | - |
Country34 (13 weeks) Country |
ABC / Dot 2090
|
|
1978 | Swamp gold | - |
Country44 (4 weeks) Country |
ABC / Dot 1062
|
2001 | Forever gold | - |
Country70 (2 weeks) Country |
More albums
- 1975: Recorded Inside Louisiana State Prison
- 1976: Your Cheatin 'Heart (Pickwick JS6195)
- 1977: Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad (Dot 2101)
- 1979: Tex-Mex (ABC 1132)
- 1979: The Texas Balladeer (Starflite 36073)
- 1980: Together We Drifted Apart (Starflite 36284)
- 1982: The Border (Soundtrack)
- 1991: The Freddy Fender Collection (reprise)
- 1991: Favorite Ballads
- 1993: Canciones de Mi Barrio: The Roots of Tejano Rock (Arhoolie)
- 1997: In His Prime (Edsel)
- 1999: The Voice: The Crazy Cajun Recordings (Edsel)
- 1999: Live At Gilley’s (Atlantic)
- 2002: La Musica de Baldemar Huerta (Backporch Records)
- 2003: Interpreta el Rock (Arhoolie)
- 2003: Eddie Con Los Shades: Rock'n'Roll (Arhoolie)
- 2005: Dos Amigos (Backporch Records)
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US | Country | |||
1975 | Before the Next Teardrop Falls Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
US1
gold
(21 weeks)US |
Country1 (17 weeks) Country |
|
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights Before the Next Teardrop Falls |
US8th
gold
(19 weeks)US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
Since I Met You Baby Since I Met You Baby |
US45 (8 weeks) US |
Country10 (14 weeks) Country |
||
Secret Love Are You Ready for Freddy? |
US20 (11 weeks) US |
Country1 (16 weeks) Country |
||
1976 | The Wild Side of Life Since I Met You Baby |
- |
Country13 (12 weeks) Country |
|
You'll Lose a Good Thing Rock 'n' Country |
US32 (10 weeks) US |
Country1 (15 weeks) Country |
||
Vaya con Dios Rock 'n' Country |
US59 (6 weeks) US |
Country7 (13 weeks) Country |
||
Living It Down If You're Ever in Texas |
US72 (4 weeks) US |
Country2 (14 weeks) Country |
||
1977 | The Rains Came Rock 'n' Country |
- |
Country4 (15 weeks) Country |
|
If You Don't Love Me (Why Don't You Just Leave Me Alone) If You Don't Love Me |
- |
Country11 (12 weeks) Country |
||
Think About Me If You Don't Love Me |
- |
Country18 (11 weeks) Country |
||
1978 | If You're Looking for a Fool If You Don't Love Me |
- |
Country34 (9 weeks) Country |
|
Talk to Me Swamp Gold |
- |
Country13 (12 weeks) Country |
||
I'm Leaving It All Up to You Swamp Gold |
- |
Country26 (9 weeks) Country |
||
1979 | Walking Piece of Heaven Tex-Mex |
- |
Country22 (12 weeks) Country |
|
Yours The Texas Balladeer |
- |
Country22 (11 weeks) Country |
||
Squeeze Box The Texas Balladeer |
- |
Country61 (5 weeks) Country |
||
1980 | My Special Prayer The Texas Balladeer |
- |
Country83 (3 weeks) Country |
|
Please Talk to My Heart Together We Drifted Apart |
- |
Country82 (3 weeks) Country |
||
1983 | Chokin 'kid |
- |
Country87 (3 weeks) Country |
More singles
- 1960: Holy One
Web links
swell
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Fender, Freddy |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Huerta, Baldemar (maiden name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
DATE OF BIRTH | June 4, 1937 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | San Benito , Texas |
DATE OF DEATH | October 14, 2006 |
Place of death | Corpus Christi |