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Freddy Fender

b. Baldemar G. Huerta, 4 June 1937, San Benito, Texas, USA. d. 14 October 2006, Corpus Christi, Texas. Fender, a Mexican-American, comes from a family of migrant workers who were based in the San Benito valley. A farm worker from the age of 10, Fender says he "worked beets in Michigan, pickles in Ohio, baled hay and picked tomatoes in Indiana. When that was over, it was cotton-picking time in Arkansas." Fender sang and played guitar along with the blues, country and Mexican records he heard on the radio, which eventually developed into his own hybrid style. He joined the US marines in 1953, spending his time in the brig and eventually being dismissed for bad conduct. Referring back to his military service, he says, "It has taken me 35 years to have my discharge changed from bad conduct, and this means I am now eligible for a military funeral." He began playing rockabilly in Texas honky tonks in the late 50s and he recorded a Spanish version of "Don't Be Cruel" as well as his own composition, "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights" (1958). He recalls, "I had a gringo manager and started recording in English. Since I was playing a Fender guitar and amplifier, I changed my name to Freddy Fender." A fight in one club left him with a broken nose and a knife wound in his neck. Starting in 1960, Fender spent three years in Angola State Prison, Louisiana, on drug offences and he recorded several tracks on a cassette recorder while in jail, later collected on an album. Upon his release, he secured a residency at a Bourbon Street club in New Orleans.

Despairing of ever finding real success, Fender returned to San Benito in 1969 and took regular work as a mechanic. He gained a sociology degree with a view to helping ex-convicts. He returned to performing, however, and "Before The Next Teardrop Falls", which he performed in English and Spanish, became a number 1 US pop hit in 1975. He had further US chart success with "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights" (number 8 and dedicated to Doug Sahm), "Secret Love" (number 20), "You'll Lose A Good Thing" and "Vaya Con Dios". Fender's overwrought vocals, which even added something to "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?", were skilfully matched by Huey P. Meaux's arrangements featuring marimbas, accordion, harpsichord and steel guitar. His fuzzy hair and roly-poly body made him an unlikely pop star, but his admirers included Elvis Presley.

Fender succumbed to alcohol and drugs which forced his wife, in 1985, to enter him in a clinic, which apparently cured him. Fender played a corrupted mayor in the 1987 movie The Milagro Beanfield War, directed by Robert Redford. In 1990, he formed an all-star Tex-Mex band, the Texas Tornados, with long-time friends Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers (from Sir Douglas Quintet), and accordionist Flaco Jiminez. Their eponymous debut album was a critical and commercial success, but subsequent collaborations have failed to match its stylist blend of conjunto, country and R&B. Fender was signed to Warner Brothers Records as a soloist on the back of the group's success. The Freddy Fender Collection, his initial offering, was a disappointing collection of remakes of his early hits. In 2001, he was reported as being unwell with hepatitis and the following year he underwent surgery for a kidney transplant (kindly donated by his daughter). Nevertheless, his collection of Latin classics La Musica De Baldemar Huerta won a Grammy award for best Latin pop album.

Freddy Fender

1937 - 2006

10/14/06: Freddy Fender, 69, died quietly with his family at his bedside, friend Ron Rogers told reporters. Fender was diagnosed with lung cancer in January, 2006 and was told in the summer of 2006, that the spreading disease was incurable.

Grammy Award-winning singer Freddy Fender, whose country and Hispanic-flavored music reached across ethnic boundaries to find a broad audience, died of cancer on Saturday at his Corpus Christi, Texas home, a family friend said.

Fender, 69, died quietly with his family at his bedside, friend Ron Rogers told reporters. Fender was diagnosed with lung cancer in January and was told this summer the spreading disease was incurable.

Born Baldemar Huerta to migrant worker parents in the Texas border town of San Benito, he began singing and playing the guitar at an early age.

He is best known for a string of mid-1970s hits that included "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," "You'll Lose a Good Thing," and a remake of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" When he began his career in the 1950s, two of his first records, Spanish versions of Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell" and Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" were big hits in Latin America.

But in 1959 he changed his name to Freddy Fender – after the brand name of his guitar -with the intent of broadening his appeal.

In 1960, he had a hit with his first version of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," but was also busted for marijuana possession and went to prison for three years in Louisiana.

Afterwards, he worked as a mechanic, went to school and played in bars and clubs until "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" resurrected his career.



 

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