Biography:
Freddy Fender was one of the few Hispanic stars in country
music, a singer and songwriter whose work was defined largely
by its strong Latin sensibility. Born Baldemar Huerta to a
family of migrant laborers in San Benito, TX, on June 4, 1937,
Fender began playing guitar early in his childhood. After
dropping out of school at the age of 16 to join the Marine
Corps, he released his first Spanish-language recordings under
his given name in 1958.
While his initial sides were successful with listeners in
Texas and Mexico, in 1959 he decided to adopt his stage name,
along with a stronger rockabilly feel, in order to attract
"gringo" audiences. The following year, he released
the self-penned "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,"
his most successful single yet. But in May of 1960, Fender
was convicted of marijuana possession, and was sentenced to
five years in Louisiana's notorious Angola State Prison (the
same correctional facility which once held blues legend Leadbelly).
After serving three years, he was paroled thanks to the efforts
of Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis, on the condition that
upon Fender's release he stay away from the corruptive influences
of the music scene. After his parole ended, Fender tried to
re-ignite his career, but with the exception of a few scattered
nightclub gigs in the New Orleans area, he found little success,
and ultimately returned to San Benito. In Texas,
he spent several years working as an auto mechanic, and
even returned to school to pursue a degree in sociology.
In 1974, he met Huey P. Meaux, the owner of the Houston-based
Crazy Cajun label; after agreeing on a recording deal, it
was Meaux who convinced Fender to steer in the direction
of country & western while maintaining his music's Hispanic
roots. After Fender's first Meaux-produced single, "Before
the Next Teardrop Falls," failed to attract the attention
of a major label, it was released on Crazy Cajun; in the
first weeks of 1975, the song hit the top of both the country
and pop charts, and Fender became an overnight star. For
the follow-up, he re-recorded his early single, "Wasted
Days and Wasted Nights," and notched his second straight
number one country hit. Before the year ended, he had released
yet another chart-topper in "Secret Love," and
also issued two LPs, Since I Met You Baby and a self-titled
effort.
Throughout the remainder of the '70s, Fender's success
continued, most notably with the number two single "Living
It Down" in 1976. That same year, he released two more
albums, Your Cheatin' Heart and Rock 'N' Country. In 1977,
he also issued a holiday record, Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad.
As the 1980s dawned, however, his popularity began slipping;
after his final chart hit, 1983's "Chokin' Kind,"
he focused on an acting career, highlighted by an appearance
in the 1988 Robert Redford film The Milagro Beanfield War.
He remained largely silent as a musician until 1990, when
he formed the Tex-Mex supergroup Texas Tornados with Doug
Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, and Augie Meyers. After three albums,
the group disbanded, and Fender again resumed his solo career.
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