Introduction
Join us as we take a look back at the incredible life and career of Baldemar Garza Huerta, better known to the world as Freddy Fender. Born on June 4, 1937, this American Tejano, country, and rock and roll icon left an indelible mark on music, both as a solo artist and as a member of acclaimed groups like Los Super Seven and The Texas Tornados. He’s best remembered for his massive 1975 hits, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and the re-recorded classic, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.”
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Freddy Fender’s story began in San Benito, Texas. He first showcased his talent at just 10 years old, singing “Paloma Querida” on Harlingen, Texas radio station KGBT. After dropping out of high school at 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving three years before an honorable discharge that, according to Fender, rectified an earlier wrongful discharge due to alcoholism.
Returning to Texas, Fender, then known as El Bebop Kid, honed his skills playing in nightclubs and bars for predominantly Latino audiences. In 1957, he found moderate success in Mexico and South America with Spanish versions of popular songs like Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” (“No Seas Cruel”) and Harry Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell.” He even put his own spin on Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart” with “Tu Frio Corazon” (“Your Cold Heart”). His rockabilly sound and cool persona as “Eddie con los Shades” quickly gained him recognition.
The Rise of Freddy Fender and Early Challenges
In 1958, Baldemar legally changed his name to Freddy Fender, a name he picked from the guitar and amplifier, believing the alliteration sounded good and would appeal more to a wider audience. He moved to California, and in 1959, recorded the blues ballad “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.” This self-penned song was a hit, but his career was temporarily derailed in May 1960 when he was arrested for marijuana possession. He served nearly three years in a Louisiana State Penitentiary, eventually released through the intervention of then-Governor Jimmy Davis. While on probation, he was advised to avoid places that served alcohol, a condition Fender later clarified in a 1990 NPR interview.
By the late 1960s, Fender was back in Corpus Christi, Texas, working as a mechanic and playing music only on weekends.
Chart-Topping Success and Enduring Hits
1974 marked a pivotal year for Fender. He recorded “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” a single that went on to become a #1 hit on both the Billboard Country and Pop charts, selling over a million copies and earning a gold disc in May 1975. This success was quickly followed by three more #1 country singles: “Secret Love,” “You’ll Lose a Good Thing,” and a re-recording of his earlier hit, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.” The latter became his second million-selling single, earning a gold disc in September 1975. Between 1975 and 1983, Fender charted 21 country hits, including “Since I Met You Baby,” “Vaya Con Dios,” “Living It Down,” and “The Rains Came.”
Fender’s influence extended beyond country music. “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” topped the pop chart, and “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” reached the pop Top 10, with “Secret Love” making it into the Top 20. His strong presence on jukeboxes across the U.S. earned him Artist of the Year and Record of the Year at the 1975 AMOA Jukebox Awards.
Fender was significantly influenced by the “swamp pop” sound of Southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas. His 1978 album Swamp Gold featured many swamp pop standards, and “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” itself has a typical swamp pop ballad arrangement.
Supergroups and Legacy
In 1989, Fender joined forces with fellow Tex-Mex musicians Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, and Augie Meyers to form The Texas Tornados. This supergroup blended conjunto, Tejano, R&B, country, and blues to widespread critical acclaim, earning a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Mexican-American Performance for “Soy de San Luis.” Fender, who famously described the group as “the old guys in the street,” initially brought his own band to the audition for Warner Brothers, but was persuaded to play some vintage rock and blues, securing the contract.
In the late 1990s, Fender joined another supergroup, Los Super Seven, alongside Los Lobos members David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas, Flaco Jimenez, Ruben Ramos, Joe Ely, and country singer Rick Trevino. The group’s self-titled debut earned them a Grammy in 1998 in the Mexican-American Performance category.
Fender’s final studio recording, released in 2001, was a collection of classic Mexican boleros titled La Musica de Baldemar Huerta. This album brought him his third Grammy Award, this time in the Latin Pop Album category. Joe Reyes, who worked with Fender on a 2004 tribute, praised the album, noting Fender’s perfectionism and the beauty of his voice returning to his roots.
Later Years and Passing
Despite health challenges, including a kidney transplant in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004, Fender continued to fight an incurable lung cancer. On June 5, 2005, he was present for the dedication of a $1.4 million water tower in San Benito, bearing his image and the words “San Benito hometown of Freddy Fender.”
Freddy Fender performed his last concert on December 31, 2005, before resuming chemotherapy. He passed away on October 14, 2006, at the age of 69, at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was laid to rest in his hometown of San Benito, having expressed a wish in a 2004 interview to become the first Mexican American inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His musical legacy continues to inspire and resonate with fans worldwide.