I HADNT EVEN HEARD HE HAD DIED UNTIL 2 YRS AGO OR LESS.HE WAS AN ALL AROUND SINGER “RE SAILS IN THE SUNSET”,HE ;S GOT IT ON THAT. PLEASE ANSWER ME BACK
OK ,I WROTE YOU BEFORE,

JOANNE

My reply:

Hi Joanne,

I’m not aware that a new book on Freddy Fender has been released. It’s quite possible but I just don’t know about it. I did a quick search on Google but didn’t see anything. If someone else has info on that maybe they can drop a link in the comments on this post.

I don’t feel Freddy was “begrudged”. I was one of his keyboardists from 1996-2005 and in just that time he received many awards including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On that particular day we did a show afterwards at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, CA. Maybe you are referring to the early years but in the years I knew and worked with him he got a lot of attention, admiration and praise. All well deserved in my opinion.

I agree that “Teardrop” was always a moving experience when he performed it. When I played with him we would always close with “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” and then “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”. Teardrop was moving because we would start those first few notes of the signature intro and within a second or two the energy of the audience would always really pick up because many people were waiting the whole show to hear that song. I treasured every second that I played those songs with him knowing that someday it would be no more.

“Red Sails in the Sunset” was a little difficult for him to sing at the end. It was heart breaking to see him in the last years slowly degrade from the sickness. I would say really starting around 2003 or so. It was also inspirational to see that he kept performing even though it was difficult.

I really loved Freddy. He was always interesting. He would call me “El Blanco” (“The White”) because my skin was so white he thought it was funny. I always thought it was ironic too that a Norwegian Lutheran was playing Tex-Mex with a Hispanic artist.

Since you took the time to write I’ll share with you three little personal items that happened while I played with him. I think they are funny when I look back on them.

When I played keyboards with Freddy I would play the accordion parts on the keyboard to cover Flaco’s parts. Augie Meyer’s would play with us often but only played accordion on a few songs. At one point Augie was sick for a bit and not able to play with us so I thought this would be a great chance to start playing a real accordion. Augie had sold me an old accordion so I could practice a bit. The time came up and I played the accordion with Freddy live for a show. I really thought I did pretty good for a first attempt and that Freddy would love it. After the show the band and Freddy are on the airplane and one of the band members says “Hey Freddy, what did you think of Conrad’s accordion playing?”. Freddy looks out the window before takeoff and says “See that place out there” (pointing to the airport tarmac), “I think you should put the accordion out there!” The band got a kick out of that. And yes, that was the first and last time I played real accordion with Freddy.

Another time Freddy and the band were in our rented 10-person van going from one gig to the next. It was a long drive and I had fallen asleep. Incidentally, Freddy would rarely sleep on our long van drives. He was always up and listening to music, talking with the band, etc. I was always amazed at his tenacity and durability. So I guess while I was asleep there was some gas that passed. It was really toxic. Freddy woke me up and said “Next time you fart like that you’ll be doing it in the unemployment line!” As you might image, the band teased me about that for years.

And the third little personal thing I’ll share with you was one of the few times I had a meal with just Freddy and me. I think this was at the coffee shop in the Gold Coast casino in Las Vegas. I had gone down for lunch and Freddy was sitting alone. I said hi and he asked me to join him. That was a good thing because if you sit with Freddy he usually pays for the meal! I think this was around the year 2000. The conversation got a bit serious and personal. We started talking about his experience in Alcoholics Anonymous and religious beliefs. I was interested to know his beliefs in God. Freddy got very serious, his voice toned down and word for word this is what he told me: “I know there’s a God, and I know I’m not Him.”

I always remember that for myself too. It’s one of my treasures I received from Freddy.

After spending those years with Freddy and the band I have a lot of things I could write about that are negative. A lot of things I could spew about. But I just don’t want to. Life is short. Freddy was a great guy and the man that people saw on stage is overall the man that he was: simple, genuine, off the cuff and with the best of intentions.

I loved Freddy and still do. In his long career as a musician my 9 years with him was probably just a speck. And truth might be I was just another keyboardist musician in the long line of people that worked with him. But for me the experience was one that changed my views about so many things. I didn’t learn much about music working with Freddy but I learned a lot about life.

FREDDY FENDER BIOGRAPHY:

Freddy Fender has had three successful careers already-as a Hispanic/pop star in the late 50’s, a country pop star in the 70’s, and a member of the Grammy award-winning Texas Tornadoes in the 90’s. With his signing to Warner/Reprise, he begins a new chapter in an amazing career that spans nearly four decades.

