Biography:
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
During the mid-'90s, Rick Trevino emerged as one of the first
popular Hispanic singers in country music since the mid-'70s,
when Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez were having hits.
Beginning with "She Can't Say I Didn't Cry" in 1994,
Trevino racked up several hits over the next few years with
his Garth Brooks-inspired blend of new country and album rock.
Trevino was born into a musical family — his father
was a member of a local Tejano group. Both of his parents
fostered his musical interests, and as a child, he listened
to a variety of music, including Tejano, country, classical
pianist Van Cliburn, and mainstream pop/rockers like Elton
John and Billy Joel. Soon, he was taking classical piano lessons
and studying the clarinet. After graduating from high school,
he was offered a baseball scholarship to Memphis State University,
but he declined the offer to study music. In 1993,
he released his first album, the Spanish-language Dos Mundos.
It was accompanied by a single release of "Just Enough
Rope," which was released in English, Spanish, and
a bilingual version; it was the first traditional country
single to be released in both Spanish and English. The English
version was a moderate hit, reaching number 44. In 1994,
Trevino released an eponymous album, which featured English
versions of most of the songs from Dos Mundos, plus a few
new cuts. Rick Trevino became a hit, producing the Top 40
"Honky Tonk Crowd" and the Top Ten singles "She
Can't Say I Didn't Cry" and "Doctor Time."
Trevino's second album, Looking for the Light, was released
in 1995; it was accompanied by a Spanish version. Like its
predecessor, Looking for the Light was a hit, albeit not
as big as the debut — it only spawned one Top 40 hit,
the number six "Bobbie Ann Mason." Learning as
You Go, Trevino's third album, was released in 1996; Changing
in Your Eyes followed two years later, and Mi Son was released
in spring 2001. |
