Tejano, country and rock and roll singer Freddy Fender succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 69 on Saturday. The Grammy-winning singer, whose health rapidly declined after he was diagnosed with the malignancy earlier this year, passed away at his residence in Corpus Christi, Texas, surrounded by his family. Besides cancer, Fender was battling hepatitis C and underwent a kidney transplant in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004. The medical interventions failed to save the singer, who in his earlier life had been addicted to alcohol and narcotics.
“He was a giant of Texas music. That strange blend of rock and roll, R&B, blues and barrio sounds unlike any other,” said Billy Gibbons, the guitarist of Texas band ZZ Top, who had known Fender since the 1960s. Condoling his death, another friend, Augie Meyers, who worked with Fender in the Texas Tornadoes band, said of the singer who had successfully covered Elvis Presley's
Don't Be Cruel: “He was the Mexican Elvis. He was original, even then. If anybody surfaces like him again, it will be an imitation.” Tejano music legend and noted accordion player Flaco Jimenez said he was still having trouble coming to terms with Fender's death. “We're still speechless. Months ago, we expected something was wrong, but still it hurts. There (are) so many memories. We were on the road for a long time. That's a lot of things to remember. The good old days having a laugh or two. He was a real friend, a humorous character and a spontaneous musician. We'll miss old Freddy.” He added that the singer had a 'unique voice' which would never be heard again. “Nobody's going to sound like Freddy Fender again. Ever,” Jimenez added.
Born on June 4, 1937, in San Benito, Texas, to a migrant worker's family, Fender, who was named Baldemar Huerta, saw the hard life in his childhood after his father passed away when he was seven. The singer and his family moved through the United States working in various farms till Fender dropped out of school at the age of 16 and joined the United States Marine Corps, where he worked for three years. Upon his return, Fender got into the music business, and in 1957, covered Presley's
Don't Be Cruel and Harry Belafonte's
Jamaica Farewell in Spanish. The covers met with some success in Mexico and South America.
Then in 1959, the singer legally changed his name from Baldemar Huerta to Freddy Fender and took off for California to try for the big league. Success made its presence felt in 1975 with
Before the Next Teardrop Falls. The single shot up the music charts and was followed by hits
Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,
Secret Love and
You'll Lose a Good Thing. Fender was nominated for a Grammy Award six times and in 2002, managed to win a Best Latin Pop Album Grammy for
La Musica de Baldemar Huerta. He jointly won two others with the Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven.
The legendary singer is survived by his wife Vangie and children.