Freddy Fender was born Baldemar Huerta in the Rio Grande Valley town of San Benito, Texas. He grew up in a barrio that, he is quick to point out, was not a crowded ghetto but just a poor Hispanic neighborhood. The first music he played was Tejano, conjunto, Tex-Mex- the rambunctious combination of polka (from the German settlers of Texas) and traditional Mexican music- he learned by watching and listening at weddings and other events in the neighborhood. In 1947, at the age of 10, he made his first appearance on radio, singing a current hit “Paloma Querida”, on KGBT in Harlingen, Texas. Another performance of “Paloma Querida” (literally translated “dove” and “loved one”) won him a tub of food worth about $10- first prize in an amateur talent contest at the Grand Theater in Harlingen.

At the same time, Fender was getting a first-hand education in the blues. His parents were migrant workers and he traveled with them during the picking season. Many of his fellow workers were black, and some of them, Fender remembers, were good enough singers and musicians to have been professionals. The blues music he heard in the fields would become an integral part of his own unique style.

At 16, he joined the Marines for a three year hitch. After his discharge, he started playing Texas honky tonks and dance halls. Two of his first records, Spanish versions of Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel” and Harry Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell” on Falcon Records went to Number One in Mexico and South America in 1957. In 1959, Hollywood called him — not to act but to sign to Imperial Records, the label of such greats as Fats Domino. In hopes of reaching the gringo audience, he changed his name, taking Fender from the headstock of his Electric guitar, and picking Freddy simply because it was alliterative.

In 1960, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” became a national hit, it also proved to be prophetic for Fender. Early stardom was stolen that year when he and his bass player were arrested and sent to prison for possession of two marijuana cigarettes. Three years later, Fender surfaced in New Orleans, where he spent the next five years further developing his interest in rhythm & blues and Cajun funk. By 1969, Fender had returned home to “The Valley”. He worked full time as a mechanic, enrolled at Del Mar College and played music only on weekends.

In 1974, he cut Before The Next Teardrop Falls” in Houston. The master was bought by ABC-Dot, and on April 8, 1975, it reached the Number One spot on Billboard’s pop and county charts, the first time in history an artist’s first single reached Number One on both charts. His remake of “Wasted Days And Wasted Nights,” essentially the same arrangement that had been considered rock and roll the first time around, followed “Teardrop. . ” to Number One on the country charts, and his third release, “Secret Love,” and fourth release “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” also hit the top spot. The album went multi-platinum. Billboard named him Best Male Artist of 1975, and he won both single and album-of the-year honors from The Gavin Report.

Fender’s broad appeal has been reinforced by his success with cinema and television projects, including the Hispanic classics “Short eyes” and ‘She Came To The Valley”, as well as his breakthrough performance in Robert Redford’s 1987 epic “Milagro Beanfield War”. His voice has also been tapped for successful national radio and television campaigns for McDonald’s, Miller Lite and others.

In the 90’s, Freddy Fender’s role as vocalist/guitarist in the Tex-Mex supergroup, Texas Tornados, has delivered the venerable performer to major marketplaces and audiences traditionally oriented toward roots rock and progressive blues music.

David Letterman recently introduced Fender to his Latenight audience as “one of the greatest voices in all of music.”

Well this is certainly a trip. A friend showed me this photo of a Freddy Fender memorial sign in Lucerne Valley, CA. And I guess it’s just a sign out in the middle of the California High Desert but to me it has much more significance.

I lived in the High Desert for about 18 years. And Lucerne Valley was one of my very first bar gigs playing country music. Around 1988 I played in a little dive biker bar in Lucerne Valley for $35 (USD) a night and one free shot of whiskey every set. Also played a little joint there we called “The Y” because it was at the Y in the road that would take you up to Big Bear Mountain or on to 29 Palms and Palm Springs.

I remember very vividly playing this little Lucerne Valley bar that probably held 30 people. The band was drunk and the patrons were drunk and they would tell us how good we were and all that kind of stuff.

Fast forward 10 years after that and I was producing albums in Southern California and playing keyboards for Freddy Fender. And still every once in a while if I had a night off I would go into Lucerne Valley to pick up a gig for fifty bucks. Or on my night off would go to that little country bar and hide in the corner listening to the band. And I would wonder: Were those players dreaming day and night like me about playing better gigs?

Fast forward 10 years after Freddy Fender and I’m sitting in my penthouse apartment in China doing music for Cirque Du Soleil. I’d say now is the first time in my life where I haven’t dreamt about “the next gig”, because I like the Cirque gig so much. But I still always have the next project I’m working on.

Anyway, a big shout out to all my fellow High Desert Rats (and I use that term with sincere affection) out in Lucerne Valley. I sure hope you guys still listen to country music…

Freddy singing “before the next teardrop” and “wasted days and wasted nights” New Mexico State Fair 2003. Conrad Askland is playing keyboards with Freddy in this video. Not a great video, but just happened to run across it while surfing YouTube. Augie Meyers is also playing accordion with us in this video.

Video when I played with Freddy Fender on ABC at the 2002 ALMA awards (American Latin Music Awards). He was starting to be very ill in 2002 and had a kidney transplant the same year (and a liver transplant in 2004). Freddy passed away on October 14, 2006. Vaya Con Dios Freddy!

FREDDY FENDER RECIEVING PIONEER AWARD ON NATIONAL BROADCAST ON ABC. BAND MEMBERS CHRIS JURADO (BASS) AUGIE MEYERS (PIANO) CONRAD ASKLAND (DIGITAL KEYS) RHYS CLARK (DRUMS) MARK TATE (LEAD GUITAR)VERN MONNETT (STEEL) 

Thanks to Deb for sending this too me – another video from when I played with Freddy Fender (I’m the keyboardist on the right). Before The Next Teardrop Falls is often unwittingly called “Before The LAST Teardrop Falls” and Freddy Fender is often spelled as “Freddie Fender”, as they are in this video title. My best guess is this video is from Laughlin, Nevada sometime between 2003-2004, probably 2004.

I absolutely loved playing this song with Freddy. The crowd would get so nostalgic and everyone hugging their loved ones, it was always a great moment in the show.

Here are some of the comments people had posted about this video of Freddy Fender performance:
Thanks Freddie for the best womans drinking pity party song ever!!!!!Had many of them to this song,you were so much a part of my high school life and there after.Love you Dear Freddie,RIP

pladahitz
saw him at the palomino club in north hollywood…he just got out of prison,and people were lined up outside waiting to see him sing,in 1975….i am glad i was there
goan2
Does anyone have his recording/video of “Eres tu”?
ann1983iv
RIP, dear Freddie! You were a true CLASSIC! Your songs came into my life when My husband of 20 years left me for another and then I got involved with another…and I am still crying…for my first. Hurts whrn I hear these great songs! Luv you and miss you.

WOOT!!!!! Love this so much!
bolehbuat08

That’s a great love song for one thing the song extend to the person we love but not able to marry. For true love endure forever -it’s like eternal.. love you freddy

leti2102I love this song. Freddie was great.

New video of Freddy Fender posted on YouTube. I think this might have been around 2004 in Laughlin, Nevada. Freddy does band introductions and an intro song. You’ll notice he calls me “El Blanco”, or “The White”. In the video I’m playing synth and Augie Meyers is playing piano.

SHOW RECORDED LIVE IN LAUGHLIN,NEVADA CHRIS JURADO ON BASS,RHYS CLARK ON DRUMS,VERN MONNETT ON STEEL,MARK TATE ON LEAD AND CONRAD ASKLAND ON KEYBOARDS (AUGIE MEYERS ON PIANO BUT NOT SEEN)

Hancock starts playing July 2, 2008. Starring Will Smith – The story of a super hero that has some personal issues. Looks very funny. Check out trailers and the official Hancock movie site at http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/hancock/

For locals in Macau – it will start playing at the Macau Tower on July 3, 2008.

Update – Oops – Hancock film gets a bad review:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/01/review.hancock/index.html

Freddy Fender Song in Movie – Hey! A friend wrote me that they thought one of the songs used in the movie was interesting. I saw the movie and in one of the jail scenes heard Freddy Fender’s “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”! That was a nice surprise. I think I played that song about a thousand times when I was touring with Freddy. RIP Freddy – we still love you and remember you!

Hey, video of me playing at the Grand Ol Opry in Nashville! “Freddy Fender and Conrad in Nashville” – Ok, more like Freddy and a couple seconds of me that nobody knows. This just got posted on YouTube. Performance of Freddy Fender at the Grand Ol Opry (I think around 2001 – don’t remember). I DO remember we had to wear suit jackets for the performance and be clean shaven – I look like a dork in the video, oh well.

This was Freddy’s last appearance at the Opry, the first appearance in over twenty years. We performed “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” and “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”. Thanks to Chris Jurado for posting this.

There’s a new Freddy Fender tribute show with “Freddy Fender Jr.” that also has some of the original band members playing in the group. Click here to visit the Freddy Fender Jr. website.

One sidenote – it’s a little funny working as a sideguy that we always are so happy if we get a little cameo shot with the artists we work with. There’s two seconds of “Oh, that’s me!” – In the recent ZAIA footage for the Cirque Du Soleil show I’m working on they released excerpts and we bow at the end – of course the musicians are just little specks on stage. So one of the musicians emails me and says “Hey, did you see me?” – Hehe, hey – that’s part of being a side guy and being in production. We don’t get the big panoramic shots but we know we make the machine run…

This is a little macabre. I was contacted about this photo of Freddy Fender as a candidate to use for his grave stone.

Unfortunately, I never kept the full resolution version of this photo. Another lesson learned…

I took this photo from my keyboard rig during a Freddy Fender show in Laughlin, NV at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort and Casino. I didn’t regularly take pictures from the stage. In fact I think it might be the only one I ever took during a show. It must have been during one of his talking segments and I happened to have my camera with me.

I remember when I looked at it later I thought it looked a little “other worldly” – like Freddy facing eternity. I don’t know exactly when I took it – but my guess would be 2003, maybe 2004.

I played keyboards with Freddy from 1996 to 2005 along with Charlie Rich, Jr. and Augie Meyers.

What was Freddy Fender like to work for? Awesome. I really loved him.

Vaya Con Dios Freddy.

FREDDY FENDER STATS

AKA Baldemar G Huerta

Born: 4-Jun-1937
Birthplace: San Benito, TX
Died: 14-Oct-2006
Location of death: Corpus Christi, TX
Cause of death: Cancer – Lung

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Musician

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Before the Next Teardrop Falls

Military service: USMC

Wife: Vangie (m. 9-Aug-1957)
Daughter: Marla Huerta Garcia

University: Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX

Grammy twice
Hollywood Walk of Fame
Drug Possession: Marijuana Baton Rouge, LA (13-May-1960)
Bankruptcy 15-Feb-1983
Kidney Transplant University Hospital, San Antonio, TX (24-Jan-2002)
Liver Transplant
Mexican Ancestry
Risk Factors: Diabetes, Hepatitis, Alcoholism, Kidney Transplant, Marijuana

FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
The Milagro Beanfield War (18-Mar-1988)
Short Eyes (1977)

Official Website:
http://www.freddyfender.com/

Artist: Freddy Fender
Album Title: I Don’t Want To Be Lonely

Produced by Freddy Fender
Engineer: Conrad Askland
Tracking by Conrad Askland, Road Records, Victorville, CA
Overdubs and Mastering by Brian Winfrey, Deep South Studios
Mixed by Deep South Studios, Corpus Christi, TX

MUSICIANS:
Drums: Rhys Clark
Bass: Chris Jurado
Keyboards: Augie Meyers and Conrad Askland
Guitar and Pedal Steel: Mark Tate
Electric Lead Guitar: Philip Houston
Electric Guitar and Vocals: Freddy Fender

Photography: David Peralta, San Jose, CA
Recorded at: Road Studios, Victorville, CA
Graphic Design: Robert B. Lovato
Sound Recorders, Austin, TX

Manufactured by: Sound Recorders, Austin, TX

“I Don’t Want To Be Lonely”
Words and Music by Freddy Fender (Baldemar Huerta)

I don’t want to be lonely, lonely for your love
For I, just love you only and baby you’re the one I’m thinkin’ of
I know, you love another and baby I know you don’t want my love
But I, I love you only and baby you’re the one I’m thinkin’ of
I don’t want to be forsaken, just dreaming babe, ’bout your love
I don’t want to be mistaken, but I think babe you’re the one I’m thinkin’ of
Cause I, I’ll be the lonely one. Baby, you’re the one I’m thinkin’ of.

I know you love another and I know you don’t want me anymore
But I, could never love no one else and I will be your love forever more
But I don’t want to be lonely, lonely for your love
Cause I, I’ll be the lonely one and baby you’re the one I’m thinkin’ of.
And baby you’re the on I’m thinkin’ of